2642-F - Special powers of the authority.
§ 2642-f. Special powers of the authority. In order to effectuate the purposes of this title: 1. The authority may acquire, by purchase, gift, grant, transfer, contract or lease, any railroad facility, wholly or partially within the counties of Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany and Steuben or any part thereof, or the use thereof, and may enter into any joint service arrangements as provided in this section. Any such acquisition or joint service arrangement shall be authorized only by resolution of the authority approved by not less than a majority of the whole number of voting members of the authority. In addition to and not in limitation of any other power conferred upon the authority by the provisions of this title, the authority is hereby empowered and authorized in respect of any property and assets at any time owned or held by, or under the jurisdiction of, the state, the Commonwealth, any political subdivision thereof, or any private or other public concern, to accept and receive any such interest therein as it may have been or may hereafter be designated by the state, the Commonwealth, any political subdivision thereof, or any other public or private concern, by law or other lawful means to receive, and in respect thereof, except as otherwise provided by the designating statute or contractual instrument, it shall have and exercise all of the powers and jurisdiction herein conferred upon it in respect of any other property, rights, assets, facilities and projects in any other manner acquired or from any other source received by it pursuant to the provisions of this title. 2. The authority may on such terms and conditions as the authority may determine necessary, convenient or desirable itself establish, construct, effectuate, operate, maintain, renovate, improve, extend or repair any such railroad facility, or may provide for such establishment, construction, effectuation, operation, maintenance, renovation, improvement, extension or repair by contract, lease, or other arrangement on such terms as the authority may deem necessary, convenient or desirable with any person, including, but not limited to, any common carrier or freight forwarder or other private for-profit firm, the state, the Commonwealth, any agency or the state or Commonwealth, the federal government, any other state or agency or instrumentality thereof, any non-profit corporation, any public authority of this or any other state or any political subdivision or municipality of the state. In connection with the operation of any such railroad facility, the authority may establish, construct, effectuate, operate, maintain, renovate, improve, extend or repair or may provide by contract, lease or other arrangement for the establishment, construction, effectuation, operation, maintenance, renovation, improvement, extension or repair of any related services and activities it deems necessary, convenient or desirable, including, but not limited to, the transportation and storage of freight and the United States mail, feeder and connecting transportation, parking areas, transportation centers, stations and related facilities. 3. The authority may establish, levy and collect or cause to be established, levied and collected and, in the case of a joint service arrangement, join with others in the establishment, levy and collection of such fares, tolls, rentals, rates, charges and other fees as it may deem necessary, convenient or desirable for the use and operation of any railroad facility and related services operated by the authority or under contract, lease or other arrangement, including joint service arrangements, with the authority. 4. The authority may establish and, in the case of joint service arrangements, join with others in the establishment of such schedules and standards of operations and such other rules and regulationsincluding but not limited to rules and regulations governing the conduct and safety of the public as it may deem necessary, convenient or desirable for the use and operation of any railroad facility and related services operated by the authority or under contract, lease or other arrangement, including joint service arrangements, with the authority. 5. The authority may acquire, hold, own, lease, establish, construct, effectuate, operate, maintain, renovate, improve, extend or repair any of its facilities. 6. The authority, in its own name, may apply for and receive and accept grants of property, money and services and other assistance offered or made available to it by any person, government or agency which it may use to meet capital or operating expenses and for any other use within the scope of its powers, and to negotiate for the same upon such terms and conditions as the authority may determine to be necessary, convenient or desirable. 7. The authority may do all things it deems necessary, convenient or desirable to manage, control and direct the maintenance and operation of railroad facilities, equipment or real property operated by or under contract, lease or other arrangement with the authority. Except as hereinafter specially provided, no municipality or political subdivision, including but not limited to a county, city, village, town or school or other district shall have jurisdiction over any facilities of the authority or any of its activities or operations. The local laws, resolutions, ordinances, rules and regulations of a municipality or political subdivision in the state conflicting with this title or any rule or regulation of the authority, shall not be applicable to the activities or operations of the authority, or the facilities of the authority, except such facilities that are devoted to purposes other than transportation purposes. The authority may agree with the New York state department of transportation for the execution by such department of any grade crossing elimination project or any grade crossing separation reconstruction project along any railroad facility operated by the authority or under contract, lease or other arrangement with the authority. Any such project shall be executed as provided in article ten of the transportation law and the railroad law, respectively, and the costs of any such project shall be borne as provided in such laws.