U.S. Code > Title 23 Highways > CHAPTER 1—FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAYS (§§ 101—181_to_190) > § 135. Statewide transportation planning

§ 135. Statewide transportation planning

(a) General Requirements.—
(1) Development of plans and programs.— To accomplish the objectives stated in section 134 (a), each State shall develop a statewide transportation plan and a statewide transportation improvement program for all areas of the State, subject to section 134.
(2) Contents.— The statewide transportation plan and the transportation improvement program developed for each State shall provide for the development and integrated management and operation of transportation systems and facilities (including accessible pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities) that will function as an intermodal transportation system for the State and an integral part of an intermodal transportation system for the United States.
(3) Process of development.— The process for developing the statewide plan and the transportation improvement program shall provide for consideration of all modes of transportation and the policies stated in section 134 (a), and shall be continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive to the degree appropriate, based on the complexity of the transportation problems to be addressed.
(b) Coordination With Metropolitan Planning; State Implementation Plan.— A State shall—
(1) coordinate planning carried out under this section with the transportation planning activities carried out under section 134 for metropolitan areas of the State and with statewide trade and economic development planning activities and related multistate planning efforts; and
(2) develop the transportation portion of the State implementation plan as required by the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.).
(c) Interstate Agreements.—
(1) In general.— The consent of Congress is granted to two or more States entering into agreements or compacts, not in conflict with any law of the United States, for cooperative efforts and mutual assistance in support of activities authorized under this section related to interstate areas and localities in the States and establishing authorities the States consider desirable for making the agreements and compacts effective.
(2) Reservation of rights.— The right to alter, amend, or repeal interstate compacts entered into under this subsection is expressly reserved.
(d) Scope of Planning Process.—
(1) In general.— Each State shall carry out a statewide transportation planning process that provides for consideration and implementation of projects, strategies, and services that will—
(A) support the economic vitality of the United States, the States, nonmetropolitan areas, and metropolitan areas, especially by enabling global competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency;
(B) increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and nonmotorized users;
(C) increase the security of the transportation system for motorized and nonmotorized users;
(D) increase the accessibility and mobility of people and freight;
(E) protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve the quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation improvements and State and local planned growth and economic development patterns;
(F) enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across and between modes throughout the State, for people and freight;
(G) promote efficient system management and operation; and
(H) emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system.
(2) Failure to consider factors.— The failure to consider any factor specified in paragraph (1) shall not be reviewable by any court under this title or chapter 53 of title 49, subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5, or chapter 7 of title 5 in any matter affecting a statewide transportation plan, the transportation improvement program, a project or strategy, or the certification of a planning process.
(e) Additional Requirements.— In carrying out planning under this section, each State shall consider, at a minimum—
(1) with respect to nonmetropolitan areas, the concerns of affected local officials with responsibility for transportation;
(2) the concerns of Indian tribal governments and Federal land management agencies that have jurisdiction over land within the boundaries of the State; and
(3) coordination of transportation plans, the transportation improvement program, and planning activities with related planning activities being carried out outside of metropolitan planning areas and between States.
(f) Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan.—
(1) Development.— Each State shall develop a long-range statewide transportation plan, with a minimum 20-year forecast period for all areas of the State, that provides for the development and implementation of the intermodal transportation system of the State.
(2) Consultation with governments.—
(A) Metropolitan areas.— The statewide transportation plan shall be developed for each metropolitan area in the State in cooperation with the metropolitan planning organization designated for the metropolitan area under section 134.
(B) Nonmetropolitan areas.— With respect to nonmetropolitan areas, the statewide transportation plan shall be developed in consultation with affected nonmetropolitan officials with responsibility for transportation. The Secretary shall not review or approve the consultation process in each State.
(C) Indian tribal areas.— With respect to each area of the State under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribal government, the statewide transportation plan shall be developed in consultation with the tribal government and the Secretary of the Interior.
(D) Consultation, comparison, and consideration.—
(i) In general.— The long-range transportation plan shall be developed, as appropriate, in consultation with State, tribal, and local agencies responsible for land use management, natural resources, environmental protection, conservation, and historic preservation.
