The Legislature finds that: (1) Transportation is a critical need of the elderly, handicapped, and others without access to the private automobile; (2) public transportation is a viable alternative to help meet the transportation needs in urban and rural areas; (3) transportation which promotes fuel conservation and reduces traffic congestion should be encouraged; (4) public transportation in the rural and small urban areas of the state is lacking; (5) public transportation in many instances is no longer a profitable undertaking for private enterprise acting alone; (6) public subsidy of public transportation, whether privately or publicly operated, is often necessary to provide needed transportation services; (7) the variety of federal, state, and local activities in providing public transportation services require maximum coordination for maximum benefit from public resources; (8) providers of public transportation may require technical assistance in addressing their public transportation needs; and (9) it is in the public interest of the people of the state to develop programs which provide for the concerns enumerated in this section and which insure the health, safety, and welfare of Nebraska citizens in both urban and rural areas.