Chapter 669 - 2d Session To grant a franchise to D. C. Transit System, Inc., and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, TITLE I PART 1.-FRANCHISE PROVISIONS D. C. Transit SECTION 1. (a) There is hereby granted to D. C. Transit System, Inc., a corporation of the District of Columbia (referred to in this part as the "Corporation") a franchise to operate a mass transportation system of passengers for hire within the District of Columbia and between the District of Columbia and points within the area (referred to in this part as the "Washington Metropolitan Area") comprising all of the District of Columbia, the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, and the counties of Arlington and Fairfax in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the counties of Montgomery and Prince Georges in the State of Maryland, subject, however, to the rights to render service within the Washington Metropolitan Area possessed, at the time this section takes effect, by other common carriers of passengers: Provided, That nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt the Corporation from any law or ordinance of the Commonwealth of Virginia or the State of Maryland or any political subdivision of such Commonwealth or State, or of any rule, regulation, or order issued under the authority of any such law or ordinance, or from applicable provisions of the Interstate Commerce Act and rules and regulations 49 USC 27 prescribed thereunder. and ncte. (b) Wherever reference is made in this part to "D. C. Transit Definitions. System, Inc." or to the "Corporation", such reference shall include the successors and assigns of D. C. Transit System, Inc. (c) As used in this part the term "franchise" means all the provisions of this part 1. SEC. 2. (a) This franchise is granted for a term of twenty years: Term. Provided, however, That Congress reserves the right to repeal this franchise at any time for its non-use. (b) In the event of cancellation of this franchise by Congress after seven years from the date this franchise takes effect for any reason other than non-use, the Corporation waives its claim for any damages for loss of franchise. SEC. 3. No competitive street railway or bus line, that is, bus or PUC certifirailway line for the transportation of passengers of the character oate for comwhich runs over a given route on a fixed schedule, shall be established petitive line. to operate in the District of Columbia without the prior issuance of a certificate by the Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia (referred to in this part as the "Commission") to the effect that the competitive line is necessary for the convenience of the public. SEC. 4. It is hereby declared as a matter of legislative policy that in Legislative order to assure the Washington Metropolitan Area of an adequate policy. transportation system operating as a private enterprise, the Corporation, in accordance with standards and rules prescribed by the Commission, should be afforded the opportunity of earning such return as to make the Corporation an attractive investment to private investors. As an incident thereto the Congress finds that the opportunity to earn a return of at least 62 per centum net after all taxes properly chargeable to transportation operations, including but not limited to income Public Law 731 - 84th Congress Chapter 636 2d Session S. 2704 AN ACT All 70 Stat. 578, To authorize the appropriation of funds for the construction of certain highwayrailroad grade separations in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes. Pu Ap Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in recognition D. of the fact that the need to bring traffic to and from the WashingtonBaltimore Parkway and to handle such traffic requires the construction of certain highway-railroad grade separations, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the District of Columbia for credit to the Highway Fund, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $665,000, which shall be in addition to any other amounts authorized, appropriated, accruing, or otherwise made available to the District of Columbia under any other provision of law, for the construction and maintenance in the District of Columbia of a highway-railroad grade separation underpass at a point in the southeast section of the District of Columbia in the vicinity of East Capitol Street, where the proposed extension of East Capitol Street as shown on the highway plan of the District of Columbia will cross the right-of-way of the Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington Railroad and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Such sums as are appropriated shall remain available until expended when specifically provided in the appropriation Act. SEC. 2. Appropriations made to carry out the purposes of this Act shall be available for construction, maintenance, and expenses incident to construction and maintenance, including planning, design, overhead, and supervision. SEC. 3. Since the construction of East Capitol Street extended is to provide connections between the District of Columbia and the Federal Highway System, the entire cost of construction and maintenance of the grade-separation structure referred to in the preceding sections of this Act shall be borne by the District of Columbia, out of funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act and any other funds available to the District, and no contributions to such cost of construction and maintenance shall be required of any railroad whose right-of-way. is involved by such structure, except as provided in section 4 of this Act. SEC. 4. The dedication by the railroads to the District of Columbia of the right to use as a public thoroughfare the portion of East Capitol Street extended shall not impair or affect the right of the railroads to use for railroad purposes the portion of its right-of-way 80 dedicated. Approved July 19, 1956. Rates. All 70 Stat. 599. Charter and sightseeing services. Conversion to bus operation. Track removal. Taxes. taxes, on either the system rate base or on gross operating revenues would not be unreasonable, and that the Commission should encourage and facilitate the shifting to such gross operating revenue base as promptly as possible and as conditions warrant; and if conditions warrant not later than August 15, 1958. It is further declared as a matter of legislative policy that if the Corporation does provide the Washington Metropolitan Area with a good public transportation system, with reasonable rates, the Congress will maintain a continuing interest in the welfare of the Corporation and its investors. SEC. 5. The initial schedule of rates which shall be effective within the District of Columbia upon commencement of operations by the Corporation shall be the same as that effective for service by Capital Transit Company approved by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia pursuant to the Act of August 14, 1955 (Public Law No. 