(1) "Committee" means the transportation advisory committee created by section 43-1-1104.

(2) "County hearing process" means the process of review of highway projects in counties performed by the department.

(3) "Department" means the department of transportation.

(3.5) "Metropolitan area" means the area determined by agreement between a metropolitan planning organization and the governor pursuant to 23 U.S.C. sec. 134.

(4) "Metropolitan planning organization" means a metropolitan planning organization under the "Federal Transit Act", codified at 49 U.S.C. sec. 5301 et seq.

(5) "Regional planning commission" means a regional planning commission formed under the provisions of section 30-28-105, C.R.S.

(6) "Regional transportation plan" means a technically based, long-range, future mobility needs assessment for any planning and management region.

(7) "State plan" means the comprehensive statewide transportation plan formed by the commission pursuant to the provisions of section 43-1-1103 (5).

(8) (a) "Transportation planning region" means a region of the state as defined by the rule or regulation process required by section 43-1-1103 (5). The maximum number of such regions shall be fifteen unless such number is increased pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subsection (8).

(b) Each metropolitan planning organization's metropolitan area shall, at a minimum, comprise a transportation planning region. If any new metropolitan planning organization is designated on or after January 1, 1998, the maximum allowable number of transportation planning regions under paragraph (a) of this subsection (8) shall be increased by one region for each such new metropolitan planning organization.