(a) The Department of Transportation may negotiate and contract with the appropriate railroad corporation to provide passenger rail service between the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of San Mateo and Santa Clara. In the process of negotiating the contract, the department shall take into consideration the funding available and the level of service as it has been recommended by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Notwithstanding Section 14035 of the Government Code, the contract shall not extend beyond June 30, 1993. The California Transportation Commission shall allocate no funds pursuant to Section 14031.6 of the Government Code for this rail passenger service after the 1992–93 fiscal year. If the department enters into a contract, it shall, on or before July 1, 1992, assign the contract to the Peninsula Corridor Study Joint Powers Board or to another local or regional agency designated by the board which is authorized to operate or contract for the operation of rail passenger service, if the board or designated agency determines that the rail passenger service shall be continued. The department shall assign its operating subsidies for the 1992–93 fiscal year for that service to the board or that designated agency. Within the area of jurisdiction of the board, the board or that designated agency may acquire from the department all property owned or leased by the department for that rail passenger service, including, but not limited to, stations, facilities, equipment, and rights-of-way, and this transfer shall be consistent with the process defined in Section 160006. The California Transportation Commission shall not allocate state funds to purchase the San Francisco Peninsula commuter rail service right-of-way unless a local agency assumes operation and control of the commuter rail service on or before June 30, 1993. This section does not prohibit the commission from making a multiyear funding commitment to purchase the right-of-way subject to that assumption of operation and control occurring on or before that date.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a transit district or county may negotiate and contract with the appropriate railroad corporation to provide passenger rail service which is to be primarily operated within its jurisdiction. Adjacent transit districts or counties may jointly negotiate and contract with the appropriate railroad corporation to provide passenger rail service which is to be primarily operated within their jurisdictions.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1283, Sec. 3.)