Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program; Tribal Transit Competitive Program

What's New

• On February 22, 2022, FTA announced the availability of $8.75 million in Fiscal Year 2022 competitive grant funding to support transit services for American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes in rural areas.
   
• FTA has recorded the March 24 webinar, which covered project eligibility, evaluation criteria, and program requirements. Additionally, information comparing the FY22 Tribal Transit Program and joint Low-No and Bus Competitive Program is available here.
  • Watch the recording | View the presentation | Read the transcript
     
• On January 19, 2022, FTA announced approximately $10.3 million in Tribal Transit Program grant awards to 36 tribal governments for projects that support transit services for American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages in rural areas. View the project selections.

Program Overview  

Federal public transportation law (49 USC 5311(c)(1)(A)) authorizes the competitive amount of the Public Transportation on Indian Reservations (Tribal Transit Program or TTP) Program. The TTP is a set-aside from the Formula Grants for Rural Areas program that included a $30 million formula program and a $5 million competitive grant program for Fiscal Years 2016-2021.

Project Selections

• FY2021: $10,360,657
• FY 2020: $7,720,321
• FY 2019: $4,954,078
• FY 2018: $4,998,028
• FY 2017: $4,975,528
• FY 2016: $5,000,000
• FY 2014-2015: $10,018,000

Eligible Recipients

Eligible applicants include federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native tribes as identified by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). This list can be found at: https://www.bia.gov/service/tribal-leaders-directory/federally-recognized-tribes.

Eligible Activities 

Federally recognized tribes may use the funding for capital, operating, planning, and administrative expenses for public transit projects that meet the growing needs of rural tribal communities. All activities eligible under Section 5311 are also eligible under the TTP.

FTA Regional Tribal Liaisons 

Federal Transit Administration's Regional Tribal Liaisons

Coordination with Federal Programs

FTA’s Tribal Transit Program allows grantees to coordinate and assist in regularly providing meal delivery service for homebound individuals, if the delivery service does not conflict with providing public transportation service or reduce service to public transportation passengers. Learn more about the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM).

Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library (TACL)

The Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library (TACL) provides a sustainable methodology and platform to access resources across a diverse range of transportation technical assistance centers and FTA. Participating FTA-funded technical assistance centers include:

• National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC)
• National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT)
• National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM)
• National Rural Transit Assistance Program (National RTAP)
• Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC)