Section 7-56-102 - Powers and authority of municipality, county or transit authority(a) Any such municipality, county, or combination of municipality and county, or a transit authority created by it under this part, has the power and authority to establish, acquire, purchase, construct, extend, improve, maintain, operate or franchise a public transportation system, including the acquisition of any type of vehicles necessary, car barns, terminals, garages, repair shops, buildings, lands, accessory apparatus, rights-of-way and easements, and all other appurtenances necessary, usual or proper to such a public transportation system for hire of passengers. The municipality, county, or combination of municipality and county, or a transit authority created under this part, has the power to make any and all contracts, including franchises, with any persons, partnerships, firms or corporations, public or private, necessary and incident to carry out this purpose. Such municipality, county, or combination of municipality and county, or a transit authority created by it has final authority to make a schedule of rates, fares and tolls for transportation services. The municipality, county, or combination of municipality and county, or a transit authority created by it, has the power and authority to promulgate and enforce such reasonable rules and regulations governing the operation of a public transportation system as may be reasonably necessary. Any municipality, county, or combination of municipality and county, additionally has the power to vest in a transit authority created by it full power and authority to license and regulate all forms of public transportation, including, but not limited to, taxicabs, airport limousines, and all other local carriers of passengers for hire. The transit authority, when so authorized, shall fix rates of fares for persons and baggage, routes, and all other services, and has final authority to issue or deny licenses, and to revoke or suspend for cause licenses previously issued.(b) This part shall not be construed as allowing a municipality, county, metropolitan government, or combination of municipality, county, and metropolitan government, to regulate any motor vehicle engaged primarily in the hauling of fifteen (15) or fewer passengers to and from their regular places of employment, taxicabs and airport limousines excepted, or to regulate the organizers, sponsors, or promoters of motor vehicles engaged primarily in the hauling of passengers to and from their regular places of employment; provided, however, that regulation by the appropriate government shall be permitted if the motor vehicles excluded from regulation, and the organizers, sponsors, and promoters of such vehicles are specifically defined and regulated as a class separate and distinct from other existing common carriers and contract carriers. This subsection (b) shall not apply in any county having a metropolitan form of government.(c)(1) Any municipality, county, or combination of municipality and county, intrastate or interstate, or a transit authority created under this part has the power and authority to make fair and equitable arrangements for the protection of employees of existing public transportation systems for hire of passengers and their personal baggage in any of the municipalities, counties and the metropolitan area of municipalities and counties. Such protections shall include, but not be limited to, such provisions as may be necessary for: (A) The preservation of rights, privileges, and benefits, including continuation of pension rights and benefits, under existing collective bargaining agreements or otherwise;(B) The continuation of collective bargaining rights;(C) The protection of individual employees against a worsening of their positions with respect to their employment, to the extent provided by § 13(c) of the former Urban Mass Transportation Act (former 49 U.S.C. § 5333(b));(D) Assurances of employment to employees of acquired mass transportation systems and priority of reemployment of employees terminated or laid off; and(E) Paid training or retraining programs.(2) Such protections shall be specified by the municipality, county, or combination of municipality and county, or transit authority, in any contract or lease for the acquisition or operation of any such public transportation system.(d) The municipality, county, or combination of municipality and county, or a transit authority created under this part, has the power and authority to bargain collectively with labor organizations representing employees and may enter into agreements with such organizations relative to wages, salaries, hours, working conditions, health benefits, pensions and retirement allowances of such employees.(e) In the case of any labor dispute involving such employees where collective bargaining does not result in a settlement, the same shall be submitted at the written request of either party to final and binding arbitration, pursuant to the provisions of any agreement entered into so providing, or in the absence of such provisions, with the written consent of both parties to an arbitration board composed of three (3) persons, one (1) appointed by the employer, one (1) appointed by the labor organization representing the employees, and the third member to be agreed upon by the employer and the labor organization, or, if no such third member is mutually acceptable, selected from a list of five (5) persons to be furnished by the American Arbitration Association at the request of either party, by alternately striking one (1) name until only one (1) name remains. The determination of the majority of the board of arbitration thus established shall be final and binding on all matters in dispute.(f) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no local government or any transit authority created by any local government shall construct, maintain or operate any bus rapid transit system using a separate lane, or other separate right-of-way, dedicated to the use of such bus rapid transit system on any state highway or state highway right-of-way unless the project to construct, maintain or operate such bus rapid transit system on the state highway or state highway right-of-way is approved by the governing body of the local government and by the commissioner of transportation. Prior to approval of the project, the commissioner of transportation shall provide written notice of any such proposed project to the speakers of the senate and the house of representatives, the chairs of the finance, ways and means committees of the senate and the house of representatives, the chair of the transportation and safety committee of the senate, and the chair of the transportation committee of the house of representatives. In addition, any bus rapid transit system using a separate lane, or other separate right-of-way, dedicated to the use of such bus rapid transit system on any state highway or state highway right-of-way shall be subject to the approval of the general assembly in the annual appropriations act if any state agency proposes to assist in funding the project with state or federal-aid funds; or, in the absence of any such proposed funding, the project shall be subject to approval by the general assembly as evidenced by the passage of a joint resolution originating in either house.Amended by 2014 Tenn. Acts, ch. 998,s 1, eff. 7/1/2014.Acts 1970, ch. 515, § 2; 1971, ch. 160, § 1; 1976, ch. 823, §§ 1, 4; T.C.A., § 6-3802.