Transportation (GTR) — Title 7. Mass Transit

The Metropolitan Transit District, consisting of Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, and other areas as designated by the Secretary after consultation and coordination with the affected jurisdiction and subject to the provisions of the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority Compact; and

Any area in which railroad service is performed under contract with the Administration or in which railroad facilities are owned by the Administration.

“Railroad facility” means any facility used in providing railroad services, and includes any one or more or combination of:

“Railroad facility” does not include any transit facility.

“Transit corridor” means a geographically bound set of two or more contiguous subway, light rail, bus rapid transit, or bus transit stations.

“Transit corridor” includes a geographically bound set of two or more contiguous bus transit stations that have fixed–route bus service that operates on a roadway dedicated to buses.

Is part of a deliberate development plan or strategy involving:

Is planned to maximize the use of transit, walking, and bicycling by residents and employees; and

Is designated as a transit–oriented development by:

“Transit service” means the transportation of persons and their packages and baggage and of newspapers, express, and mail in regular route, special, or charter service by means of transit facilities between points within the District.

“Transit service” does not include any:

“Transit station” means any facility, the primary function of which relates to the boarding and alighting of passengers from transit vehicles.

“Transit station” includes platforms, shelters, passenger waiting facilities, parking areas, access roadways, and other real property used to facilitate passenger access to transit service or railroad service.

The establishment of the realization of transit–oriented development as a transportation purpose under paragraph (1) of this subsection may not be construed to:

In this subsection, “net project costs” means that part of the capital costs that is incurred in constructing and acquiring transit facilities eligible for assistance under the federal Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 and that cannot be reasonably financed from revenues.

It is the policy of this title that:

The public interest in efficient and economical transit service requires that the transit facilities operated by private carriers be operated to provide, with the transit facilities owned or controlled by the Administration, a unified and coordinated regional transit system without unnecessary duplicating or competing service.

Subject to this standard, it is the policy of this title to utilize private carriers to the fullest extent practicable in providing transit service.

The public interest requires the development of an effective and efficient transit service to meet the special needs of elderly and handicapped persons.

When providing transit service to meet the special needs of disabled persons, the Administration shall:

The demographic and socioeconomic indicators present in the transit–oriented development and the surrounding areas;

Development activity occurring in the transit–oriented development during the period that the report covers; and

Transit station utilization rates for the transit–oriented development.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

“Baltimore Core Transit Service” means:

“Board” means the Board of Directors for Baltimore Core Transit Service.

The Board consists of the following voting members:

The Governor shall designate the chair of the Board, who shall serve as chair at the pleasure of the Governor.

The term of a Board member is 3 years.

The terms of the members are staggered as required by the terms provided for members of the Board on January 1, 2027.

At the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is appointed and qualifies.

A member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the rest of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies.

The Department and the Administration shall provide staff for the Board, including a Deputy Administrator who shall serve as the executive director and report directly to the Administrator.

The Administration shall provide office space for the Board.

May not receive compensation as a member of the Board; but

Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget.

Approve major service plans, policies, and initiatives for Baltimore Core Transit Service, as determined by the Board and the Administration on a reasonable basis;

Provide advice on major project initiatives, as determined by the Board and the Administration on a reasonable basis;

Advise the Administrator on, and consent to, the appointment of the Deputy Administrator by the Administrator and consult with the Administrator on any removal of the Deputy Administrator by the Administrator;

Have approval authority, supported by at least two–thirds of the members of the Board, over any decision by the Department or the Administration to withdraw a New Starts Capital Investment Grant or another federal grant under a substantially similar program for any Baltimore Core Transit Service area project once that project has been accepted into the Engineering Phase by the Federal Transit Administration;

Include in the quarterly agenda each of the following topics at least once each year:

Provide input and engage in advocacy for Baltimore Core Transit Service;

Review service change reports and approve major service change proposals;

Review and approve any update to the Central Maryland Regional Transit Plan;

Review and approve the Capital Needs Inventory Report;

Review local transit plans and services in the Baltimore region to ensure coordination between the local transit services and Baltimore Core Transit Service;

Organize and establish policies and procedures for the operations of the Board, including conflict of interest standards, consistent with Title 5 of the General Provisions Article and § 7–211 of this subtitle, that prohibit a Board member from having any inappropriate professional, financial, or nonfinancial interest in a matter over which the Board has jurisdiction;

Not later than 6 months after the Board first meets, adopt bylaws to govern the operations of the Board;

The Board shall meet at a time and place designated by the chair.

