§17-16F-4. Powers and duties of division.

The division shall perform all acts necessary and proper to carry out the purposes of this article and is granted the following powers and duties:

(1) To promote, supervise, and support safe, adequate, and efficient transportation throughout the state;

(2) To preserve roadway, railroad, waterway, and airway facilities;

(3) To help facilitate economic development in this state utilizing transportation facilities;

(4) To meet and cooperate with similar divisions, authorities, or bodies of any of the several states contiguous with this state, whose purpose in their respective states is to establish an interstate or intermodal transportation network;

(5) To take all steps appropriate and necessary to effect siting, development, and operation of public ports, railroads, or airport facilities within the state;

(6) To employ managers, superintendents, and other sufficiently trained and qualified personnel and retain or contract with consulting engineers, financial consultants, accountants, attorneys, and other consultants and independent contractors when necessary to carry out the provisions of this article and fix their compensation or fees. All expenses are payable from the proceeds of revenue bonds or notes issued by the division, from revenues and funds appropriated for this purpose by the Legislature, or from grants from the federal government which may be used for such purpose;

(7) To make and enter into all contracts and agreements with any federal, state, county, municipal agency, or private entity and execute all instruments necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers including, but not limited to, the power to make contracts and agreements in accordance with the provisions set forth in this article;

(8) To acquire, purchase, lease, construct, own, hold, operate, maintain, equip, use, and control, by eminent domain or other means, any land, property, rights, franchises, easements, ports, and such terminals, buildings, roadways, rights-of-way, rails and such structures, equipment, facilities, any and every kind or character of motive powers and conveyances or appliances necessary or proper to carry goods, wares, and merchandise over, along, upon, or through the railway, waterway or airway, or other conveyance of such transportation system, excluding pipelines or improvements, as are necessary or incident to carry out the provisions of this article, upon such terms and at such price as may be considered by it to be reasonable and to take title in the name of the state;

(9) To lease, sell, or otherwise dispose of real and personal property in the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties as set forth in this article;

(10) To act on behalf of the state and to represent the state in the planning, financing, development, construction, and operation of any port, transit facility, railroad, or aeronautics project or any facility related to any such project, with the concurrence of the affected public agency. Other state agencies and local governmental entities in this state shall cooperate to the fullest extent the division deems appropriate to effectuate the duties of the division;

(11) To act as agent for the United States of America, or any of its agencies, departments, corporations, or instrumentalities, in any manner coming within the purposes or powers of the division;

(12) To expend funds available for the purpose of studying any proposed railroad project, which may include consulting with engineers. All expenses incurred in conducting the study and necessary engineering shall be paid from the funds established in §17-16F-17 of this code;

(13) To report annually to the Legislature by December 31 of each year the status of projects, operations, financial condition, and other necessary information relating to the statewide multimodal transportation system and activities in accordance with this article and any report may be made electronically with paper copies provided upon request to any member of the Legislature;

(14) To meet with political subdivisions of the state to assess both specific and general transportation needs of the state in terms of transportation, as well as consider feasibility studies for the purpose of determining the best site locations for transportation centers, terminals, railroads, airports, ports and harbors, and foreign trade zones;

(15) To authorize creation of local port authority districts;

(16) To apply for and accept loans, grants or gifts of money, property, or service from the United States, any political subdivision, any public or private sources available, or any public or private lender or donor, to give such evidence of indebtedness as may be required and to permit the state Board of Investments to invest, as provided by this code, any funds received by the division pursuant to the provisions of this code;

(17) To make loans and grants, out of any appropriation made to the division by the Legislature or out of any funds at its disposal, to governmental agencies and persons for carrying out any multimodal transportation projects by any governmental agency or person in accordance with rules adopted under this article;

(18) To issue revenue bonds or request other appropriate state agencies to issue and administer revenue bonds to finance port, railroad, transit, or aeronautics projects;

(19) To collect reasonable fees and charges in connection with making and servicing loans, notes, bonds, obligations, commitments, and other evidence of indebtedness, and in connection with providing technical, consulting, and project assistance services; and

(20) To act, through the Department of Transportation, the division is hereby designated as the agency of this state responsible for administering all federal and state programs relating to public transportation and public transit facilities.