§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.
(2) "Board" means the board of commissioners and governing body of the authority.
(3) "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.
(4) "Civil service" means the state civil service system.
(5) "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.
(6) "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.
(7) "Federal government" means the United States of America, or any department,
agency, or instrumentality thereof.
(8) "Interparish" means any route or portion of a route within the system; or
construction, equipment, and facilities other than as defined in intraparish above.
(9) "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.
(10) "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.
(11) "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.
(12) "Management class" or "class of position" means a definitely recognized kind
of employment designated to embrace positions that are so nearly alike in the essential
character of their duties, responsibilities, and consequent qualification requirements that they
can fairly and equitably be treated alike under like conditions for all personnel purposes in
which the primary duty or responsibility is policy, planning, accounting, administration,
clerical, grants management compliance, engineering, finance, security, and technology.
(13) "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.
(14) "Private transit and operator" means any privately owned and operated transit
operation that operates as a private enterprise within the authority's geographic area.
(15) "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.
(16) "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.
(17) "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 or withdraw from the authority as provided in this Chapter.
(18) "Transit project" means any unit, structure, facility, or undertaking in any
combination which may be a component part of a transit system.
(19) "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.
(20) "Transportation project" means any unit, structure, facility, or undertaking in
any combination which may be a component part of a transportation system.
(21) "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.
(22) "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.
(23) "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.