2-15-2505. Purpose. (1) The legislature intends, through the creation of a department of transportation within the executive branch of state government, to:

(a) provide the means to plan for the present and future transportation needs of the citizens of Montana;

(b) assure that transportation remains a viable element in the private sector of the economy; and

(c) provide energy-efficient and ecologically compatible transportation services with optimum efficiency, effectiveness, and economy.

(2) It is the policy of the state of Montana that adequate, safe, and efficient transportation facilities and services of all modes are essential to the economic growth of the state and the well-being of its people and that the planning and development of those facilities and services be coordinated by a department of transportation that has overall responsibility for balanced transportation policy and planning.