The Board shall meet as often as its duties require, but not less than quarterly.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

“Board” means the Commuter Services Advisory Board.

“Commuter service” means the Administration’s:

The Board consists of the following voting members, appointed by the Governor:

The Governor shall designate the chair of the Board, who shall serve as chair at the pleasure of the Governor.

The term of a Board member is 3 years.

The terms of the members are staggered as required by the terms provided for members of the Board on January 1, 2027.

At the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is appointed and qualifies.

A member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the rest of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies.

The Department and the Administration shall provide staff for the Board, including a Deputy Administrator who shall serve as the executive director and report directly to the Administrator.

The Administration shall provide office space for the Board.

May not receive compensation as a member of the Board; but

Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget.

Provide advice and guidance on MARC and commuter bus plans and policies;

Review and comment on major MARC and commuter bus service plans and updates;

Provide advice and guidance on the hiring and removal of the Deputy Administrator;

The Board shall meet at a time and place designated by the chair.

The Board shall meet as often as the duties require, but not less than quarterly.

The Administrator serves at the pleasure of the Secretary and shall report directly to him.

Subject to the authority of the Secretary, the Administrator is responsible for carrying out:

Construct, acquire, own, operate, maintain, and control any interest in any property, whether by contract, purchase, condemnation, lease as lessor or lessee, license, gift, mortgage, or otherwise; and

If the property is no longer required for the purposes of the Administration, sell, convey, or otherwise dispose of it.

For each of fiscal years 2020 through 2022, the Governor shall include in the State budget an appropriation for the capital needs of the Administration of at least $29,100,000 from the revenues available for the State capital program in the Transportation Trust Fund.

Subject to paragraph (3) of this subsection, the Governor shall include in the State budget an appropriation for the state of good repair needs of the Administration in the following amounts from the revenues available for the State capital program in the Transportation Trust Fund:

Without regard to the laws of this State relating to other State employees, and subject to § 2–103.4 of this article, the Administration may:

The Administration may determine the compensation of:

Subject to § 2–103.4 of this article, the Administration may establish a personnel system based on merit and fitness.

The Administration may:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Maryland Transportation Commission shall determine the qualifications and appointments, as well as compensation and leave, for up to 12 management personnel positions required by the Administration to operate and administer all State–owned transit facilities.

Except for general salary increases approved by the General Assembly, the Maryland Transportation Commission shall submit to the Secretary of Budget and Management at least 10 days before the effective date of any management personnel position salary increase notice of the proposed adjustment.

The Secretary of Budget and Management shall:

Failure of the Secretary of Budget and Management to advise the Maryland Transportation Commission in a timely manner shall be deemed a determination that the proposed adjustment poses no adverse impact.

Employees appointed under this subsection are State employees and shall be entitled to participate in the retirement and pension systems for employees of the State of Maryland authorized under Division II of the State Personnel and Pensions Article.

A Maryland Transit Administration police officer has all the powers granted to a peace officer and a police officer of this State. These powers may be exercised only on property owned, leased, or operated upon, by, or under the control of the Administration and not on any other property unless:

Members of the police force have concurrent jurisdiction in the performance of their duties with the law enforcement agencies of the State and of the political subdivisions in which any transit facility or railroad facility of the Administration is located or in which the Administration operates any transit service or railroad service. Nothing contained in this section relieves the State or a political subdivision or agency thereof from a duty to provide police, fire and other public safety service and protection or affects the jurisdiction of other police, fire, and public safety agencies.

In consultation with the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission, the Administrator, with the approval of the Secretary, shall adopt standards, qualifications, and prerequisites of character, training, education, human and public relations, and experience for Maryland Transit Administration police officers, including standards for the performance of their duties.

The Administrator shall adopt standards similar to the standards adopted for the Department of State Police.

