§ 15-a. Metropolitan planning organization and participants; certain
functions. 1. In each urbanized area in which a public transportation
system provides services, the existing metropolitan planning
organization designated as such by the governor for the purpose of
complying with federal statutes, shall be the metropolitan planning
organization for the purposes of this section. The metropolitan planning
organization shall endorse a program of projects for submission to the
administrator of the urban mass transportation administration as a
product of the continuing comprehensive planning process.

In all other areas, no such planning organization need be formed.
However, the requirements of this section which pertain to the actions
of metropolitan planning organizations may be accomplished in such areas
by the public transportation system in cooperation with the appropriate
officials of the municipalities and counties within the transportation
system operating area and in cooperation with the state department of
transportation.

2. To develop effective involvement of county and municipal
governments in the metropolitan planning process, counties and
municipalities participating in each regional metropolitan planning
organization shall develop alternative plans for carrying out the
provisions of this section at both the regional and subregional level.
Such alternative plans shall consider the continuing and comprehensive
nature of the planning process; federal and state statutory
responsibilities for planning; citizen involvement; transportation
system operator participation; and population representation.
Participating counties and municipalities shall submit such alternative
plans to the governor and the legislature prior to January first,
nineteen hundred seventy-six.

3. In addition to its responsibilities stated in subdivision one of
this section, the responsibilities of each metropolitan planning
organization shall be:

(a) to develop long-range regional transportation plans for submission
to the commissioner for consideration for inclusion in the statewide
transportation master plan;

(b) to develop and suggest periodic amendments to the master plan to
the commissioner;

(c) to consult with and cooperate with local officials and
representatives of carriers and transportation facilities and systems
within their urbanized area;

(d) to examine the structure, and cost of transit operations;

(e) to endorse long-range plans assuring maximum utilization and
integration of mass transportation facilities and services throughout
the State;

(f) to study the long-range financial needs for improving public
transportation systems; and

(g) to conduct one or more public hearings to carry out the provisions
of this subdivision.

4. To provide for the existence of a transit development program, the
metropolitan planning organization shall consult with other planning
agencies and coordinate its transportation planning process with the
comprehensive regional plan developed by the regional planning
commission.