ARTICLE 5. Transportation Planning and Programming [130300. - 130306.]

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC 5.

in effect

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 130300. Section 130300.

The Legislature finds and declares: (a) That the near-term programming and budgeting requirements of state and federal law is a cooperative intergovernmental planning process intended to determine the foreseeable capital and operational needs of a multimodal transportation system. (b) That there is an absence of an adequate forum in which local officials may exercise leadership in multimodal transportation planning and programming. (c) Therefore, it is in the public interest to define the roles of various public entities with respect to long-range system planning and short-range capital and service planning and programming processes.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 130301. Section 130301.

The multicounty designated transportation planning agency which includes the area of the commission shall be responsible for long-range transportation system planning, including preparation of the regional transportation plan as defined in Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 65080) of Title 7 of the Government Code in such area. Such planning shall be directed to, among other things: (a) Identification of corridors of travel. (b) Definition of the transportation problems of each corridor. (c) Definition of the transportation goals for each corridor. (d) Definition of land use goals, with the concurrence of affected local jurisdictions, that should be supported by transportation investment decisions in each corridor. (e) Recommendation of priority corridors for major resource allocations. (f) Recommendation of the mix of alternative transportation modes appropriate for deployment in light of the transportation needs and goals for each corridor. (g) Recommendation of environmental, economic, energy, and social policies that should guide transportation investment decision within corridors. (h) Coordination of the plans and short-range transportation improvement programs developed by the commissions, including resolution of conflicts between such plans and programs. (i) Determination of regional priorities and an annual regional program for the use of federal-aid urban system funds, and funds to be expended pursuant to Section 1604 of Title 49 of the United States Code, based on the priorities of projects appearing in the short-range transportation improvement program adopted by each commission. (j) Review and comment concerning all near-term transportation improvement programs after the development of, but prior to, adoption of such programs by the commission. The review shall be conducted pursuant to Section 130059 and in such a manner so that it does not unnecessarily slow or impede the transportation planning and programming process. (k) Development of an annual unified work program for all transportation planning activities within the jurisdiction of the multicounty designated transportation planning agency in cooperation and coordination with the Department of Transportation and the commission and in conformance with federal laws and rules and regulations. Such cooperation and coordination shall specifically apply to the determination of appropriate planning methods for projecting and planning transportation use, and its effect on land use, within the jurisdiction of the agency.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 130302. Section 130302.

The role of the multicounty designated transportation planning agency, in coordinating, reviewing, and resolving intercommission conflicts, approving multicounty transportation plans, in developing plans and programs, shall be a cooperative effort with the commissions and shall be executed so as not to unnecessarily impede or slow the transportation planning and programming process.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 130303. Section 130303.

With respect to the area under its jurisdiction, the commission shall be responsible for short-range capital and service planning directed to: (a) Determination, on an annual basis, of the total amount of funds that could be available to the commission for transportation planning and development. (b) Development and approval of a short-range three- to five-year transportation improvement program with an annual updated element reflecting all transportation capital and service priorities within the jurisdiction of the commission to be developed with all appropriate coordination and cooperation between the commission and state and local transportation agencies and operators. All projects utilizing federal and state highway and transit funds, and all exclusive public mass transit guideway projects no matter how funded, shall be included in a transportation improvement program adopted by the commission. The program shall also be developed in coordination with the multicounty designated transportation planning agency and the Department of Transportation, shall be consistent with the adopted regional transportation plan, and shall be reviewed and commented on pursuant to subdivision (j) of Section 130301. (c) Coordination and approval of all public mass transit service within the jurisdiction of the commission and between the jurisdiction of other commissions or transit operators. (d) Determination or approval of the location and capacity of all capital development projects, including, but not limited to, exclusive public mass transit guideway systems, state highway projects, and federal-aid highway projects. (e) Selection and specific approval of appropriate mass transit hardware and technology to be funded by the transportation improvement program. (f) Determination and approval of the staging and scheduling of construction and other development relative to all transportation improvement projects to be funded by the transportation improvement program. (g) Administration of the countywide program for the expenditure of funds allocated pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 99200) of Part 11 of Division 10.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 130303.1. Section 130303.1.

In addition to its short-range transportation planning responsibilities, the commission shall also be responsible, pursuant to Section 180206, for developing long-range expenditure plans for transportation programs included in voter-approved transaction and use tax measures that are consistent with the regional transportation plan and the regional transportation improvement program developed pursuant to Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 65080) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code and this article and Article 3 (commencing with Section 130250) and Article 10 (commencing with Section 130450).

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 130304. Section 130304.

(a) The county transportation commission shall submit the short-range transportation improvement program prepared pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 130303 to the multicounty designated transportation planning agency. The program shall be the county transportation commission’s recommendation to the agency regarding that portion of the regional transportation improvement program with respect to short-range objectives applicable to the county under the jurisdiction of the county transportation commission. The recommended program shall be submitted to the agency in a timely fashion, and the agency shall review and adopt this portion of the regional transportation improvement program in a timely fashion, giving full explanation for any necessary revision of the county transportation commission’s recommended program. (b) The multicounty designated transportation planning agency may revise the submitted transportation improvement program in order to resolve conflicts between the recommended programs or with the adopted regional transportation plan. In case of a disagreement as to the resolution of such a conflict between the agency and the involved county transportation commissions, the California Transportation Commission shall resolve the conflict.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 130305. Section 130305.

The commission shall take all action necessary to obtain the maximum amount of funding available pursuant to Section 1602 of Title 49 of the United States Code. Public transit operators or other public agencies may only apply for such funds under such terms as prescribed by the commission. The commission may authorize the operator or the agency, as the case may be, to be responsible for the administration of its grant on the condition that the commission receives adequate and timely notice of all formal or other significant communications between the operator or agency and the federal government regarding the grant.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 130306. Section 130306.

The commission shall determine the projects on the federal-aid urban system to be funded. The commission shall determine the projects to be funded pursuant to Sections 1602 and 1604 of Title 49 of the United States Code. The commission shall also determine the program to be funded by funds allocated pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 99200) of Part 11 of Division 10.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026