1. Establish a setting: Establish and manage a fair and impartial setting for effective regional decisionmaking in the metropolitan area.

2. Evaluate alternatives: Evaluate transportation alternatives, scaled to the size and complexity of the region, to the nature of its transportation issues, and to the realistically available options. (These evaluations are included in the Unified Planning Work Program or UPWP).

3. Maintain a Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP): Develop and update a long-range transportation plan for the metropolitan area covering a planning horizon of at least twenty years that fosters (1) mobility and access for people and goods, (2) efficient system performance and preservation, and (3) quality of life

4. Develop a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP): Develop a program based on the long-range transportation plan and designed to serve the area’s goals, using spending, regulating, operating, management, and financial tools.

5. Involve the public: Involve the general public and all the significantly affected sub-groups in the four essential functions listed above.