There is hereby created a State Transportation Advisory Committee which shall consist of thirty members, of which eight shall be ex officio members, to wit: the Secretary of Transportation, the Executive Director of the State Planning Board, the Chairman of the Public Utility Commission, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Forests and Waters, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Community Affairs,¹ two members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker and who shall not be members of the same political party, two members of the Senate to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore and who shall not be members of the same political party and eighteen additional public members. Each ex officio member may designate a representative from within his department, board, or commission to serve in his stead. An ex officio member who designates a representative shall notify the chairman, in writing, of such designation.

The Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives each shall appoint six public members to the State Transportation Advisory Committee. The public members must have recent and extensive experience and knowledge in the fields of transportation of people and goods from industry, labor, academic, consulting, research sources and the appointing authorities shall give due consideration to insure a balanced representation by facilities and modes for air, land and water transportation as they exist in the Commonwealth, both public and private. Two of the initially appointed members of the committee designated by each appointive power shall serve one year, two for terms of two years and two for terms of three years from the date of their appointment. A term of each initially appointed member shall be designated by the appointed person, but their successors shall each be appointed for terms of three years. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for only the unexpired term. Any member of the committee may be appointed to succeed himself.

The Governor shall annually designate the chairman from among the public members.

The State Transportation Advisory Committee shall meet the first Monday in February of each year and hold at least three additional meetings during the calendar year. It shall have the power and its duty shall be to consult with and advise the State Transportation Commission and the Secretary of Transportation in behalf of all the transportation modes of the Commonwealth and to aid and assist the State Transportation Commission and the Secretary of Transportation in the determination of goals and the allocation of available resources among and between the alternative modes in the planning, development and maintenance of programs, and technologies for transportation systems and to advise the several modes the planning, programs and goals of the department, and the State Transportation Commission.