Tribal Transit: Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program

Program Overview 

    Yesterday (March 28), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced $8,935,753 in competitive grants for the FY 2023 Public Transportation on Indian Reservations  
(Tribal Transit) Program. The program provides planning, capital, and operating assistance for Tribal public transit services in rural areas. Proposals should include information such as destinations and services not currently accessible by transit; needs for access to jobs or health care; safety enhancements; special needs of elders or individuals with disabilities; behavioral health care needs of youth; income-based community needs; or other mobility needs. Examples of eligible projects include capital investment for start-ups, replacement, or expansion and operating assistance; or planning projects for future implementation. Applications will be evaluated based on the degree to which the proposed project is developed; demonstrates that a sound basis for the project exists; and readiness to be implemented if the project is funded. 

Goals & Initiatives 

FTA is seeking applications that support the following goals and objectives: 

• Enhance safety 

• Renew transit systems 

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the public transportation sector 

• Improve equity  

• Connect communities 

Proposals should align with the following initiatives:  

• Supports the Building a Better America initiative  

• Advances the Department of Transportation's Justice40 Initiative

• Advances the goals of Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad 

• Advance the goals of Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity 

• Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (86 FR 7009)

Eligibility    

Eligible applicants: Federally recognized Indian Tribes or Alaska Native Villages, groups, or communities as identified by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). 

Cost Sharing: Not required

Key Dates 

Deadline: June 26, 2023 

Additional Funding

Tribal Transit Formula Grants provide funding to federally recognized Indian tribes for public transportation services on and around Indian reservations or tribal land in rural areas. Competitive funds distributed to Indian Tribes under the Tribal Transit Program do not replace or reduce funds that Indian Tribes  receive from states through FTA's Formula Grants for Rural Areas Program. 

FTA apportions Tribal Transit formula funds into three tiers:  

Tier 1: 50% apportioned based on vehicle revenue miles; 

Tier 2: 25% apportioned among Indian tribes providing at least two hundred thousand annual vehicle revenue miles; and 

Tier 3: 25% apportioned among Indian tribes providing public transportation on tribal lands where more than one thousand low-income persons reside. 

Resources: 

View the Opportunity here. 

 Read the Press release here.