(ii) Comparison and consideration.— Consultation under clause (i) shall involve comparison of transportation plans to State and tribal conservation plans or maps, if available, and comparison of transportation plans to inventories of natural or historic resources, if available.
(3) Participation by interested parties.—
(A) In general.— In developing the statewide transportation plan, the State shall provide citizens, affected public agencies, representatives of public transportation employees, freight shippers, private providers of transportation, representatives of users of public transportation, representatives of users of pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities, representatives of the disabled, providers of freight transportation services, and other interested parties with a reasonable opportunity to comment on the proposed plan.
(B) Methods.— In carrying out subparagraph (A), the State shall, to the maximum extent practicable—
(i) hold any public meetings at convenient and accessible locations and times;
(ii) employ visualization techniques to describe plans; and
(iii) make public information available in electronically accessible format and means, such as the World Wide Web, as appropriate to afford reasonable opportunity for consideration of public information under subparagraph (A).
(4) Mitigation activities.—
(A) In general.— A long-range transportation plan shall include a discussion of potential environmental mitigation activities and potential areas to carry out these activities, including activities that may have the greatest potential to restore and maintain the environmental functions affected by the plan.
(B) Consultation.— The discussion shall be developed in consultation with Federal, State, and tribal wildlife, land management, and regulatory agencies.
(5) Financial plan.— The statewide transportation plan may include a financial plan that demonstrates how the adopted statewide transportation plan can be implemented, indicates resources from public and private sources that are reasonably expected to be made available to carry out the plan, and recommends any additional financing strategies for needed projects and programs. The financial plan may include, for illustrative purposes, additional projects that would be included in the adopted statewide transportation plan if reasonable additional resources beyond those identified in the financial plan were available.
(6) Selection of projects from illustrative list.— A State shall not be required to select any project from the illustrative list of additional projects included in the financial plan described in paragraph (5).
(7) Existing system.— The statewide transportation plan should include capital, operations and management strategies, investments, procedures, and other measures to ensure the preservation and most efficient use of the existing transportation system.
(8) Publication of long-range transportation plans.— Each long-range transportation plan prepared by a State shall be published or otherwise made available, including (to the maximum extent practicable) in electronically accessible formats and means, such as the World Wide Web.
(g) Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.—
(1) Development.— Each State shall develop a statewide transportation improvement program for all areas of the State. Such program shall cover a period of 4 years and be updated every 4 years or more frequently if the Governor elects to update more frequently.
(2) Consultation with governments.—
(A) Metropolitan areas.— With respect to each metropolitan area in the State, the program shall be developed in cooperation with the metropolitan planning organization designated for the metropolitan area under section 134.
(B) Nonmetropolitan areas.— With respect to each nonmetropolitan area in the State, the program shall be developed in consultation with affected nonmetropolitan local officials with responsibility for transportation. The Secretary shall not review or approve the specific consultation process in the State.
(C) Indian tribal areas.— With respect to each area of the State under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribal government, the program shall be developed in consultation with the tribal government and the Secretary of the Interior.
(3) Participation by interested parties.— In developing the program, the State shall provide citizens, affected public agencies, representatives of public transportation employees, freight shippers, private providers of transportation, providers of freight transportation services, representatives of users of public transportation, representatives of users of pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities, representatives of the disabled, and other interested parties with a reasonable opportunity to comment on the proposed program.
(4) Included projects.—
(A) In general.— A transportation improvement program developed under this subsection for a State shall include federally supported surface transportation expenditures within the boundaries of the State.
(B) Listing of projects.— An annual listing of projects for which funds have been obligated in the preceding year in each metropolitan planning area shall be published or otherwise made available by the cooperative effort of the State, transit operator, and the metropolitan planning organization for public review. The listing shall be consistent with the funding categories identified in each metropolitan transportation improvement program.
(C) Projects under chapter 2.—
(i) Regionally significant projects.— Regionally significant projects proposed for funding under chapter 2 shall be identified individually in the transportation improvement program.
