§1653. Definitions; terms defined

For purposes of this Chapter, the following words have the meanings ascribed to them by this Section, except where the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) "Authority" means the Regional Transit Authority which shall be composed of the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, and such other adjacent parishes as may elect to participate in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.

(2) "Board" means the board of commissioners and governing body of the authority.

(3) "Regional area" means the jurisdictional area of the authority comprising the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, and such other adjacent parishes as may elect to participate, but excluding the territory of any local government which may decline membership on the board as hereinafter provided.

(4) "Local government" means any one of the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, or such other adjacent parishes as may elect to participate.

(5) "Local governing body" means the city council, parish council, police jury, or similar official governing body of a parish or other political subdivision within the metropolitan area.

(6) "Transportation system" means all property, real or personal, useful for the public ground transportation of passengers for hire, including but not limited to power plants, substations, terminals, garages, tunnels, subways, elevated rails, aerial structures, monorails, rail motive power, trains, railroad passenger cars and equipment, belt conveyors, inclines, carbarns, streetcars, buses, rails, lines, poles, wires, stations, concessions, off-street parking, and other facilities for the comfort, safety, and convenience of transit passengers, rights and licenses therefor, and rights to provide group and party services.

(7) "Transportation project" means any unit, structure, facility, or undertaking in any combination which may be a component part of a transportation system.

(8) "Rapid transit system or project" means a transportation system the primary function of which is to provide a mass transportation service principally by the use of high speed vehicles traveling on rights of way fully protected from other vehicular and pedestrian traffic, a secondary function of which is to provide a feeder-type mass transportation service therefor, and an incidental function of which is to provide facilities necessary thereto and other facilities for the comfort, safety, and convenience of its passengers. A rapid transit project is any transportation project which may contribute to the development or operation of a rapid transit system.

(9) "Cost of rapid transit system or project" means the total cost, according to accepted principles of accounting, paid or incurred to study, plan, design, finance, acquire, construct, or otherwise develop the component parts of a rapid transit system or rapid transit project to a normal operating or revenue-producing condition, including any relocation costs and the capitalization of expenses, direct or indirect, paid or incurred, in connection therewith. Without limiting in any way those expenses which may be capitalized as set forth in the preceding sentence, it is understood that such expenses shall include interest which is estimated to accrue on obligations issued by the authority to finance the construction of any rapid transit system or project during the construction period and for six months thereafter and all start-up costs incurred in placing such system or project in operation.

(10) "Federal government" means the United States of America, or any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof.

(11) "Executive officer" means the mayor, chief executive officer, parish president, president of a police jury, or any other officer charged with the duties customarily imposed on the mayor or chief executive officer of the parish or municipality.

(12) "Transit system" means all property, real or personal, used in the public ground transportation of passengers for hire except as are exempted in the body of the Act, including but not limited to power plants, sub-stations, lines, poles, and wires, as may be required solely for the operation of the present and future transit system or systems, terminals, garages, transit bridges, transit tunnels, carbarns, streetcars, buses, rails, stations, concessions, off-street parking, and other facilities for the comfort, safety and convenience of transit passengers, rights and licenses therefor.

(13) "Transit project" means any unit, structure, facility, or undertaking in any combination which may be a component part of a transit system.

(14) "Weighted vote" means each vote cast by a member of the authority shall be equal to the percentage of the individual parish's public transit revenue operating miles in relation to the total public transit revenue operating miles operated and controlled by the authority, divided equally among all members appointed by the chief executive officer of that parish. The resulting percentage shall also be allocated to each vote cast by a member in order to determine quorums.

(15) "Intraparish activity or facility" means any route, within the system, whose origin and destination is situated solely within one parish; any construction, equipment, and facilities situated exclusively within and having direct and predominant impact upon such participating parish. Intraparish activities by way of illustration, may include but are not limited to, standards of service, scheduling, rates, terminals, garages, transit bridges, transit tunnels, carbarns, streetcars, buses, transit rails, transit power plants and sub-stations, parking and other facilities for the comfort, safety, and convenience of transit passengers, rights and licenses therefor.

(16) "Interparish" means any route or portion of a route within the system; or construction, equipment, and facilities other than as defined in intraparish above.

(17) "Bonds and notes" means bonds, including refunding bonds, notes, interim certificates, certificates of indebtedness authorized to be issued by an authority pursuant to this Act.

(18) "Civil service" means the state civil service system.

(19) "Private transit and operator" means any privately owned and operated transit operation that operates as a private enterprise within the authority's geographic area.

(20) "Transportation related taxes" may include, but not necessarily be limited to gasoline tax, parking tax, licensed vehicle tax based upon vehicle weight or horsepower, or both, airport head tax, and taxicabs tax.

(21) "Parish eligible to participate" shall include the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, and any other parish adjacent to a member parish whose local governing body has authorized application for membership in the authority.

(22) "Public transit revenue operating miles" means the miles which a public transit vehicle travels when in revenue service. A public transit vehicle is in revenue service only when the vehicle is available to the public and there is a reasonable expectation of carrying passengers that either directly pay fares, are subsidized through public policy, or provide payment through some contract arrangement.

Added by Acts 1979, No. 439, §1, eff. Aug. 1, 1979. Amended by Acts 1980, No. 293, §1, eff. July 13, 1980; Acts 1989, No. 767, §1.