urban transportation planning

urban transportation planning Sec. 143. (a) Section 134 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by inserting “(a)” at the beginning of the first paragraph thereof and by adding at the end thereof the following: “No highway project may be constructed in any urban area of fifty thousand population or more unless the responsible public officials of such urban area in which the project is located have been consulted and their views considered with respect to the corridor, the location and the design of the project.” 84 Stat. 1738 (b) Section 134 of title 23, United States Code, is further amended by adding at the end thereof a new subsection as follows: “(b) The Secretary may define those contiguous interstate areas of the Nation in which the movement of persons and goods between principal metropolitan areas, cities, and industrial centers has reached, or is expected to reach, a critical volume in relation to the capacity of existing and planned transportation systems to efficiently accommodate present transportation demands and future growth. After consultation with the Governors and responsible local officials of affected States, the Secretary may by regulation designate, for administrative and planning purposes, as a critical transportation region or a critical transportation corridor each of those areas which he determines most urgently require the accelerated development of transportation systems embracing various modes of transport, in accordance with purposes of this section. The Secretary shall immediately notify such Governors and local officials of such designation. The Secretary may, after consultation with the Governors and responsible local officials of the affected States, provide by regulation for the establishment of planning bodies to assist in the development of coordinated transportation planning, including highway planning, to meet the needs of such regions or corridors, composed of representatives of the affected States and metropolitan areas, and may provide assistance including financial assistance to such bodies. There is authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not to exceed $500,000 to carry out this subsection.”