Article 5. Transit Facilities And Service of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 10. >> Part 9. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 5.

The district may acquire, construct, own, operate, control or use rights-of-way, rail lines, buslines, stations, platforms, switches, yards, terminals, and any and all other facilities necessary or convenient for transit service within or partly without the district, underground, upon, or above the ground and under, upon, or over public streets or other public ways or waterways, together with all physical structures necessary or convenient for the access of persons and vehicles thereto, and may acquire any interest in or rights to the joint use of any or all of the foregoing; provided, that installations in any street, road or other property devoted to a public use shall be subject to consent of the governing body in charge of such public use.

The district may without limitation by any other provisions of this part requiring approval of indebtedness, accept contributions of money, rights-of-way, labor, materials, and any other property for the acquisition, construction, maintenance and operation of transit facilities, and may without limitation by any other provisions of this part enter into any contracts and cooperation with and accept cooperation from the state, or any department, instrumentality, or agency thereof, or any public agency in the acquisition, construction, maintenance, and operation of, and in financing the acquisition, construction, maintenance, and operation of, any such transit facilities.

The district shall not interfere with or exercise any control over any transit facilities now or hereafter owned, and operated wholly or partly within the district by any city or public agency, unless by consent of such city or public agency and upon such terms as are mutually agreed upon between the board and such city or public agency.

The district may lease or contract for the use of its transit facilities, or any portion thereof, to any operator, and may provide for subleases by such operator upon such terms and conditions as it deems in the public interest. The word "operator" as used in this section means any city or public agency or any person, firm or private corporation.

The district may construct and operate or acquire and operate works and facilities in, under, upon, over, across, or along any street or public highway or any stream, bay or watercourse, or over any of the lands which are the property of the state, to the same extent that such rights and privileges appertaining thereto are granted to municipalities within the state, and to install adequate bus stops, including the painting of curbs, subject to the consent of the governing body in charge of such streets, highways, stream, watercourse or lands.

The district may enter into agreements for the joint use of any property and rights by the district and any city, public agency or public utility operating transit facilities; may enter into agreements with any city, public agency or public utility operating any transit facilities, either wholly or partially within, or without, the district, for the joint use of any property of the district or of such city, public agency or public utility, or the establishment of through routes, joint fares, transfer of passengers or pooling arrangements.

The rates and charges for service furnished pursuant to this part shall be fixed by the board and shall be reasonable.

The board of supervisors or the city council of a municipality having territory located within the district may file a request for a hearing before the district board as to the reasonableness of any rates or charges fixed by the district and as to any proposal for fixing the location of facilities by the district. The request shall be in writing and shall state the subject matter on which a hearing is desired.

Upon the filing of a request for hearing as provided in Section 96127 the district board shall fix the time and place for hearing. The time fixed shall not be less than 15 days nor more than 60 days from the date such request is filed. Notice of such hearing shall be given to the county or city requesting such hearing and shall be published by the board.

At the time fixed for any hearing before the board any board of supervisors or city council eligible to file a request for hearing, not a party to the original request for hearing, may intervene and shall be entitled to be heard and to introduce evidence.

Within 30 days after submission of the case, the board shall render its decision and its decision shall be final.