Consistent with the provisions of Division II of the State Finance and Procurement Article, for planning, developing, constructing, acquiring, financing, and operating the transit facilities authorized by this title; and

Over the services performed by and the rentals, rates, fees, fares, and other charges imposed for the services performed by transit facilities owned or controlled by the Administration.

Separate farebox recovery ratios for the prior fiscal year for:

Comparisons of farebox recovery ratios for the Administration’s mass transit services and other similar transit systems nationwide.

Subject to § 7–506 of this title and paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Administration shall set the fare prices and collect other operating revenues.

The Administration may not reduce the level of services provided by the Administration for the purpose of achieving a specific farebox recovery requirement.

For fiscal year 2009 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Administration shall implement performance indicators to track service efficiency for the Administration’s mass transit services, including:

The Administration shall submit, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, an annual performance report to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, House Ways and Means Committee, and House Appropriations Committee by December 1 of each year on:

The Administration shall provide for an independent management audit of the operational costs and revenues of the Administration’s mass transit services every 4 years.

The audit shall provide data on fares, cost containment measures, comparisons with other similar mass transit systems, and other information necessary in evaluating the operations of the Administration’s mass transit system.

The findings from the audit shall be used as a benchmark for the annual performance reports.

Administer oaths;

Certify to all official acts; and

Issue subpoenas and orders for the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of papers, books, and documents.

If a person fails to comply with any subpoena or order issued under this section, the Administrator or his designee may invoke the aid of a court of competent jurisdiction.

The court may order that person to obey the subpoena or order or to give evidence about the matter in question.

Be financially interested, either directly or indirectly, in any contract, sale, purchase, lease, or transfer of property to which the Administration is a party;

In connection with services performed in the scope of his official duties or employment, solicit or accept money or any other thing of value in addition to the compensation or expenses paid him by the Administration; or

Offer money or anything of value for or in consideration of obtaining an appointment, promotion, or privilege in his official capacity or employment with the Administration.

The transit facilities to be constructed or acquired, including the location of terminals, stations, and parking facilities;

The character, nature, design, and location of the transit facilities;

Whether the transit facilities are to be constructed or acquired by lease, purchase, or condemnation;

A timetable for providing the transit facilities;

Anticipated capital costs;

Estimated operating expenses and revenues;

The type of equipment to be used;

The areas to be served and the routes and schedules of service expected to be provided;

The expected fares and charges for service;

The plan of financing the capital costs and operation of the transit facilities;

When applicable, improvements in interjurisdictional commuter transit services including the location of corridors, routes, stations, and terminals;

Improvements to fare payment systems that will:

Any other information that the Administration considers relevant.

An area in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Harford County, and Howard County that is served by light rail, metro, or fixed bus route service; and

As determined by the Department, any other area in which the population commutes to an area described in item (1) of this subsection in order to use light rail, metro, or fixed bus route service.

Define goals for outcomes to be achieved through the provision of public transportation;

In order to best achieve the goals defined in item (1) of this subsection, identify options for:

Prioritize corridors for planning of new public transportation assets;

Evaluate the Plan’s consistency with local land use and transportation plans and the Maryland Transportation Plan and identify opportunities for achieving greater consistency;

Be reviewed, revised, and updated at least every 5 years; and

Address a 25–year time frame.

There is a Central Maryland Regional Transit Plan Commission.

The Commission consists of the following members:

The Commission shall participate in the development of:

Implement the general development plan of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council; and

In order to provide for a balanced transportation system and for the coordination of transit planning and general planning, be prepared in consultation with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.

The Secretary may not approve or adopt the location of corridors, routes, stations, and terminals in any political subdivision unless the locations have been approved by the legislative body of the political subdivision.

If the legislative body does not advise the Secretary in writing of its action within 180 days after its receipt of notice of the proposed locations, the legislative body is deemed to have approved the location.

The Governor;

The chief executive officers and the councils or the boards of county commissioners in the District;

The Public Service Commission;

The Baltimore Regional Council of Governments;

The Department of Planning;

Each private carrier operating in the District;

Each labor union representing employees engaged in transit operations in the District;

The legislative representatives of any affected political subdivisions; and

Any other agency that the Secretary determines.

Release to the public information as to any proposed transit plan or proposed amendment or revision of a transit plan; and

Keep a copy of the proposal and information at its office for public inspection.

