The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall
have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise.
(1) AASHTO--The American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials.
(2) Board--The board of directors of a regional mobility
authority.
(3) Commission--The Texas Transportation Commission.
(4) County--Includes the cities of El Paso, Laredo,
Brownsville, McAllen, and Port Aransas.
(5) Director--A director of a board.
(6) Department--The Texas Department of Transportation.
(7) Environmental Permits, Issues, and Commitments
(EPIC)--Any permit, issue, coordination, commitment, or mitigation
obtained to satisfy social, economic, or environmental impacts of
a transportation project, including, but not limited to, sole source
aquifer coordination, wetland permits, stormwater permits, traffic
noise abatement, threatened or endangered species coordination, archeological
permits, and any mitigation or other commitment associated with any
of those issues.
(8) Executive director--The executive director of the
department or the executive director's designee not below district
engineer, division director, or office director.
(9) Fiscal year--An accounting period of 12 months
that is consistent, to the extent feasible, with the fiscal year of
an RMA's member counties.
(10) Governmental entity--A municipality, county, the
department, or other public entity authorized to construct, maintain,
and operate a transportation project within the region of a regional
mobility authority.
(11) Metropolitan planning organization--An organization
designated to carry out the transportation planning process in prescribed
urbanized areas as required by 23 U.S.C. §134.
(12) Nonattainment area--An area designated by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as not meeting the air quality
standards outlined in the Clean Air Act.
(13) Petitioner--The county or counties petitioning
for the creation of a regional mobility authority.
(14) Public utility facility--Means:
(A) a water, wastewater, natural gas, or petroleum
pipeline or associated equipment;
(B) an electric transmission or distribution line or
associated equipment; or
(C) telecommunications information services, or cable
television infrastructure or associated equipment, including fiber
optic cable, conduit, and wireless communications facilities.
(15) RMA--A regional mobility authority.
(16) Revenue--Fares, fees, rents, tolls, and other
money received by an authority from the ownership or operation of
a transportation project.
(17) State Implementation Plan--The plan prepared by
the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as required by 42 USC §7410
to attain and maintain air quality standards.
(18) Surplus revenue--Revenue that exceeds:
(A) the regional mobility authority's debt service
requirements for a transportation project, including the redemption
or purchase price of bonds subject to redemption or purchase as provided
in the applicable bond proceedings;
(B) coverage requirements of a bond indenture for a
transportation project;
(C) costs of operation and maintenance for a transportation
project;
(D) cost of repair, expansion, or improvement of a
transportation project;
(E) funds allocated for feasibility studies; and
(F) necessary reserves as determined by the regional
mobility authority.
(19) Transportation project--Means:
(A) a turnpike project;
(B) a system designated under Transportation Code, §370.034;
(C) a passenger or freight rail facility, including:
(i) tracks;
(ii) a rail line;
(iii) switching, signaling, or other operating equipment;
(iv) a depot;
(v) a locomotive;
(vi) rolling stock;
(vii) a maintenance facility; and
(viii) other real and personal property associated
with a rail operation;
(D) a roadway with a functional classification greater
than a local road or rural minor collector;
(E) a bridge;
(F) a ferry;
(G) an airport, other than an airport that on September
1, 2005 was served by one or more air carriers engaged in scheduled
interstate transportation, as those terms were defined by 14 C.F.R. §1.1
on that date;
(H) a pedestrian or bicycle facility;
(I) an intermodal hub;
(J) an automated conveyor belt for the movement of
freight;
(K) a border crossing inspection station, including
an inspection station located at or near an international border crossing
or a border crossing from another state of the United States that
is not more than 50 miles from an international border;
(L) an air quality improvement initiative;
(M) a public utility facility;
(N) a transit system;
(O) a parking area, structure, or facility, or a collection
device for parking fees;
(P) if applicable, projects and programs listed in
the most recently approved state implementation plan for the area
covered by the RMA, including an early action compact;
(Q) improvements in a transportation reinvestment zone
designated under Transportation Code, Chapter 222, Subchapter E; and
(R) port security, transportation, or facility projects
eligible for funding under Transportation Code, §55.002.
(20) Turnpike project--A highway of any number of lanes,
with or without grade separations, owned or operated by an RMA under
this chapter and any improvement, extension, or expansion to that
highway, including:
(A) an improvement to relieve traffic congestion and
promote safety;
(B) a bridge, tunnel, overpass, underpass, interchange,
entrance plaza, approach, toll house, service road, or ramp;
(C) an administration, storage, or other building the
RMA considers necessary for the operation of a turnpike project;
(D) a property right, easement, or interest the RMA
acquires to construct or operate the turnpike project; and
(E) a parking area or structure, rest stop, park, and
any other improvement or amenity the RMA considers necessary, useful,
or beneficial for the operation of a turnpike project.
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