It is the intent and declared policy of the legislature that an integrated system of highways and streets is essential to the general welfare and to the agricultural, industrial, recreational, and social development of the State. In view of the rapid growth of the State’s economy and increased use of public highways, the provision of safe and efficient highway transportation is a matter of public concern. It is the declared and continuous policy of the legislature to provide for improvement of highways and the highway transportation system as well as the preservation of investment in highways. To that end it is intended to provide for integrated and systematic planning and orderly development in accordance with actual needs. It is further declared that the provision of such a system with efficient management, operation, and control, and the elimination of congestion, crash reduction, and safety is an urgent problem and proper objective of highway legislation. It is further declared that highway transportation system development requires the cooperation of State, county, township, and municipal highway agencies and coordination of their activities on a continuous and partnership basis and the legislature intends such cooperative relationships to accomplish this purpose.
     It is also the intent and declared policy of the legislature that no public moneys derived from fees, excises or license taxes relating to registration, operation and use of vehicles on public highways or to fuels used for the propulsion of such vehicles, shall be appropriated or expended other than for costs of administering the laws imposing such fees, excises and license taxes, statutory refunds and adjustments allowed thereunder, highway administrative costs, payment of debts and liabilities incurred in construction and reconstruction of public highways and bridges, acquisition of rights-of-way for, and the cost of construction, reconstruction, maintenance, repair and operation of public highways and bridges under the direction and supervision of the State, political subdivision or municipality collecting such moneys, and the costs for patrolling and policing the public highways (by State, political subdivision or municipality collecting such money) for enforcement of traffic laws. The separation of grades of such highways with railroads and costs associated with protection of at-grade highway and railroad crossings shall also be permissible.