In expending funds available for purposes of this Act, the Department shall cooperate with municipalities, townships, counties, road districts, park districts and other appropriate agencies and organizations and, where possible and practicable, shall allocate its expenditures among the several regions of the State, proportionally to the bicycling population.
     The Secretary of Transportation shall serve as chairman of and shall at least quarterly convene an interagency council on the bikeways program, comprised of the Director of Natural Resources, the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or his or her designee, the State Superintendent of Education, a county engineer or county superintendent of highways chosen by the statewide association of county engineers, a representative of the Cook County Forest Preserve District, and the Secretary of Transportation, for the purpose of determining policy and priorities in effectuating the purposes of this Act.