On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) announced it would provide $8.75 million in grants to support transit services in Tribal communities and Alaska Native villages in rural areas.
In all, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorizes $45.8 million over five years for Tribal transit, an increase of nearly 83 percent.
“With this new transit funding, we will connect more Native Americans and Alaska Natives to opportunity, advance environmental justice, and empower Tribal self-governance in transportation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Thanks to the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are dramatically increasing our support for transit projects on Tribal reservations and in Alaska Native villages.”
The Federal Transit Authority’s (FTA) Tribal Transit Program supports public transportation for federally-recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages, groups, or communities. Authorized by Congress, funding help Tribes meet the needs of older adults, members with disabilities, and youth in rural areas, among others.
The FTA will prioritize grants that help improve air quality and further environmental justice, pursuant to President Joe Biden’s Jan. 20, 2021, Executive Order Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis
“For residents of Tribal and Alaska Native lands, transit is a lifeline,” said FTA Administrator Nuria I. Fernandez. “This funding opportunity will improve public transportation connections to healthcare, jobs, education, and other resources in communities that have been historically underserved.”
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m., May 25, 2022.