(ii) Other projects.— Projects proposed for funding under chapter 2 that are not determined to be regionally significant shall be grouped in one line item or identified individually in the transportation improvement program.
(D) Consistency with statewide transportation plan.— Each project shall be—
(i) consistent with the statewide transportation plan developed under this section for the State;
(ii) identical to the project or phase of the project as described in an approved metropolitan transportation plan; and
(iii) in conformance with the applicable State air quality implementation plan developed under the Clean Air Act, if the project is carried out in an area designated as nonattainment for ozone, particulate matter, or carbon monoxide under such Act.
(E) Requirement of anticipated full funding.— The transportation improvement program shall include a project, or an identified phase of a project, only if full funding can reasonably be anticipated to be available for the project within the time period contemplated for completion of the project.
(F) Financial plan.— The transportation improvement program may include a financial plan that demonstrates how the approved transportation improvement program can be implemented, indicates resources from public and private sources that are reasonably expected to be made available to carry out the transportation improvement program, and recommends any additional financing strategies for needed projects and programs. The financial plan may include, for illustrative purposes, additional projects that would be included in the adopted transportation plan if reasonable additional resources beyond those identified in the financial plan were available.
(G) Selection of projects from illustrative list.—
(i) No required selection.— Notwithstanding subparagraph (F), a State shall not be required to select any project from the illustrative list of additional projects included in the financial plan under subparagraph (F).
(ii) Required action by the secretary.— Action by the Secretary shall be required for a State to select any project from the illustrative list of additional projects included in the financial plan under subparagraph (F) for inclusion in an approved transportation improvement program.
(H) Priorities.— The transportation improvement program shall reflect the priorities for programming and expenditures of funds, including transportation enhancement activities, required by this title and chapter 53 of title 49.
(5) Project selection for areas of less than 50,000 population.— Projects carried out in areas with populations of less than 50,000 individuals shall be selected, from the approved transportation improvement program (excluding projects carried out on the National Highway System and projects carried out under the bridge program or the Interstate maintenance program under this title or under sections 5310, 5311, 5316, and 5317 of title 49), by the State in cooperation with the affected nonmetropolitan local officials with responsibility for transportation. Projects carried out in areas with populations of less than 50,000 individuals on the National Highway System or under the bridge program or the Interstate maintenance program under this title or under sections 5310, 5311, 5316, and 5317 of title 49 shall be selected, from the approved statewide transportation improvement program, by the State in consultation with the affected nonmetropolitan local officials with responsibility for transportation.
(6) Transportation improvement program approval.— Every 4 years, a transportation improvement program developed under this subsection shall be reviewed and approved by the Secretary if based on a current planning finding.
(7) Planning finding.— A finding shall be made by the Secretary at least every 4 years that the transportation planning process through which statewide transportation plans and programs are developed is consistent with this section and section 134.
(8) Modifications to project priority.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, action by the Secretary shall not be required to advance a project included in the approved transportation improvement program in place of another project in the program.
(h) Funding.— Funds set aside pursuant to section 104 (f) of this title and section 5305 (g) of title 49, shall be available to carry out this section.
(i) Treatment of Certain State Laws as Congestion Management Processes.— For purposes of this section and section 134, and sections 5303 and 5304 of title 49, State laws, rules, or regulations pertaining to congestion management systems or programs may constitute the congestion management process under this section and section 134, and sections 5303 and 5304 of title 49, if the Secretary finds that the State laws, rules, or regulations are consistent with, and fulfill the intent of, the purposes of this section and section 134 and sections 5303 and 5304 of title 49, as appropriate.
(j) Continuation of Current Review Practice.— Since the statewide transportation plan and the transportation improvement program described in this section are subject to a reasonable opportunity for public comment, since individual projects included in the statewide transportation plans and the transportation improvement program are subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and since decisions by the Secretary concerning statewide transportation plans or the transportation improvement program described in this section have not been reviewed under such Act as of January 1, 1997, any decision by the Secretary concerning a metropolitan or statewide transportation plan or the transportation improvement program described in this section shall not be considered to be a Federal action subject to review under such Act.