Section 15. Comprehensive statewide master plan for transportation

1. The
  department shall formulate and from time to  time  revise  a  long-range
  comprehensive  statewide  master  plan  for the balanced development and
  coordination of  adequate,  safe  and  efficient  commuter  and  general
  transportation  facilities  and services in the state at reasonable cost
  to the people, including, but not limited to, highways,  rapid  transit,
  railroad,  omnibus,  marine and other mass transportation facilities and
  services, and aviation and  airport  facilities  and  services,  whether
  publicly or privately owned, developed, operated or maintained.
    2.  The  department  shall  submit  such  plan  to  the  governor, the
  temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the  assembly  and  to
  the  department  of state on or before September first, nineteen hundred
  sixty-eight, and thereafter shall submit appropriate revisions  of  such
  plan to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker
  of the assembly and to the department of state from time to time as such
  revisions  are  made. The department of state shall review such plan and
  such revisions and shall submit a report  thereon,  together  with  such
  recommendations  as  it  may  deem  appropriate,  to  the  governor, the
  temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly.  Such
  plan  and  such  revisions  shall  become effective upon approval by the
  governor and shall serve  thereafter  as  a  guide  to  the  public  and
  publicly  assisted development of transportation facilities and services
  in the state.
    3. In formulating such plan and any such revisions, the department:
    a. shall conduct one or more public hearings;
    b. may consult with and cooperate with (i)  officials  of  departments
  and  agencies of the state having duties and responsibilities concerning
  transportation;
    (ii) officials and representatives of public corporations  as  defined
  in article one, section three of the general corporation law;
    (iii)  officials  and  representatives  of  the federal government, of
  neighboring states and of  interstate  agencies  on  problems  affecting
  transportation in this state;
    (iv)  officials  and  representatives  of  carriers and transportation
  facilities and systems in the state; and
    (v) persons, organizations and groups utilizing, served by, interested
  in or concerned with transportation facilities and systems in the state;
    c. may request and  receive  from  any  department,  division,  board,
  bureau,  commission  or  other  agency  of  the  state  or any political
  subdivision thereof or any public authority such assistance and data  as
  may   be   necessary   to   enable  the  department  to  carry  out  its
  responsibilities under this section; and
    d. may make use of and  incorporate  in  the  department's  plan,  any
  recognized long-range regional plan for transportation, survey or report
  developed by any public or private agency.