Section 6.02. Definitions.

 

(1)  "Capital project cost" means the cost of acquisition, construction, reconstruction and improvement of facilities, vehicles and equipment for use in the provision of an eligible public transportation service. A public body shall retain ownership of all capital items purchased under this program.

(2)  "Eligible applicants" means local public bodies, or federally recognized Indian tribal governing bodies, but does not include private transportation providers.

(3)  "Eligible public transportation service" means a public transportation service operating or designed to operate in non-urbanized areas.

(4)  "Federal section 18 funds" means all funds appropriated to the state for use in the federal program for public transportation projects in small urban, rural and intercity areas.

(4m)  "Federal section 9 funds" has the meaning given in s. Trans 8.02 (4) .

(5)  "Intercity bus service" means regularly scheduled bus service over routes connecting 2 or more urban areas of at least 2,500 population serving rural and small urban areas.

(6)  "Local public bodies" means counties, cities, villages and towns or agencies thereof.

(7)  "Operating project cost" means the difference between the costs of operating an eligible public transportation service and the revenues derived therefrom. User subsidies such as transportation stamps are not considered to be "operating costs" for purposes of this chapter.

(8)  "Private transportation providers" means privately owned (for-profit or nonprofit) organizations that operate an eligible public transportation service.

(9)  "Project year" means a calendar year.

(10)  "Public transportation service" means a passenger transportation service provided to the general public on a regular and continuing basis by a public agency or private firm. Passenger fares shall be collected for the service in accordance with established tariff schedules. The transportation service may be provided by bus, rail, shared-ride taxicab or other conveyance. The service may constitute an entire public transit system or may be an individual route or a segment of a route provided by a common carrier of passengers. The service shall be authorized by the office of the commissioner of transportation under ch. 194 , Stats. , unless exempt under s. 85.20 (5) , Stats., or under ch. 194 , Stats. A transportation service provided exclusively for a subgroup of the general public is not considered to be a "public transportation service" for purposes of this chapter, unless it is part of an overall public transit service to the area.

(11)  "Small urban area" means any area that includes a city or village having a population of at least 2,500, but not more than 49,999. The department shall determine the population of a city or village within a small urban area using the most recent estimates prepared by the department of administration.

(12)  "Station revenue" means those revenues which are derived from the operation of a public transportation facility. Such revenues include concessions, storage rentals, parking, office space rental, and other miscellaneous sources.

(13)  "Through revenue" means revenue derived from passengers whose trips begin and end outside an eligible project route but whose route of travel includes the eligible project route.

(14)  "Urbanized area" means those areas of the state so defined by the U.S. bureau of the census.

(15)  "User-side subsidies" means a program whereby users of the transit service are permitted to purchase transportation vouchers at prices substantially below the fares charged by the transit providers. The users can exchange these vouchers for transportation services, and the providers can then redeem them for the full fare.

History: Cr. Register, April, 1984, No. 340 , eff. 5-1-84; emerg. am. (2), renum. (8) to (13) to be (9) to (14), cr. (8), eff. 2-12-85; emerg. am. (2), renum. (8) to (13) to be (9) to (14), cr. (8) eff. 6-5-85; am. (2), Register, November, 1985, No. 359 , eff. 12-1-85; cr. (4m), Register, December, 1987, No. 384 , eff. 1-1-88; am. (10), renum. (12) and (13) to be (13) and (14), cr. (12), Register, October, 1989, No. 406 , eff. 11-1-89; am. (10), Register, December, 1989, No. 408 , eff. 1-1-90; renum. (5) to (14) to be (6) to (15), cr. (5), Register, January, 1993, No. 445 , eff. 2-1-93.