Chapter 1. General Provisions And Definitions of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 10. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 1.

This part shall be known as the Southern California Rapid Transit District Law.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares:
  (a) There is an imperative need for a comprehensive mass rapid transit system in the southern California area, and particularly in Los Angeles County. Diminution of congestion on the streets and highways in Los Angeles will facilitate passage of all Californians motoring through the most populous area of this state and will especially benefit domiciliaries of that county who reside both within and without the rapid transit district. It is, further, the declared policy of the state to foster the development of trade and the movement of people in and around the Los Angeles area for the benefit of the entire state, and one of the purposes of the Southern California Rapid Transit District is to further this policy.
  (b) In view of the limited powers of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (herein sometimes referred to as "authority") it has become apparent that the authority is unable to solve the transit problems of the southern California area and provide the needed comprehensive mass rapid transit system.
  (c) It is, therefore, necessary to provide a successor corporation to the authority, to wit: a transit district, and to establish such transit district governed by representatives of the governmental agencies in the southern California area so that there will be sufficient power and authority to solve the transportation problems in the southern California area and to provide the needed comprehensive mass rapid transit system.
  (d) It is evident, therefore, that such a transit district may plan to meet the transit needs and problems of the whole southern California area; and that the estimates of future population growth for the southern California area make it imperative that a comprehensive plan for rapid transit contain projections of population trends extending over the next 30 years.

The part shall be liberally construed to carry out the objects and purposes and the declared policy of the State of California as in this part set forth.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the provisions of this chapter govern the construction of this part.

"District," as used in this part, means the Southern California Rapid Transit District.

(a) "Rapid transit," as used in this part, means the transportation of passengers only and their incidental baggage by means other than by chartered bus, sightseeing bus, taxi, or any other motor vehicle not on an individual passenger fare paying basis, except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b).
  (b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the district from any of the following:
  (1) Leasing its buses to private certified public carriers.
  (2) Providing school bus service for the transportation of pupils between their homes and schools.
  (3) Providing charter bus services to governmental agencies, if comparable service is unavailable through privately operated bus companies, and to special events, other than regular and preseason scheduled professional and amateur sporting events.
  (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) or paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the district from providing charter bus services, which are incidental to the holding of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, to any party or to any event during the period from May 1, 1984, to September 30, 1984, inclusive, if the district does not curtail existing, regularly scheduled services.

"Board of directors," "board," or "directors," as used in this part, means the board of directors of the district.

"Public agency," as used in this part, includes the State of California, and any county, city and county, city, district, or other political subdivision or public entity of, or organized under the laws of, this State.