(a) The commission shall hold at least four regularly scheduled meetings throughout the State, as may be determined and announced in the January meeting, which meetings shall be open to the public at all times. At least two of these regularly scheduled meetings shall be held in different geographical regions of the State. Hearings for purposes of revising the twelve-year plan shall not count against the four regularly scheduled meetings. The members shall meet at the call of the Secretary of Transportation at the State Capitol during the month of January, or as soon thereafter as possible, to organize as the State Transportation Commission. The commission shall biennially elect a secretary who shall be a member of said commission.

(b) The commission may hold public hearings, at its discretion or it may designate one or more of its members to hold such public hearings for the purpose of securing all pertinent information it may deem necessary and to comply with the provisions of Title 23, U.S. Code, “The Federal Interstate Highway Law of 1956,” and amendments thereto.

At any hearing or meeting before the commission on the approval or disapproval of the selection of any State transportation route or program, comparative estimates may be presented of the effects of the use of alternative transportation route or program. Estimates based on similar assumptions may be presented of the effect that the selection of any alternative transportation route or program would have upon economic or social values, including, but not limited to, property values, State and local public facilities and local traffic. The commission shall compile and submit to the Governor and the Secretary of Transportation for their consideration the information acquired at such hearings.

(c) The commission shall have the power, and its duties shall be to gather and study all available information, data, statistics and reports, relating to the needs for highway construction or reconstruction and for needs of rapid transit, railroad, omnibus, marine and other mass and bulk transportation facilities and services, and aviation and airport facilities and services in the Commonwealth to determine on the basis of available information, data, statistics and reports, the highways rapid transit, railroad, omnibus, marine and other mass and bulk transportation facilities and services, and aviation and airport facilities and services which should be constructed or reconstructed and the recommended order of priority in which such highways rapid transit, railroad, omnibus, marine and other mass and bulk transportation facilities and services, and aviation and airport facilities and services should be constructed or reconstructed and to certify from time to time the results of such determination to the Governor, to the General Assembly and to the Secretary of Transportation, for their consideration. Transportation programs so determined shall not be changed, deleted or altered, except by the commission or as provided in subsection (d) of this section.

(d) In view of the particular sensitivity of special instrumentalities of the Commonwealth specifically created to serve and coordinate local mass transportation needs throughout metropolitan areas within the Commonwealth, the determination of needs and programs and the order of priority in which rapid transit, railroad, omnibus and other mass transportation facilities and services which affect or relate to urban common carrier mass transportation, as defined in the Pennsylvania Urban Mass Transportation Assistance Law of 1967,¹ are to be constructed or reconstructed in the local service area of any such instrumentality shall be as determined by said instrumentality; the determination of needs and programs and the order of priority in which highways, marine, aviation and airport facilities and other non-mass transportation facilities are to be constructed or reconstructed in the local service area of any such instrumentality shall be as determined by the commission but only after thorough prior consultation by the commission with said instrumentality and coordination of the commission's plans with the plans of said instrumentality. For purposes of this subsection, neither the commission nor any said special instrumentality of the Commonwealth shall arbitrarily, unreasonably or capriciously reject any need, program or priority presented to it under this subsection.

(e) The commission shall recommend to the General Assembly a system of classification of highways based upon information supplied by the Department of Transportation and data acquired as a result of its own study or investigation from hearings and otherwise. The commission shall submit and recommend to the General Assembly such highway classification together with a plan for the development and improvement thereof with priorities based upon studies of needs and sufficiency ratings.

(f) The commission may adopt bylaws to govern the conduct of its affairs. The commission shall promulgate regulations not inconsistent with provisions of this section for the execution of the powers and duties herein delegated to them.