The Administration shall hold a public hearing on the proposed plan, revision, or amendment.

The Administration shall give at least 30 days’ prior notice of the hearing. The notice shall be published once a week for 2 successive weeks in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the District. The 30-day period begins when the notice first appears in the newspaper.

Make grants to the Administration;

Guarantee any obligations of the Administration;

Make contributions to meet any operating expenses of the Administration; and

Contract with the Administration, any lender, or any trustee under an indenture or loan agreement made by the Administration.

Does not have any power to impose any commitment or obligation on this State or any of its political subdivisions; and

May not levy any tax.

The money required to be paid by the Department under these agreements, leases, and equipment trust certificates shall be payable from revenues available under this title or Title 3 or 4 of this article.

Payment for the purchase or rental of transit facilities or equipment may be made in installments, and deferred installments may be evidenced by equipment trust certificates. Title to the transit facilities or equipment may not vest in the Department until the equipment trust certificates are paid.

Direct the seller to sell and assign the equipment to a bank or trust company authorized to do business in this State or to the United States Department of Transportation, as trustee, lessor, or seller, for the benefit and security of the equipment trust certificates;

Direct the trustee to deliver the transit facilities and equipment to one or more designated agents of the Department; and

Authorize the trustee simultaneously with the delivery to execute and deliver a lease of the transit facilities or equipment to the Department.

Compile and prioritize capital needs without regard to cost;

Identify the backlog of repairs and replacements needed to achieve a state of good repair for all Administration assets, including a separate analysis of these needs over the following 10 years; and

Identify the needs to be met in order to enhance service and achieve system performance goals.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

“MARC” means the Maryland Area Regional Commuter rail service.

“MARC Cornerstone Plan” means the plan established by the Administration to translate the Administration’s transit vision statement into strategic priorities, policies, programs, and initiatives for MARC rail service.

“Transit vision statement” means the Administration’s objective to provide safe, efficient, and reliable transit access across Maryland with world–class customer service.

The Administration shall establish individual investment programs to advance the MARC Cornerstone Plan and other MARC improvements by providing incremental enhancements for:

Each investment program established under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall:

In fiscal year 2028 and every fifth fiscal year thereafter, the Administration shall update each investment program established under this subsection.

In coordination with the District of Columbia, Virginia, the Virginia Railway Express, Amtrak, and CSX, develop a service and operations plan for MARC through–running to Alexandria, Virginia;

In coordination with Delaware, Pennsylvania, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), and Amtrak, develop a service and operations plan for MARC, SEPTA, or Amtrak to run competitive transit schedules between Perryville, Maryland and Newark, Delaware;

Complete 30% of the design for a new Elkton infill MARC station on the Penn Line;

Complete 30% of the design for a new Bayview infill MARC station on the Penn Line;

Complete 30% of the design for Germantown Station improvements;

Complete 15% of the design for a fourth track on the Penn Line; and

Hire three full–time equivalent (FTE) staff at a cost of approximately $450,000 annually beginning in fiscal year 2023 for the Administration’s planning and capital programming to ensure the Administration has adequate staff resources to leverage federal rail funding.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

“Alternative–fuel bus” means a motor vehicle that:

“Bus” has the meaning stated in § 11–105 of this article.

“Zero–emission bus” means a motor vehicle that is:

“Zero–emission vehicle” means:

This section applies to the Administration’s State transit bus fleet.

This section does not apply to a bus that is part of a locally operated transit system.

Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, beginning in fiscal year 2032, the Administration may not enter into a contract to purchase buses for the Administration’s State transit bus fleet that are not zero–emission buses.

If the Administration determines that a sufficient number of zero–emission buses or necessary electric vehicle supply equipment that meets the Administration’s performance and contractual requirements are not commercially available in a particular year, the Administration may purchase an alternative–fuel bus for that use, including hybrid buses, to ensure that an appropriate number of buses are purchased each year to maintain the State transit bus fleet.

The full cost of zero–emission and alternative–fuel buses purchased under this subsection shall be paid from the Transportation Trust Fund or bonds backed by future federal aid consistent with this section and § 3–601 of this article.

The Administration shall provide safety and workforce development training for its:

The training required under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall include registered apprenticeships and other labor–management training programs to address the impact of the transition to zero–emission buses on the Administration’s workforce.

