(a) The department, in cooperation with the commission, transportation planning agencies, and county transportation commissions and local governments, shall develop guidelines for the development of the state transportation improvement program and the incorporation of projects into the state transportation improvement program.

(b) The guidelines shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) Standards for project deliverability.

(2) Standards for identifying projects and project components.

(3) Standards for cost estimating.

(4) Programming methods for increases and schedule changes.

(5) Objective criteria for measuring system performance and cost-effectiveness of candidate projects.

(c) The guidelines shall be the complete and full statement of the policy, standards, and criteria that the commission intends to use in selecting projects to be included in the state transportation improvement program.

(d) The commission may amend the adopted guidelines after conducting at least one public hearing. The commission shall make a reasonable effort to adopt the amended guidelines prior to its adoption of the fund estimate pursuant to Section 14525. In no event shall the adopted guidelines be amended, or otherwise revised, modified, or altered during the period commencing 30 days after the adoption of the fund estimate pursuant to Section 14525 and before the adoption of the state transportation improvement program pursuant to Section 14529.

(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 200, Sec. 1. (SB 734) Effective January 1, 2010.)