[§279A-1]  Statement of purpose.  The
legislature finds that continued growth in transport demand and increasing
mobility requirements indicate a need for innovative, as well as improved,
transportation systems which, while serving local needs, are integrated on a
statewide basis.  The State Transportation Plan of 1961 is no longer responsive
to the needs of the people of Hawaii.  A comprehensive, multi-modal statewide
transportation planning process should be established which involves all levels
of government in a cooperative process to develop coordinated transportation
plans.  Coordination of such a statewide planning process should be the primary
responsibility of the department of transportation.  However, to ensure that
statewide transportation planning involves the continuing involvement of county
governments in the production of a statewide transportation plan, there is a
need to establish a statewide transportation council consisting of
representatives of the state government and each of the four counties.  There
is no intent to diminish or pre-empt the existing authorities and
responsibilities of county governments for the planning and implementation of
transportation systems.  It is the purpose of this chapter to provide a means
of coordinating the State's existing responsibilities for inter-island and
major highway transportation planning and development with counties'
responsibilities for intra-island surface transportation system planning and
development, in order to facilitate the ultimate production of a statewide
transportation plan which optimizes intra-island and inter-island system
integration. [L 1975, c 179, §1]