On or before January 1, 2022, and each January 1 thereafter, the Administration shall, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, submit a report to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Environment and Transportation Committee on the implementation of this section.

The annual report shall include:

Direct private carriers to coordinate their service schedules with those of the transit facilities owned or controlled by the Administration;

Direct private carriers to improve or extend any existing service or to provide additional service over additional routes; and

If, after notice and opportunity for hearing, it finds that through service and joint fares are required by the public interest:

Unless the private carrier is earning a reasonable return on its operation as a whole in rendering transportation subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission, the Public Service Commission may not authorize or direct a private carrier to perform any service, including the establishment or continuation of a joint fare for a through route with the Administration, if the service is based on a division between the Administration and private carrier that does not provide a reasonable return to the private carrier.

In determining the issue of reasonable return, the Public Service Commission shall consider any income that is derived from the Administration, whether as payment for services or otherwise, and is attributable to the private carrier or to any corporation, firm, association, or other entity owned in whole or in part by the carrier.

Enter into agreements with private carriers to establish and maintain through routes and joint fares and to provide for the division of these joint fares; or

In the absence of agreement, establish and maintain through routes and joint fares in accordance with orders issued by the Public Service Commission and directed to the private carriers, if the terms and conditions for the through service and joint fares are acceptable to the Administration.

Fix, revise, charge, and collect rentals, rates, fees, fares, and other charges for its use or for its services; and

Contract with any person who desires its use for any purpose and fix the terms, conditions, rentals, rates, fees, fares, and other charges for this use.

Maintain, repair, and operate the transit facilities and railroad facilities;

Provide for depreciation of the transit facilities and railroad facilities;

Replace, enlarge, extend, reconstruct, renew, and improve the transit facilities and railroad facilities;

Pay the costs of purchasing, leasing, or otherwise acquiring and installing rolling stock and other equipment;

Pay the principal of and interest on any outstanding obligations of the Administration, including obligations incurred for the acquisition of rolling stock;

Pay the current expenses of the Administration; and

Provide for any purpose that the Administration considers necessary and desirable to carry out the provisions of this title.

The Administration may contract with the federal government, this State, or any of their agencies or political subdivisions for payments to the Administration for free or reduced fare transportation of employees or other persons.

With respect to the operation of transit service, the Administration shall allow individuals with disabilities who are employed by sheltered workshops and who earn less than the current minimum wage, as determined by the Federal Wage and Hours Board, to travel free to and from those workshops.

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, until a public hearing is held on the matter, the Administration may not:

The Administration may only implement a change described in paragraph (1) of this subsection during the time period that begins 6 weeks after the public hearing and ends 6 months after the public hearing.

A public hearing required under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be at a place and time that is reasonably accessible and convenient to the patrons of the service to be affected.

The Administration shall accept written comments for 30 days after a hearing held on a change described in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

The following persons may request the Administration to hold a hearing on any rentals, rates, fares, fees, or other charges of the Administration or any service rendered by the transit facilities owned or controlled by the Administration:

The request for a hearing shall:

As soon as possible after the Administration receives a request for a hearing, a designated employee of the Administration shall confer on the matter with the person requesting the hearing. After the conference, if the Administration considers the matter meritorious and of general significance, it may call a hearing.

The Administration shall give at least a 30–day notice before a hearing.

The notice shall be:

The Administration may establish a process for providing notice to local governments under paragraph (2)(iii) of this subsection.

The 30–day period begins when the notice first appears in the newspaper.

Its report on the subject matter of the hearing; and

If the hearing was requested under subsection (c) of this section, the written request for the hearing and all documents filed in support of it.

“Employees” means those employees who are validly represented by an accredited representative.

