The powers and duties of the department include, but are not limited to, all of the following activities:

(a) Supporting the commission in coordinating and developing, in cooperation with local and regional entities, comprehensive balanced transportation planning and policy for the movement of people and goods within the state.

(b) Coordinating and assisting, upon request of, the various public and private transportation entities in strengthening their development and operation of balanced integrated mass transportation, highway, aviation, maritime, railroad, and other transportation facilities and services in support of statewide and regional goals.

(c) Developing, in cooperation with local and regional transportation entities, the full potential of all resources and opportunities that are now, and may become, available to the state and to regional and local agencies for meeting California’s transportation needs, as provided by statutes and, in particular, maximizing the amount of federal funds that may be available to the state and increasing the efficiency by which those funds are utilized.

(d) Planning, designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining those transportation systems that the Legislature has made, or may make, the responsibility of the department; provided that the department is not authorized to assume the functions of project planning, designing, constructing, operating, or maintaining maritime or aviation facilities without express prior approval of the Legislature with the exception of those aviation functions that have been designated for the department in the Public Utilities Code.

(e) Coordinating and developing transportation research projects of statewide interest.

(f) Exercising other functions, powers, and duties as are or may be provided for by law.

(g) With the Department of Housing and Community Development, investigating and reporting to the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Business, Consumer Services, and Housing upon the consistency between state, local, and federal housing plans and programs and state, local, and federal transportation plans and programs.

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 353, Sec. 90. (SB 820) Effective September 26, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 129 of Ch. 353.)