Section 3502-A - Formation of a transportation corridor district; powers1.Formation. A municipality may, in accordance with the requirements of this section, by itself or in cooperation with one or more other municipalities, form a transportation corridor district for the purposes of funding public transportation and serving accessibility needs, including passenger rail, ferry, bus, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and routes, and promoting economic development at transportation station areas and in downtown areas. The municipality or group of municipalities shall select the borders of the transportation corridor district. The transportation corridor district may include the entire municipality or group of municipalities or a portion of the municipality or portions of the municipalities, but must encompass an existing or proposed transportation corridor. [2019, c. 242, §4(NEW).]
2.Notice and hearing. Before forming a transportation corridor district, a municipality or group of municipalities shall hold at least one public hearing on the proposed transportation corridor district in the municipality or in each of the participating municipalities. Notice of the hearing must be published at least 10 days before the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipality or municipalities and on each participating municipality's publicly accessible website if the municipality has a publicly accessible website. The municipality or group of municipalities shall provide notification by first-class mail of the public hearing to all owners of property within the borders of the proposed transportation corridor district. The municipality or group of municipalities shall provide notification of the public hearing to the Department of Transportation and to adjoining municipalities of the proposed transportation corridor district. After adjoining municipalities are notified of the public hearing, but before voter approval under subsection 3, the municipality or group of municipalities may coordinate with adjoining municipalities along the transportation corridor to change the borders. [2019, c. 242, §4(NEW).]
3.Voter approval. The formation of a transportation corridor district must be approved by a voter referendum in each participating municipality. [2019, c. 242, §4(NEW).]
4.General powers; area of service. A transportation corridor district formed under this section is a body politic and corporate and may sue, be sued, plead and be impleaded, adopt a name, adopt and alter a common seal and do all things necessary to furnish transportation within that district, including charter service, for public purposes in the interest of the health, safety, comfort and convenience of the inhabitants of the municipality or municipalities composing the district. [2019, c. 242, §4(NEW).]
5.Incidental rights. All incidental powers, rights and privileges necessary to accomplish the main objective set forth in this chapter are granted to a transportation corridor district formed under this section. Such a district is subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission only to the extent provided in this chapter. [2019, c. 242, §4(NEW).]
Added by 2019, c. 242,§ 4, eff. 9/19/2019.