Any city, county, public transportation benefit area authority, county transportation authority, or metropolitan municipal corporation operating a public transportation system shall be authorized to conduct, contract for, participate in and support research, demonstration, testing and development of public transportation systems, equipment and use incentives and shall have all powers necessary to comply with any criteria, standards, and regulations which may be adopted under the urban mass transportation act (78 Stat. 302 et seq., 49 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) and to take all actions necessary to meet the requirements of that act. Any county in which a county transportation authority or public transportation benefit area shall have been established and any metropolitan municipal corporation which shall have been authorized to perform the function of metropolitan public transportation shall have, in addition to such powers, the authority to prepare, adopt and carry out a comprehensive transit plan and to make such other plans and studies and to perform such programs as the governing body of the county authority public transportation benefit area authority or metropolitan municipal corporation shall deem necessary to implement and comply with said federal act.