2023 Michigan Compiled Laws › Chapter 124 - Municipalities › Act 387 of 2012 - Regional Transit Authority Act (124.541 - 124.558) › Section 124.547 - Authority; Powers; Assumption of Legacy Costs of Acquired Public Transportation Provider; Adoption of Public Transit Plan; Design and Operation of Rolling Rapid Transit System; Authority Including Macomb, Oakland, or Wayne County; Expenses in Planning and Operation of Rolling Rapid Transit System; Charging Fares; Public or Private Aid.

124.547 Authority; powers; assumption of legacy costs of acquired public transportation provider; adoption of public transit plan; design and operation of rolling rapid transit system; authority including Macomb, Oakland, or Wayne county; expenses in planning and operation of rolling rapid transit system; charging fares; public or private aid.
Sec. 7.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this act, an authority may do all things necessary and convenient to implement the purposes, objectives, and provisions of this act and the purposes, objectives, and powers vested in the authority or the board by this act or other law, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(a) Adopt and use a corporate seal.
(b) Adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business.
(c) Sue and be sued in its own name.
(d) Borrow money and issue bonds and notes under this act.
(e) Make and enter into contracts, agreements, or instruments necessary, incidental, or convenient to the performance of its duties and execution of its powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities under this act with any federal, state, local, or intergovernmental governmental agency or with any other person or entity, public or private, upon terms and conditions acceptable to the authority.
(f) Engage in collective negotiation or collective bargaining and enter into agreements with a bargaining representative as provided by 1947 PA 336, MCL 423.201 to 423.217.
(g) Solicit, receive, and accept gifts, grants, labor, loans, contributions of money, property, or other things of value, and other aid or payment from any federal, state, local, or intergovernmental agency or from any other person or entity, public or private, upon terms and conditions acceptable to the authority, or participate in any other way in a federal, state, local, or intergovernmental program.
(h) Apply for and receive loans, grants, guarantees, or other financial assistance in aid of a public transportation system from any state, federal, local, or intergovernmental agency or from any other source, public or private, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for purposes of developing, planning, constructing, improving, or operating a public transportation system.
(i) Procure insurance or become a self-funded insurer against loss in connection with the property, assets, or activities of the authority.
(j) Indemnify and procure insurance indemnifying board members from personal loss or accountability for liability asserted by a person with regard to bonds or other obligations of the authority, or from any personal liability or accountability by reason of the issuance of bonds or other obligations or by reason of any other action taken or the failure to act by the authority.
(k) Invest money of the authority, at the discretion of the board, in instruments, obligations, securities, or property determined proper by the board and name and use depositories for authority money. Investments shall be made consistent with an investment policy adopted by the board that complies with this act and 1943 PA 20, MCL 129.91 to 129.97a.
(l) Contract for goods and services as necessary, subject to section 6.
(m) Employ legal and technical experts, consultants, or other officers, agents, employees, or personnel, permanent or temporary, as considered necessary by the board, as permitted by this act.
(n) Contract for the services of persons for rendering professional or technical assistance, including, but not limited to, consultants, managers, legal counsel, engineers, accountants, and auditors, as permitted by this act.
(o) Establish and maintain an office.
(p) Acquire property or rights and interests in property by gift, devise, transfer, exchange, purchase, lease, or otherwise on terms and conditions and in a manner the authority considers proper. Property or rights or interests in property acquired by an authority may be by purchase contract, lease purchase, agreement, installment sales contract, land contract, or otherwise. The acquisition of property by an authority for a public transportation system in furtherance of the purposes of the authority is for a public use, and the exercise of any other powers granted to the authority is declared to be a public, governmental, and municipal function, purpose, and use exercised for a public purpose and matters of public necessity.
(q) Hold, clear, remediate, improve, maintain, manage, protect, control, sell, exchange, lease, or grant easements and licenses on property or rights or interests in property that the authority acquires, holds, or controls.
(r) Convey, sell, transfer, exchange, lease, or otherwise dispose of property or rights or interests in property to any person for consideration on terms and conditions and in a manner the authority considers proper, fair, and valuable.
(s) Acquire a public transportation provider under section 6(3)(b)(ii).
(t) Promulgate rules and adopt regulations for the orderly, safe, efficient, and sanitary operation and use of a public transportation system owned by the authority.
(u) Subject to section 13, use this state's rights-of-way throughout the public transit region for public transportation.
(v) Create separate operating entities.
(w) Enter into contracts or other arrangements with a person or entity for granting the privilege of naming or placing advertising on or in all or any portion of facilities or equipment of the authority.
(x) Do all other things necessary or convenient to exercise the powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities of the authority under this act or other laws related to the purposes, powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities of the authority.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, an authority may not acquire, accept responsibility for, or obligate itself to assume liability for, or pay any legacy costs of a public transportation provider that may be purchased, merged with, assumed, or otherwise acquired in any manner by the authority, including, but not limited to, costs associated with any authority or agency's litigation, claims, assessments, worker's compensation awards or charges, swap losses, pensions, health care, or other postemployment benefits of a public transportation provider without first securing an affirmative vote of a majority of the electors of each member county in the public transit region.
(3) An authority shall adopt a public transit plan for its public transit region. An authority shall adopt the most recent public transit plan of any public transportation provider within the public transit region that is a designated recipient of federal funds as its initial plan. An authority shall integrate all of these plans into a single regional master transit plan for the entire public transit region. An authority may amend a single regional master transit plan as necessary and shall update the plan annually. An authority may establish and operate new or additional routes and public transportation facilities using various forms of transportation modalities. An authority may employ operating personnel, negotiate collective bargaining agreements with operating personnel, or own operating assets of a public transportation service within a public transit region. An authority shall coordinate the operating and capital transit plans of transportation agencies and authorities within a public transit region.
(4) Subject to available resources, an authority may plan, design, develop, construct, and operate a rolling rapid transit system on at least 1 or more corridors within the authority's public transit region. An authority, with the approval of the federal transit administration and in compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations, shall determine exact routes and station locations. An authority may design routes to augment, complement, enhance, replace, or improve other forms of public transportation operating within or on the corridors.
(5) Subject to subsection (4), if an authority created on the effective date of this act includes Macomb county, Oakland county, or Wayne county, the authority may, subject to available resources, plan, design, develop, construct, and operate a rolling rapid transit system on at least 4 corridors within the authority's public transit region and the initial plans for a rolling rapid transit system may include all of the following:
(a) A Woodward corridor line to operate along, on, or near Woodward avenue between a location in or near the downtown Detroit station and a location in downtown Pontiac in Oakland county. As used in this subsection, "downtown Detroit station" means a location in or near the Campus Martius area of downtown Detroit.
(b) A Gratiot corridor line to operate along, on, or near Gratiot avenue between the downtown Detroit station and a location in downtown Mt. Clemens in Macomb county.
(c) A northern cross-county line to operate between the city of Pontiac and the city of Mt. Clemens, using a route to be determined by the authority. The route determined by the authority under this subdivision shall have stations along Big Beaver road in the city of Troy and highway M-59 in portions of Oakland and Macomb counties.
(d) A western cross-county line to operate between the downtown Detroit station and the Ann Arbor Blake transit center for a distance of approximately 47 miles. This corridor shall include, at a minimum, stations in the city of Ypsilanti, Detroit Wayne county metropolitan airport, and the city of Dearborn. The authority shall determine the exact route.
(6) Expenses of an authority incurred in the planning and operation of a rolling rapid transit system are not eligible for an operating grant under section 10e of 1951 PA 51, MCL 247.660e.
(7) An authority may charge fares and enter into contracts for the services provided by the public transportation system as necessary to provide funds to meet the obligations of the authority.
(8) A county or other political subdivision or agency, public or private, may assist, cooperate with, and contribute services, money, or property in aid of an authority and its powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities under this act.
History:
2012, Act 387, Imd. Eff. Dec. 19, 2012