Michigan § 124.553 - Acquisition, construction, and operation of public transportation system; approval of local road agency or department; terms and condition; execution of operating license agreement; rights-of-way and easements; procedural due process required for certain acts.

(1) An authority may acquire, own, construct, furnish, equip, complete, operate, improve, and maintain a public transportation system on the streets and highways of this state with the approval of a local road agency or the department, on terms and conditions mutually agreed to by the authority and the local road agency or the department. Approval shall be embodied in an operating license agreement with the authority and each local road agency with operational jurisdiction over the streets and highways upon which the authority operates or seeks to operate a public transportation system or the department, if the department has operational jurisdiction over the streets and highways upon which the authority operates or seeks to operate a public transportation system. A local road agency or the department shall not unreasonably withhold its consent to an operating license agreement, and a local road agency or the department shall determine whether to consent to an operating license agreement in an expeditious manner. An operating license may include provisions concerning the use of dedicated lanes and a system to change traffic signals in order to expedite public transportation services. Any provision for use of a dedicated lane shall provide that use of that dedicated lane shall be made available to emergency services vehicles.

(2) When operating on the streets and highways of a road agency, an authority is subject to rules, regulations, or ordinances required to preserve operations of the streets and highways and to ensure compliance with the rules and regulations of the funding source used to construct and maintain the streets and highways.

(3) An authority shall not construct a public transportation system on the streets and highways of a local road agency or the department until there is an operating license agreement executed by the authority and the local road agency or the department.

(4) An authority may acquire, own, construct, furnish, equip, complete, operate, improve, and maintain a public transportation system on public or private rights-of-way and obtain easements when necessary for the authority to acquire and use private property for acquiring, owning, constructing, furnishing, equipping, completing, operating, improving, and maintaining a public transportation system.

(5) If a local road agency or the department enters into an operating license agreement under this section, the local road agency or the department shall not revoke the consent or deprive an authority of the rights and privileges conferred without affording the authority procedural due process of law.