389, 84th Congress; 69 Stat. 724), in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall continue in effect until August 15, 1957, and thereafter until superseded by a schedule of rates which becomes effective under this section. Whenever on or after August 15, 1957, the Corporation files with the Commission a new schedule of rates, such new schedule shall become effective on the tenth day after the date of such filing, unless the Commission prescribes a lesser time within which such new schedule shall go into effect, or unless prior to such tenth day the Commission suspends the operation of such new schedule. Such suspension shall be for a period of not to exceed one hundred twenty days from the date such new schedule is filed. If the Commission suspends such new schedule it shall immediately give notice of a hearing upon the matter and, after such hearing and within such suspension period, shall determine and by order fix the schedule of rates to be charged by the Corporation. If the Commission does not enter an order, to take effect at or prior to the end of the period of suspension, fixing the schedule of rates to be charged by the Corporation, the sus pended schedule filed by the Corporation may be put into effect by the end of such period, and shall remain in effect until the Commission has issued an appropriate order based on such proceeding. SEC. 6. The Corporation is hereby authorized and empowered to engage in special charter or sightseeing services subject to compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations of the District of Columbia and of the municipalities or political subdivisions of the States in which such service is to be performed, and with applicable provisions of the Interstate Commerce Act and rules and regulations prescribed thereunder. SEC. 7. The Corporation shall be obligated to initiate and carry out a plan of gradual conversion of its street railway operations to bus operations within seven years from the date of the enactment of this Act upon terms and conditions prescribed by the Commission, with such regard as is reasonably possible when appropriate to the highway development plans of the District of Columbia and the economies implicit in coordinating the Corporation's track removal program with such plans; except that upon good and sufficient cause shown the Commission may in its discretion extend beyond seven years, the period for carrying out such conversion. All of the provisions of the full paragraph of the District of Columbia Appropriation Act, 1942 (55 Stat. 499, 533), under the title "HIGHWAY FUND, GASOLINE TAX AND MOTOR VEHICLE FEES", Subtitle "STREET IMPROVEMENTS", relating to the removal of abandoned tracks, regrading of track areas, and paving abandoned track areas, shall be applicable to the Corporation. SEC. 8. (a) As of August 15, 1956, paragraph numbered 5 of section 6 of the Act entitled "An Act making appropriations to provide for the expenses of the Government of the District of Columbia for the fiscal All 70 Stat. 600. year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and three, and for other purposes", approved July 1, 1902, as amended (D. C. Code, sec. 47-1701), is amended by striking out the third and fourth sentences 68 Stat. 118. and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "Each gas, electric-lighting, and telephone company shall pay, in addition to the taxes herein mentioned, the franchise tax imposed by the District of Columbia Income and Franchise Tax Act of 1947, and the tax imposed upon stock in trade of dealers in general merchandise under paragraph numbered 2 of section 6 of said Act approved July 1, 1902, as amended." (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the Corporation shall be exempt from the following taxes: (1) The gross sales tax levied under the District of Columbia Sales Tax Act; (2) The compensating use tax levied under the District of Columbia Use Tax Act; (3) The excise tax upon the issuance of titles to motor vehicles and trailers levied under subsection (j) of section 6 of the District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925, as amended (D. C. Code, sec. 40-603 (j) (4)); (4) The taxes imposed on tangible personal property, to the same extent that the Capital Transit Company was exempt from such taxes immediately prior to the effective date of this section under the provisions of the Act of July 1, 1902, as amended; and (5) The mileage tax imposed by subparagraph (b) of paragraph 31 of section 7 of the Act approved July 1, 1902, as amended (D. C. Code, sec. 47-2331 (b)). 61 Stat. 328. D. C. Code 47 on. is. D. C. Code 471207. Exemptions. 63 Stat. 112. D. C. Code 47 2601 to 47 2629. 63 Stat. 124. D. C. Code 4763 Stat. 128. 2701 to 47-2714. 47 Stat. 555; 68 Stat. 119. Motor vehiole fuel tax. SEC. 9. (a) Except as hereinafter provided, the Corporation shall not, with respect to motor fuel purchased on or after September 1, 1956, pay any part of the motor vehicle fuel tax levied under the Act entitled "An Act to provide for a tax on motor vehicle fuels sold within the District of Columbia, and for other purposes", approved 43 Stat. 106. April 23, 1924, as amended (D. C. Code, title 47, chapter 19). (b) For the purposes of this section D. C. Code 471901 to 47-1919. (1) the term "a 62 per centum rate of return" means a 612 Definitions. per centum rate of return net after all taxes properly chargeable to transportation operations, including but not limited to income tax ́s, on the system rate base of the Corporation, except that with respect to any period for which the Commission utilizes the operating ratio method to fix the rates of the Corporation, such term shall mean a return of 62 per centum net after all taxes properly chargeable to transportation operations, including but not limited to income taxes, based on gross operating revenues; and (2) the term "full amount of the Federal income taxes and the District of Columbia franchise tax levied upon corporate income" means the amount which would have been payable in the absence of write-offs in connection with the retirement of street railway property as contemplated by section 7 of this part, but only to the extent that such write-offs are not included as an operating expense in determining net earnings for rate-making purposes. (c) As soon as practicable after the twelve-month period ending on Determination of August 31, 1957, and as soon as practicable after the end of each sub- tax by operating sequent twelve-month period ending on August 31, the Commission ratio. shall determine the Corporation's net operating income for such twelve-month period and the amount in dollars by which it exceeds or is less than a 62 per centum rate of return for such twelve-month period. In such determination the Commission shall include as an operating expense the full amount of the motor vehicle fuel tax which would be due but for the provisions of this section on the motor fuel purchased by the Corporation during the twelve-month period, and |