Ch. 686                                    1996 LAWS OF MARYLAND

PG/MC 13-96

FOR the purpose of expanding the public hearing requirements of the Board of Directors
of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA); repealing the
exceptions to the public hearing requirements; reducing the period required for
notice of public hearings; authorizing the Board to establish notice posting
requirements through regulations; establishing certain Maryland standards for
major service reductions; establishing certain Maryland requirements for notice of
public hearing requirements; providing for a certain contingency; and generally
relating to public hearings before the WMATA.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Transportation

Section 10-204 Title III Article XIII Section 62(a) and (c)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1993 Replacement Volume and 1995 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article — Transportation

10-204.

Title III

Article XIII

62.

(a) [The board shall not make or change any fare or rate, nor establish or
abandon any service except after holding a public hearing with respect thereto, except for
service changes required by an emergency; minor service changes as defined by
regulations promulgated by the board; experimental service established to test the effect
of such service, and in effect for not more than six months; and fare and service changes
established for special events.] THE BOARD SHALL NOT RAISE ANY FARE OR RATE,
NOR IMPLEMENT A MAJOR SERVICE REDUCTION, EXCEPT AFTER HOLDING A
PUBLIC HEARING WITH RESPECT THERETO.

(c) The [board] BOARD shall give at least [thirty] FIFTEEN days' notice for all
PUBLIC hearings. The notice shall be given by publication in a newspaper of daily
circulation throughout the [zone] TRANSIT ZONE and such notice shall be published
once a week for two successive weeks. The notice PERIOD shall start with the FIRST day
of [first] publication. [In addition, the board shall post notices of the hearing in its
offices, all stations and terminals and in all of its vehicles and rolling stock in revenue
service.] NOTICES OF PUBLIC HEARINGS SHALL BE POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE BOARD.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, in Maryland, the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority shall conform with the following
standards that constitute a major service reduction. A major service reduction includes:
(1) one or more reductions in a single year that represent a total reduction of more than

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