“Supervisor” means an employee of the Administration who is a sworn police officer and who is in a career service position that:

In job classifications that on December 31, 1983, were included in recognized bargaining units pursuant to agreements in force on that date between the Administration and an accredited representative identified in subsection (a)(1)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this section; and

Wages, salaries, hours, or other working conditions;

Benefits, including health and welfare, sick leave, insurance, pension, or retirement provisions;

Grievances that arise; or

Collective bargaining agreements, including:

The arbitration board shall consist of three members appointed as follows:

If, within 10 days after the appointment of the second arbitrator, a third arbitrator has not been appointed, either arbitrator may request the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service or any other entity specified by contract between the Administration and the authorized representative to furnish a list of five persons, from which the third arbitrator shall be selected. Promptly after receiving the list, the two appointed arbitrators shall determine the order of elimination by lot and, in the determined order, each shall eliminate one name alternately until only one name remains. The remaining person is the third arbitrator.

The third arbitrator is the chairman of the board.

Fix the terms of and restrictions on admission to the system and the classifications in it;

Provide that individuals eligible for admission to the system are not eligible for admission to or eligible to receive any benefits from any other pension system, except Social Security benefits, if the other system is financed or funded, whether wholly or partially or directly or indirectly, by funds paid or appropriated by the Administration; and

Provide a system of benefits payable to the beneficiaries and dependents of any participant in the system after the death of the participant, whether accidental or not and whether occurring in the performance of duty or not, subject to any exceptions, conditions, restrictions, and classifications that the Administration provides.

Is paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality, as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with the federal Davis-Bacon Act; and

Receives compensation at a rate not less than one and one-half times his basic rate of pay for all hours worked in any work week over 8 hours in any work day or 40 hours in any work week, as the case may be.

Set out in each invitation for bids or request for proposals; and

Made a part of the contract covering the project, which contract is deemed to be a contract of the character specified in § 103 of the federal Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act.

If the Administration operates any transit facility or makes any contractual or other arrangement for the operation of any transit facility, the Administration shall do whatever is necessary to give employees of affected mass transportation systems, in accordance with seniority, the first opportunity for reasonably comparable employment in any available nonsupervisory job as to those operations for which they can qualify after a reasonable training period.

This employment may not result in:

If the Administration acquires an existing transportation system, all employees of the system who are necessary for its operation by the Administration, except executive and administrative officers, shall be transferred to and employed by the Administration, subject to all the rights and benefits of this title.

These employees shall be given credit for seniority, sick leave, vacation, insurance, and pension benefits in accordance with the records or labor agreements from the acquired transportation system. Members and beneficiaries of any pension or retirement system or other benefits established by the acquired transportation system shall continue to have rights, privileges, benefits, obligations, and status with respect to the established system.

Use of streets, highways, and other vehicular facilities;

Traffic control and regulations;

Zoning;

Signs; and

Buildings.

The claimant submits a written notice of claim to the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee within 1 year after the injury to person or property that is the basis of the claim;

The Administrator or the Administrator’s designee denies the claim; and

The action is filed within 3 years after the cause of action arises.

Contain a concise statement of facts that sets forth the nature of the claim, including the date and place of the alleged tort;

State the name and address of the claimant;

State the name, address, and telephone number of counsel for the claimant, if any; and

Be signed by the claimant, or the legal representative or counsel for the claimant.

If the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee sends the claimant, or the legal representative or counsel for the claimant, written notice of denial; or

If the Administrator or the Administrator’s designee fails to give notice of a denial within 6 months after the sending of the notice of claim.

Loss or damage to its property; and

Liability for injury to persons or property.

Each lease of Administration property shall require the lessee to purchase, maintain, and pay for insurance that:

Each lease of Administration property shall require the lessee to indemnify and hold the Administration harmless for the negligence of the lessee, its agents, and its employees.

The person’s true name and address; and

Any written verification of the person’s true name and address in the person’s possession.

Upon receipt of satisfactory evidence of identification and a written promise to appear in court, a person who is charged with any of the offenses specified in § 7-705 of this subtitle, may be issued a citation by an authorized agent of the Administration or a police officer.

A police officer may arrest a person in lieu of the issuance of a citation when:

The offense charged;

A notice to appear in District Court on the date shown on the citation or when notified by the court;

A promise to appear to be signed by the person charged;

The signature and title of the authorized issuer; and

Such other information as the Administration and the court shall require.

A person shall comply with the notice to appear in District Court by:

Install and maintain a video monitoring system on all light rail transit vehicles to enhance security on the light rail transit system; and

Take any other actions reasonably considered by the Administrator to be necessary to restrict public access to any unattended transit vehicle within the light rail transit system.

