2023 Texas Statutes › Transportation Code › Title 6 - Roadways › Subtitle K - Mass Transportation › Chapter 451 - Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authorities › Subchapter B. Powers of Authorities › Section 451.061. Fares and Other Charges

Sec. 451.061.  FARES AND OTHER CHARGES.  (a)  An authority shall impose reasonable and nondiscriminatory fares, tolls, charges, rents, and other compensation for the use of the transit authority system sufficient to produce revenue, together with tax revenue received by the authority, in an amount adequate to:
(1)  pay all the expenses necessary to operate and maintain the transit authority system;
(2)  pay when due the principal of and interest on, and sinking fund and reserve fund payments agreed to be made with respect to, all bonds that are issued by the authority and payable in whole or part from the revenue;  and
(3)  fulfill the terms of any other agreement with the holders of bonds described by Subdivision (2) or with a person acting on behalf of the bondholders.
(b)  It is intended by this chapter that the compensation imposed under Subsection (a) and taxes imposed by the authority not exceed the amounts necessary to produce revenue sufficient to meet the obligations of the authority under this chapter.
(c)  Fares for passenger transportation may be set according to a zone system or other classification that the authority determines to be reasonable.
(d)  Except as provided by Subsection (d-1), the fares, tolls, charges, rents, and other compensation established by an authority in which the principal municipality has a population of less than 1.9 million may not take effect until approved by a majority vote of a committee composed of:
(1)  five members of the governing body of the principal municipality, selected by that governing body;
(2)  three members of the commissioners court of the county having the largest portion of the incorporated territory of the principal municipality, selected by that commissioners court; and
(3)  three mayors of municipalities, other than the principal municipality, located in the authority, selected by:
(A)  the mayors of all the municipalities, except the principal municipality, located in the authority; or
(B)  the mayor of the most populous municipality, other than the principal municipality, in the case of an authority in which the principal municipality has a population of less than 320,000.
(d-1)  The establishment of or a change to fares, tolls, charges, rents, and other compensation by an authority confirmed before July 1, 1985, in which the principal municipality has a population of less than 1.3 million, takes effect immediately on approval by a majority vote of the board, except that the establishment of or a change to a single-ride base fare takes effect on the 60th day after the date the board approves the fare or change to the fare, unless the policy board of the metropolitan planning organization that serves the area of the authority disapproves the fare or change to the fare by a majority vote.
(e)  This section does not limit the state's power to regulate taxes imposed by an authority or other compensation authorized under this section.  The state agrees with holders of bonds issued under this chapter, however, not to alter the power given to an authority under this section to impose taxes, fares, tolls, charges, rents, and other compensation in amounts sufficient to comply with Subsection (a), or to impair the rights and remedies of an authority bondholder, or a person acting on behalf of a bondholder, until the bonds, interest on the bonds, interest on unpaid installments of interest, costs and expenses in connection with an action or proceeding by or on behalf of a bondholder, and other obligations of the authority in connection with the bonds are discharged.
(f)  Except as provided by Subsection (g), personal identifying information collected by an authority is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, including a person's:
(1)  name, address, e-mail address, and phone number;
(2)  account number, password, payment transaction activity, toll or charge record, or credit, debit, or other payment card number;
(3)  trip data, including the time, date, origin, and destination of a trip, and demographic information collected when the person purchases a ticket or schedules a trip; and
(4)  other personal information, including financial information.
(g)  Personal identifying information described by Subsection (f)(3) may be disclosed to a governmental agency or institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, by an authority if the requestor confirms in writing that the use of the information will be strictly limited to use in research or in producing statistical reports, but only if the information is not published, redisclosed, sold, or used to contact any individual.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1221 (S.B. 1263), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1163 (H.B. 2702), Sec. 136, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1129 (S.B. 57), Sec. 6, eff. June 19, 2015.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 155 (S.B. 858), Sec. 1, eff. May 28, 2021.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 644 (H.B. 4559), Sec. 248, eff. September 1, 2023.