(a)  The authority is hereby authorized, subject to the provisions of this chapter, to fix, revise, charge and collect tolls for the use of the Newport Bridge, the Mount Hope Bridge, the turnpike and the different parts or sections thereof, and for the use of any additional facility and the different parts or sections thereof, and to contract with any person, partnership, association or corporation for placing on any project telephone, telegraph, electric light or power lines, gas stations, garages, and restaurants if deemed necessary by the authority in connection with the project, or for the use of any project or part thereof, including the right-of-way adjoining the paved portion of the turnpike or of any additional facility or for any other purposes and to fix the terms, conditions, rents and rates of charges for such use; provided, that the authority shall construct any gasoline service facilities which it may determine are needed on the project, and provided, further, that, to afford users of the project a reasonable choice of motor fuels of different brands, each gasoline service station shall be separately offered for lease upon sealed bids and, after notice of the offer has been published once a week in three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the state, and, in the event an acceptable bid shall be received in the judgment of the authority, each lease shall be awarded to the highest responsible bidder therefor, but no person shall be awarded or have the use of, nor shall motor fuel identified by the trade-marks, trade names, or brands of any one supplier, distributor, or retailer of such fuel be sold at more than one service station if they would constitute more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the service stations on the project. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, members of the town of Jamestown police and fire department and ambulance service personnel of the town of Jamestown and Jamestown school department who, in the course of their duty, are required to pay a toll for use of the Newport Bridge, shall, upon the presentment of receipts for the payment of the toll to the town of Jamestown, be reimbursed for all charges on an annual basis by the town of Jamestown who in turn shall be reimbursed for all payments made by the state. The town of Jamestown shall submit a request for reimbursement to the division of municipal finance for the previous fiscal year (ending June 30th) no later than September 30th of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which reimbursement is being requested. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, members of the city of Newport police and fire department and rescue personnel who, in the course of their duty, are required to pay a toll for use of the Newport Bridge, shall, upon the presentment of receipts for the payment of the toll to the city of Newport, be reimbursed for all charges on an annual basis by the city of Newport who in turn shall be reimbursed for all payments made by the state. The city of Newport shall submit a request for reimbursement to the division of municipal finance for the previous fiscal year (ending June 30th) no later than September 30th of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which reimbursement is being requested.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-26

  • Additional facility: means any bridge, approach or feeder road, highway, road, freeway, tunnel, overpass, underpass, parking facility or toll facility, in the state, equipment or signal and information system, which the authority is authorized by this chapter or any other law to construct, reconstruct, renovate, acquire, maintain, repair, operate, or manage after May 3, 1954 or any portion thereof. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
  • Authority: means the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority created by § 24-12-2, or, if the authority shall be abolished, the board, body, or commission succeeding to the principal functions thereof or upon whom the powers given by the chapter to the authority shall be given by law. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Department: means the department of transportation, or, if the department shall be abolished, the board, body, or commission succeeding to the principal functions thereof or upon whom the powers given by chapter 5 of Title 37 to the department shall be given by law. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Mount Hope Bridge: means the existing bridge between the towns of Bristol and Portsmouth and the approaches thereto, which was constructed by the Mount Hope Bridge corporation and which was acquired and is now owned and operated by the Mount Hope Bridge authority under the provisions of chapter 13 of this title, and shall embrace all tollhouses, administration, and other buildings and structures used in connection therewith, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests acquired by the Mount Hope Bridge corporation or the Mount Hope Bridge authority in connection with the construction and operation of the bridge. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
  • Newport Bridge: means the bridge or tunnel or combination of bridge and tunnel constructed or to be constructed under the provisions of this chapter over or under the waters of Narragansett Bay between Conanicut Island and Aquidneck Island, shall embrace the substructure and the superstructure thereof and the approaches thereto and the entrance plazas, interchanges, overpasses, underpasses, tollhouses, administration, storage, and other buildings, and highways connecting the bridge or tunnel with the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge (defined in subdivision (8)) and with state highways as the authority may determine to construct from time to time in connection therewith, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests acquired by the authority for the construction and operation of the bridge or tunnel or combination of bridge and tunnel. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • Project: means the "Newport Bridge" "Mount Hope Bridge" "Sakonnet River Bridge" "Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge" the "turnpike" or any "additional facility" as the case may be, or any portion thereof which may be financed, acquired or leased under the provisions of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
  • Sakonnet River Bridge: means the replacement Sakonnet River bridge constructed or to be constructed under the provisions of Article 36 of Chapter 376 of the Public Laws of 2003 between the towns of Tiverton and Portsmouth and shall embrace the substructure and the superstructure thereof and the approaches thereto and the toll structures, interchanges, overpasses, underpasses, tollhouses, administration, storage, and other buildings, and highways connecting the bridge with state highways, as the authority may determine to construct or acquire from time to time in connection therewith, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests acquired by the authority for the construction and operation of the bridge. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1
  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
  • Turnpike: means the controlled access highway or any portion thereof to be constructed or acquired, from time to time, under the provisions of this chapter from a point at or near the Connecticut-Rhode Island border through the county of Washington and the county of Newport to a point at or near the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border in the town of Tiverton (excluding the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, the Mount Hope Bridge, the Newport Bridge, and the Sakonnet River Bridge), together with all bridges (except those mentioned above), overpasses, underpasses, interchanges, entrance plazas, approaches, approach roads, tollhouses, service stations, and administration, storage, and other buildings and facilities which the authority may deem necessary for the operation of the turnpike, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests which may be acquired by the authority for the construction or the operation of the turnpike. See Rhode Island General Laws 24-12-1

(b)  Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, members of the police and fire department and rescue personnel of any city or town in this state who, in the course of their duty, are required to pay a toll for use of the Mount Hope Bridge or the Sakonnet River Bridge, if any, shall, upon the presentment of receipts for the payment of the toll to their town or city, be reimbursed for all such charges on an annual basis by the town or city, who in turn shall be reimbursed for all payments made by the state. Any city or town shall submit a request for reimbursement to the division of municipal finance for the previous fiscal year (ending June 30th) no later than September 30th of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which reimbursement is being requested.

History of Section.
P.L. 1954, ch. 3390, § 9; G.L. 1956, § 24-12-26; P.L. 1960, ch. 219, §§ 1, 16; P.L. 1963, ch. 165, § 14; P.L. 1985, ch. 200, § 1; P.L. 1985, ch. 312, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 500, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 332, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 413, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 241, art. 20, § 3; P.L. 2014, ch. 145, art. 21, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 141, art. 8, § 1.