(1) A street railway may acquire, own, construct, furnish, equip, complete, operate, improve, and maintain a street railway system in and upon the streets and highways of a road authority with the approval of the road authority, on terms and conditions imposed by the road authority. The approval shall be embodied in an operating license agreement between a street railway and each road authority with jurisdiction over public streets and highways upon which the street railway operates or seeks to operate a street railway system, including, but not limited to, a city, village, or township road authority located in the city, village, or township in which the street railway system operates or seeks to operate. An operating license agreement shall include the terms and conditions for operation of the street railway system. An operating license agreement may require the street railway to pay the direct administrative costs incurred by the road authority in administering the operating license agreement. An operating license agreement shall not require a street railway to acquire, accept responsibility for, or obligate itself to assume liability for or pay for any legacy costs of a public transportation provider. Before approving a proposed operating license agreement, a road authority shall hold a public hearing on the proposed operating license agreement. The hearing shall be held in the city, village, or township in which the street railway seeks to operate a street railway system and shall be held in compliance with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275. Notice of the public hearing shall be provided not less than 20 days before the date of the hearing. One or more road authorities may conduct a joint public hearing under this section. At a public hearing, a street railway and a road authority may present information regarding the proposed operating licensing agreement. When operating in and upon the streets and highways of a road authority, a street railway is subject to rules, regulations, or ordinances imposed by the road authority. A street railway shall not construct a street railway system in and upon the streets and highways of a road authority until the street railway accepts in writing any terms and conditions imposed by the road authority, the operating license agreement is approved under this section, and the agreement is filed with each road authority with jurisdiction over public streets and highways upon which the street railway will operate. A road authority may approve or disapprove an operating license agreement. A decision of a road authority regarding an operating license agreement is final and binding upon a street railway and other interested persons. The street railway shall pay a road authority for all of the road authority’s costs incurred in constructing the street railway system, mitigating the impact of the street railway system on road users, the environment, and the surrounding neighborhoods, and modifying the streets or highways impacted by construction of the street railway system, as provided in the operating license agreement. As a condition to obtaining or holding an operating license agreement, a road authority shall not require a street railway to obtain any other license or franchise, assess any other fee or charge, or impose any other licensing, regulatory, or franchise requirement, including a provision regulating schedules or fares of a street railway, unless expressly authorized under this part.

    (2) A street railway may acquire, own, construct, furnish, equip, complete, operate, improve, and maintain a street railway system upon public or private rights-of-way, and obtain easements when necessary for a street railway to acquire and use private property for acquiring, owning, constructing, furnishing, equipping, completing, operating, improving, and maintaining a street railway system.

    (3) After a road authority consents to the acquiring, owning, constructing, furnishing, equipping, completing, operating, improving, and maintaining of a street railway system on the streets or highways of the road authority or grants a right or privilege to the street railway by entering into an operating license agreement with the street railway, the road authority may not revoke the consent or deprive the street railway of the rights and privileges conferred without affording the street railway procedural due process of law if and to the extent provided in the operating license agreement.

    (4) A street railway may do 1 or more of the following:

    (a) Acquire by gift, devise, transfer, exchange, purchase, lease, or otherwise on terms and conditions and in a manner the street railway considers proper property or rights or interests in property relating to the operation of the street railway or street railway system.

    (b) Take, transport, or carry and convey individuals and property on a street railway system and receive just and fair compensation from users of the street railway system for that purpose.

    (c) Erect and maintain all necessary and convenient buildings, structures, stations, depots, fixtures, and machinery for the accommodation and use of individuals and property transported by the street railway.

    (d) Regulate the time and manner in which individuals and property are transported by the street railway and fares or other compensation are paid for that purpose. A street railway may charge just and fair compensation for the use of its street railway system.

    (e) Borrow money and issue bonds and notes for any indebtedness incurred and mortgage street railway property and rights to secure the payment of bonds, notes, money borrowed, and any and all debts and liabilities incurred by the street railway. A street railway shall not use tax increments to repay bonds and notes.

    (f) Transfer a street railway system to a public entity operating a public transportation system, with the consent of the public entity, if the transfer is authorized by a law enacted after January 12, 2009.

    (5) As used in this section, “public transportation provider” means that term as defined in section 2 of the regional transit authority act, 2012 PA 387, MCL 124.542.