The Department of Transportation, with Council approval, shall:
(1) Establish a method of determining current needs and costs of the entire multi-modal transportation requirements in the State which will be utilized in allocating capital funds for the Capital Transportation Program. The costs will be updated annually.
(2) a. Establish a formula-based process which shall be used for setting priorities on all Department transportation projects and which shall consider, but not be limited to the following:
Safety, service and condition factors; social, economic and environmental factors; long range transportation plans and comprehensive land use plans; and continuity of improvement.b. The formula based process shall not be utilized for setting priorities for dirt roads, suburban street aid projects, municipal street aid projects or system preservation projects. System preservation projects will be prioritized based upon performance measures established in the Department for pavement management, bridge management and safety management projects.
(3) Review and approve the Long Range Transportation Plan, to be used in connection with the Department's internal review process for transportation projects. Department programs or projects utilizing other than state, Transportation Trust Fund or federal funds shall be indicated within the Capital Transportation Program with their priority rating as specified in paragraph (2)a. of this section, but the costs shall not be added to the total estimated cost of the overall program. An annual written report including this data shall accompany the Department recommendations.
(4) Update and prepare biennially a statewide Capital Transportation Program for submission to the Council on Transportation. The current year of the Program shall consist of transportation programs and projects to be advanced in that year based upon the prioritization ranking process specified in paragraph (2) of this section. No program or project will be funded for implementation except those that can with reasonable certainty be advertised for bid that year. Proposed projects or programs for the remaining years of the 6-year Capital Transportation Program shall be pursued in accordance with the prioritization ranking process specified in paragraph (2) of this section. The estimated cost of the Program for each year shall not exceed the estimated federal and state funds available for transportation purposes during that year. The estimated federal and state fund availability will be developed annually by the Department of Transportation based upon the dollar amount of funds available and the ability to use the funds for a specific program or project.
(5) Review any priority changes that would result in the introduction of new projects or programs to a proposed or adopted Department Capital Transportation Program and make recommendations on such priority changes or introduction of new projects or programs based on the criteria and formula-based process which establish the priorities or projects and programs. The Department shall fully document its recommendations in a written report to the Council on Transportation.