119 STAT. 1554
PUBLIC LAW 109–59—AUG. 10, 2005 use management, natural resources, environmental protection, conservation, and historic preservation concerning the development of a long-range transportation plan. ‘‘(B) ISSUES.—The consultation shall involve, as appropriate— ‘‘(i) comparison of transportation plans with State conservation plans or maps, if available; or ‘‘(ii) comparison of transportation plans to inventories of natural or historic resources, if available. ‘‘(5) PARTICIPATION BY INTERESTED PARTIES.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each metropolitan planning organization shall provide citizens, affected public agencies, representatives of public transportation employees, freight shippers, providers of freight transportation services, private providers of transportation, representatives of users of public transportation, representatives of users of pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities, representatives of the disabled, and other interested parties with a reasonable opportunity to comment on the transportation plan. ‘‘(B) CONTENTS OF PARTICIPATION PLAN.—A participation plan— ‘‘(i) shall be developed in consultation with all interested parties; and ‘‘(ii) shall provide that all interested parties have reasonable opportunities to comment on the contents of the transportation plan. ‘‘(C) METHODS.—In carrying out subparagraph (A), the metropolitan planning organization shall, to the maximum extent practicable— ‘‘(i) hold any public meetings at convenient and accessible locations and times; ‘‘(ii) employ visualization techniques to describe plans; and ‘‘(iii) make public information available in electronically accessible format and means, such as the World Wide Web, as appropriate to afford reasonable opportunity for consideration of public information under subparagraph (A). ‘‘(6) PUBLICATION.—A transportation plan involving Federal participation shall be published or otherwise made readily available by the metropolitan planning organization for public review, including (to the maximum extent practicable) in electronically accessible formats and means, such as the World Wide Web, approved by the metropolitan planning organization and submitted for information purposes to the Governor at such times and in such manner as the Secretary shall establish. ‘‘(7) SELECTION OF PROJECTS FROM ILLUSTRATIVE LIST.— Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(C), a State or metropolitan planning organization shall not be required to select any project from the illustrative list of additional projects included in the financial plan under paragraph (2)(C). ‘‘(j) METROPOLITAN TIP.— ‘‘(1) DEVELOPMENT.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In cooperation with the State and any affected public transportation operator, the metropolitan planning organization designated for a metropolitan
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