The Tribal Transportation Program (TTP), established in 1982 by the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, was created to address the transportation needs of Indian reservations throughout the United States. Its self-stated mission is as follows:
The Tribal Transportation Program mission is to provide safe and adequate transportation and public road access to and within Indian reservations in the Great Plains Region, Indian lands and communities for Native Americans, visitors, recreationists, resource uses and others while contributing to economic development, self-determination, and employment of Native Americans.
The program’s roots actually date back to 1928, when the Indian Reservation Roads (IRR) program was first established. It evolved and grew many times over the following decades, most recently in 2021 through the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which expanded funding for the program and created the Tribal High Priority Projects (Tribal HPP) Program as a means of providing additional funding for high-priority projects.
The program is jointly administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). In this article, we’ll review the types of projects the program funds, details on funding distribution, and the role of Tribal governments in managing projects.
How the Tribal Transportation Program Works
TTP funds can be used for a wide range of projects, including various infrastructure improvements, road safety audits, public transit systems, wildlife protection, and more. These funds can even be used for technology that helps Tribal Nations use the funds more efficiently, such as construction management software or surveying equipment. Up to 25% of TTP program funds can be used for road maintenance, though there is no limitation on road sealing.
The TTP draws its funds from the Highway Trust Fund, which is in turn funded by various highway taxes on gas, tires, and heavy vehicle usage. About 12% of these funds are pre-allocated in the following ways:
- 5% for program oversight
- 2% for planning
- 3% for the TTP Bridge Program, which focuses on bridge-specific projects
- 2% for the TTP Safety Fund, which focuses on projects that are aimed at reducing transportation-related deaths and injuries
The remaining 88% are allocated to tribes based on a formula that takes into account tribal population, road mileage, and previous shares from an allocation formula that was used from 2005 to 2011. That formula breaks down like this:
- 39% weight to population
- 34% weight to average shares from 2005-2011
- 27% weight to total road miles within the Tribal territory
So, all in all, 88% of funds are pre-allocated, and 5% of funds can be applied for through the respective bridge and safety programs.
This breakdown does not include the funds available through the aforementioned Tribal High Priority Projects (Tribal HPP) Program. Those funds are also distributed via applications and focus on high-priority projects that can’t be fully funded by the typical TTP distribution. HPP funds are also available for Tribes that are dealing with an emergency or natural disaster. If you are curious, FHWA has provided a rubric for how they evaluate and prioritize HPP applications.
The Role of Tribal Oversight
In line with the principles of tribal sovereignty, Tribal Nations are responsible for the oversight of TTP funds, although some do choose to have the Bureau of Indian Affairs administer funds on their behalf. Typically, Tribal governments will create a Tribal Transportation Improvement Program that balances immediate and long-term transportation needs to help guide the use of funds over time.
While tribal governments have the flexibility to manage, design, build, and maintain projects as they see fit, they are subject to a variety of reporting requirements – both general federal requirements and those specific to DOT funds. At a high level, those compliance requirements include:
- An annually updated Tribal Transportation Improvement Program plan
- Regular updates to the National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI), a database of infrastructure projects that are eligible for TTP funding
- Annual financial reports that detail fund usage, except for funds managed by the BIA
- Various federal regulatory compliance reports, including Buy America, Davis-Bacon, ADA accessibility, and environmental laws
TTP funds are also subject to annual independent audits when expenditures exceed $750,000 in a single fiscal year.
Simplifying TTP Fund Reporting & Management
The reporting requirements detailed above mean that Tribal governments require a comprehensive process for tracking and reporting on their infrastructure projects. Attempting to do so on paper can lead to misplaced documentation, incorrect reports, and time-consuming federal audits. As such, many Tribal governments choose to leverage a portion of funds for software that supports the digital delivery of construction projects and increases the ease of meeting federal tracking requirements.
At Infotech, we work with tribal governments like the Cherokee Nation Department of Transportation and Infrastructure to implement bidding and construction management solutions that support efforts to:
- Track state and federal funds and additional grants
- Centralize construction data in a searchable, accessible database
- Automate manual processes associated with construction management
- Advertise and manage bids online for greater reach and efficiency
If you are interested in learning more about our e-Construction solutions for Tribal Nations, you can dive in here or contact us for more information.
Author
Nate Binder
Digital Marketing Manager
A proud graduate of Florida State University, Nate works with subject matter experts and sales professionals to produce targeted marketing collateral.