The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

1. (1) AASHTO--The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
2. (2) Board--The board of directors of a regional mobility authority.
3. (3) Commission--The Texas Transportation Commission.
4. (4) Director--A director of a board.
5. (5) Department--The Texas Department of Transportation.
6. (6) Environmental Permits, Issues, and Commitments (EPIC)--Any permit, issue, coordination, commitment, or mitigation obtained to satisfy social, economic, or environmental impacts of a transportation project, including, but not limited to, sole source aquifer coordination, wetland permits, stormwater permits, traffic noise abatement, threatened or endangered species coordination, archeological permits, and any mitigation or other commitment associated with any of those issues.
7. (7) Executive director--The executive director of the department or the executive director's designee not below district engineer, division director, or office director.
8. (8) Fiscal year--An accounting period of 12 months that begins on September 1 of each calendar year and ends on August 31 of the following calendar year.
9. (9) Governmental entity--A municipality, county, the department, or other public entity authorized to construct, maintain, and operate a transportation project within the region of a regional mobility authority.
10. (10) Metropolitan planning organization--An organization designated to carry out the transportation planning process in prescribed urbanized areas as required by Title 23, United States Code, §134.
11. (11) Nonattainment area--An area designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as not meeting the air quality standards outlined in the Clean Air Act.
12. (12) Petitioner--The county or counties petitioning for the creation of a regional mobility authority.
13. (13) RMA--A regional mobility authority.
14. (14) State Implementation Plan--The plan prepared by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission as required by 42 USC §7410 to attain and maintain air quality standards.
15. (15) Surplus revenue--Toll revenue that exceeds the regional mobility authority's debt service requirements, coverage requirements of any bond indenture, costs of operation and maintenance, cost of repair, expansion or improvement of a turnpike project, and reserves and reserve funds maintained by the regional mobility authority.

16. (16) Turnpike project--A toll highway constructed, maintained, or operated under this chapter by a RMA as part of the state highway system and any improvement, extension, or expansion to the highway, including:

    1. (A) a facility to relieve traffic congestion and promote safety;
    2. (B) a bridge, tunnel, overpass, underpass, interchange, entrance plaza, approach, toll house, service road, ramp, or service station;
    3. (C) an administration, storage, or other building the RMA considers necessary to operate the project;
    4. (D) property rights, easements, and interests the RMA acquires to construct or operate the project;
    5. (E) a parking area or structure, rest stop, park, and any other improvement or amenity the RMA considers necessary, useful, or beneficial for the operation of a turnpike project; and
    6. (F) a toll-free facility that is appurtenant to and necessary for the efficient operation of a turnpike project, including a service road, access road, ramp, interchange, bridge, or tunnel.

Source Note:The provisions of this §26.2 adopted to be effective July 18, 2002, 27 TexReg 6354.