(1) As used in this part, the term:

(a) “Authority” means the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority, the body politic and corporate and agency of the state created by this part, covering Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties and any other contiguous county that is party to an agreement of participation.

(b) “Board” means the governing body of the authority.

(c) “Bonds” means the notes, bonds, refunding bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness or obligations, in either temporary or definitive form, which the authority is authorized to issue under this part.

(d)1. “Bus rapid transit” means a type of limited-stop bus service that relies on technology to help expedite service through priority for transit, rapid and convenient fare collection, and integration with land use to substantially upgrade performance of buses operating on exclusive, high-occupancy-vehicle lanes, expressways, or ordinary streets.

2. “Express bus” means a type of bus service designed to expedite longer trips, especially in major metropolitan areas during heavily patronized peak commuting hours, by operating over long distances without stopping on freeways or partially controlled access roadway facilities.

(e)1. “Commuter rail” means a complete system of tracks, guideways, stations, and rolling stock necessary to effectuate medium-distance to long-distance passenger rail service to, from, or within the municipalities within the authority’s designated region.

2. “Heavy rail transit” means a complete rail system operating on an electric railway with the capacity for a heavy volume of traffic, characterized by high-speed and rapid-acceleration passenger rail cars operating singly or in multicar trains on fixed rails in separate rights-of-way from which all other vehicular and pedestrian traffic are excluded. “Heavy rail transit” includes metro, subway, elevated, rapid transit, and rapid rail systems.

3. “Light rail transit” means a complete system of tracks, overhead catenaries, stations, and platforms with lightweight passenger rail cars operating singly or in short, multicar trains on fixed rails in rights-of-way that are not separated from other traffic for much of the way.

(f) “Consultation” means that one party confers with another identified party in accordance with an established process and, prior to taking action, considers that party’s views and periodically informs that party about actions taken.

(g) “Department” means the Florida Department of Transportation.

(h) “Limited access expressway” or “expressway” means a street or highway especially designed for through traffic and over, from, or to which a person does not have the right of easement, use, or access except in accordance with the rules adopted and established by the authority for the use of such facility.

(i) “Members” means the individuals constituting the governing body of the authority.

(j) “Multimodal transportation system” means a well-connected network of transportation modes reflecting a high level of accessibility between modes and proximity to supportive land use patterns.

(k) “Park-and-ride lot” means a transit station stop or a carpool or vanpool waiting area to which patrons may drive private vehicles for parking before gaining access to transit, commuter rail, or heavy rail systems or taking carpool or vanpool vehicles to their destinations.

(l) “State Board of Administration” means the body corporate existing under the provisions of s. 4, Art. IV of the State Constitution, or any successor thereto.

(m) “Transit-oriented development” means a mixed-use residential or commercial area designed to maximize access to public transportation and often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership. A transit-oriented development neighborhood typically has a center with a train station, tram stop, or bus station surrounded by relatively high-density development with progressively lower-density development spreading outward from the center, typically within 1/2 mile of the stop or station.

(n) “Transit station” means a public transportation passenger facility that is accessible either at street level or on above-grade platforms and often surrounded by pedestrian-friendly, higher-density development or park-and-ride lots.

(2) Terms importing singular number include the plural number in each case and vice versa, and terms importing persons include firms and corporations.

History.—s. 1, ch. 2007-254; s. 8, ch. 2011-64; s. 54, ch. 2013-15; s. 3, ch. 2017-98.