; and (2) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following: (9) Project selection transparency and accountability Projects included in the adopted long-range statewide transportation plan shall be selected through a publicly available transparent process that includes use of criteria that directly support factors in subsection (d), the national transportation goals under section 150(b), and applicable State transportation goals. The criteria shall be used to publicly categorize the highest performing projects. . (b) Statewide transportation improvement plan Section 5304(g)(5)(A) of chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding after the period at the end the following: Projects included in the statewide transportation improvement program shall come from the highest performing category of projects identified in the transportation plan under subsection (f)(9). If a lower-categorized project is included in the priority project list, a public description shall be included to explain why the lower-categorized project is included before a higher-categorized project, including geographic balance and projects in economically distresses areas. .