Fail to pay the applicable fare charged by the Administration in the required manner; or

Fail to:

Expectorate;

Smoke or carry a lighted or smoldering pipe, cigar, or cigarette;

Consume food or drink, or carry any open food or beverage container;

Discard litter, except into receptacles designated for that purpose;

Play or operate any radio, cassette, cartridge, tape player, or similar electronic device or musical instruments, unless such device is connected to an earphone that limits the sound to the hearing of the individual user;

Carry or possess any explosives, acids, concealed weapons or other dangerous articles;

Carry or possess any live animals, except seeing–eye animals and hearing–ear animals properly harnessed and accompanied by a blind person or a deaf person, and small animals properly packaged;

Board any transit vehicle through the rear exit door, unless so directed by an employee or agent of the Maryland Transit Administration;

Urinate or defecate, except in restrooms;

Fail to move to the rear of any transit vehicle when requested to do so by the operator or a police officer;

Fail to vacate a seat designated for the elderly or handicapped when requested to do so by the transit vehicle operator, train conductor, or a police officer; or

Except by contract with the Administration, solicit the purchase of any goods or services.

It is unlawful for any person to obstruct, hinder, or interfere with:

Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000, imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, or both, for each offense.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

“State public transit service” means any of the following, if operated by the Administration or another State agency:

“State public transit service station” means a stop or station for State public transit service.

A person who is alleged by a public transit operator to have committed an assault or other intentional act causing bodily injury to a public transit operator or a passenger while the person is on board a State public transit service or at a State public transit service station may be prohibited from using a State public transit service or entering a State public transit service station, under guidelines and subject to an appeals process established by the Administration.

This section does not increase the duty of care for the Administration or another State agency or their employees, contractors, or contractor’s employees for any tort or other liability purposes in connection with actions by a person alleged to have committed an assault on a public transit operator or passenger.

Is subject to a fine as specified; and

Is not guilty of a criminal offense.

The Department, in cooperation with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), shall conduct a study every 5 years of the utilization of bus, rail, and subway transportation services under the jurisdiction of WMATA.

In conducting the study, the Department shall:

One of the regular members of the board of directors of the Commission who is appointed by the Governor shall be a resident of Montgomery County or Prince George’s County.

The individual appointed under this subsection may not be succeeded in office by an individual who is a resident of the same county.

Student of a public school of Baltimore City; and

Youth worker in the Baltimore City YouthWorks program.

A student of a public school in Baltimore City:

A youth worker in the Baltimore City YouthWorks program:

The Administration shall provide ridership on transit vehicles to any permanent employee in any unit of the Executive Branch of State government, including a unit with an independent personnel system.

The services provided under paragraph (1) of this subsection apply to transit vehicles that are part of the Administration’s:

The Administration shall make available to opioid treatment programs monthly transit passes that:

The transit passes issued under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be made available at a reduced price that reflects the price of a monthly pass issued under the Disabled Reduced Fare Program as of October 1, 2020, less any cost savings to the Administration that result from having participating opioid treatment programs issuing transit passes directly to patients.

Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, in each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027, the Governor shall include in the annual State budget an appropriation from the Transportation Trust Fund of at least $5,000,000, contingent on the receipt of federal funds to be used to provide matching funds needed to conduct an environmental impact study under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit Project.

An appropriation required under paragraph (1) of this subsection may be reduced by the amount of the total authorized in the prior fiscal year to conduct the NEPA study.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

“Local executive authority” means:

For each assault on a public transit operator:

A comparison of the aggregate data compiled under item (1) of this subsection with at least two other states with similar transit systems or populations; and

A review of current transit industry best practices to prevent and mitigate assaults on public transit operators.

Each local executive authority;

The State’s Attorney for each county; and

The following committees of the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article:

Conduct a transit equity analysis in accordance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act and the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended to determine whether the change will create a disparate impact on persons with disabilities;

Conduct a transit equity analysis in accordance with the Title VI Requirements and Guidelines for Federal Transit Administration Recipients to determine whether the change will create a disparate impact or a disproportionate burden;

Perform a cost–benefit analysis, including an analysis of impacts on:

Consult with members and leaders of affected communities, including through community outreach to: