1380                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 461

protect and promote commerce, the economic well-being, effective
government and the public welfare of all sections of the County.

(d)  As the movement of persons and vehicles within the County
is important to its economic well-being, it is necessary to encourage
the establishment of efficient and rapid public mass transportation
facilities in order to facilitate the movement of travelers and to
transport citizens of the County inhabitants from one part thereof to
another, and to make provision for the furnishing of adequate and
coordinated public mass transportation facilities for the future devel-
opment of the County and the transportation of citizens and com-
merce therein.

(e)   The regulation of public mass transportation facilities on a
coordinated basis throughout the County by and through a common
instrumentality is a proper and necessary step towards the alleviation
of transit and traffic problems.

(f)  Since the existing public mass transportation facilities have
been provided by private enterprise, it is the primary objective of
the General Assembly to improve such facilities and strengthen the
workings of private operators. However, the General Assembly
declares that private operators have a public responsibility to pro-
vide, maintain and properly operate public mass transportation facil-
ities suited to the needs of the public which they serve.

(g)  Therefore, it is declared that the purpose of the General
Assembly in enacting this article SUBTITLE is to create a means or
method to aid, assist and encourage the development and improve-
ment of privately owned public mass transportation facilities to the
end that an efficient, rapid and coordinated mass transportation
system may be established, maintained and operated within Wicom-
ico County for the use of the public and for furnishing such proper
service as may be needed for the rapid transportation of its citizens.

(a)  As used in this Act SUBTITLE the following words and terms
have the following meanings, unless the context shall indicate an-
other or different meaning or intent:

(b)  "Authority" means the Salisbury Wicomico Transportation
Authority created by this article, SUBTITLE, or if said Authority
shall be abolished, the board, body or commission succeeding to the
principal functions thereof or to which the powers given by this
article SUBTITLE to the Authority shall be given by law.

(c)  "City" means the Mayor and City Council of Salisbury.

(d)  "County" means the governing body of Wicomico County.

(e)   The phrase "mass transportation system'' means and includes
all plants, facilities, equipment, property and rights, whether located
at grade, underground, overhead or in the air, used or useful for
or in connection with the transportation of passengers for hire
within the area over which the Authority has jurisdiction. As used
herein this phrase does not include taxicabs. (compare w 474D (e)
re: taxicabs)

(f)  "Public transportation facilities," "public transportation
properties" or "public transit facilities" mean and include all the real

474B.