Transportation management programs.

(1) The Department of Transportation shall, in cooperation with metropolitan planning organizations and other affected governmental entities, develop and implement a separate and distinct system for managing each of the following program areas:

(a) Highway pavement;

(b) Bridges;

(c) Highway safety;

(d) Traffic congestion;

(e) Public transportation facilities and equipment; and

(f) Intermodal transportation facilities and equipment.

(2) Each metropolitan planning organization within the state must develop and implement a traffic congestion management system. The development of the state traffic congestion management system pursuant to subsection (1) shall be coordinated with metropolitan planning organizations so that the state system is reflective of the individual systems developed by the metropolitan planning organizations.

(3) The management systems required by this section should be developed and implemented so as to provide the information needed to make informed decisions regarding the proper allocation of transportation resources. Each system must use appropriate data gathered at the state or local level to define problems, identify needs, analyze alternatives, and measure effectiveness.

(4) Any transportation management system that is in existence on July 1, 1993, and that complies with this section and applicable federal law may continue to be used by the department in lieu of the development of a system under this section.