(a) It is the policy of this title to promote an efficient and economical transportation system.
(b) The Department of Transportation and the State Highway Administration may not proceed to the final project planning phase unless it has been determined that the objective of the proposed project cannot be reasonably achieved through:
(1) Improvements in highway maintenance and safety;
(2) Projects that modify existing highways but provide for minimal relocation or new highway construction; and
(3) Improvements in, or adoption of, transit alternatives, including mass transit alternatives.