On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation touted the historic investment the country will make in transportation projects on Tribal lands as a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed earlier this week.
The investment, the department said, reflects an urgency to address long-standing inequities on Tribal lands by providing new funding for safety improvements and better roads, bridges, and transit.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is historic for many reasons, including its investments that will deliver better, safer transportation infrastructure in Indian Country,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “My Department looks forward to working closely with our Tribal partners on a range of infrastructure projects that create good jobs, protect our environment, and build a foundation for economic opportunity that will last for generations.”
Not only will the law establish an Office of Tribal Government Affairs, the DOT said, but it will elevate the Tribal Government Affairs leadership to the rank of Assistant Secretary within the USDOT.
Additionally, the law will provide $3 billion for the Tribal Transportation Program, $1.025 billion in dedicated bridge investments on Tribal lands, and $229 million for Tribal transit projects. The law will also make Tribal lands eligible for the new $6 billion in Safe Streets and Roads for All grants through the USDOT.
According to the department, Native Americans are two to three times more likely to die in car crashes than any other ethnic group and have the highest per capita rate of total traffic deaths. The department said its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is leading a multi-agency effort to address highway safety in the Four Corners region of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and other Tribal areas across the country.