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The following words and terms shall have the meaning indicated unless the context shall clearly indicate a different meaning:

(1)  “Authority” means the River Parishes Transit Authority.  

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

(3)  “Area” means the territory comprising the parishes of St. Charles, St. James and St. John the Baptist.  

(4)  “Local government” means any one of the parishes of St. Charles, St. James and St. John the Baptist.  

(5)  “Governing body” means the legislative body, commission, council, police jury, or other body charged with governing the parish.  

(6)  “Executive officer” means the chief executive officer or any other officer charged with the duties customarily imposed on the chief executive officer of the parish.  

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

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

(9)  “Cost of transit system or project” means according to accepted principles of accounting, the total cost, paid or incurred, to study, plan, design, finance, acquire, construct, or otherwise develop the component parts of a transit system or 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 intending to limit 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 it is estimated will accrue on obligations issued by the authority to finance the construction of any transit system or project during the construction period and for six months thereafter and all startup 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)  “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 lines, transit poles, transit wires, stations, concessions, transit power plants and substations, parking and other facilities for the comfort, safety, and convenience of transit passengers, rights and licenses therefor.  

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

(13)  “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.  

(14)  “Civil service” means the state civil service system.  

(15)  “Private transit and operator” means any privately owned and operated transit operation that operates as a private enterprise within the authority’s geographic area.  

(16)  “Transportation related taxes” may include, but not necessarily be limited to gasoline tax, parking tax, licensed vehicle tax based upon vehicle weight and/or horsepower, airport head tax, taxicabs tax, etc.  

Added by Acts 1976, No. 638, §1.