The 2025 Tribal Transportation Training was a great success. 78 registrants from 39 different tribes and organizations gathered to connect, network, and engage over 19 sessions, meals, and social events during the three-day training. Thanks to the following 2025 TTT sponsors and supporting organizations, tribal personnel were able to attend the TTT at no cost: Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Absentee Shawnee Tribe, Oklahoma Tribal Transportation Council, Premier Steel, Infotech, Green Frog Systems, and Cross Timbers Consulting.

2025 TTT presentations are now available. Click here to access the presentations.

INTERTRIBAL TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION MEETING

Date: May 8, 2025

Time: 1 PM - 2 PM Central Time

Meeting Details: Join the meeting now I Meeting ID: 227 955 870 589 I Passcode: bM644iG7

What is ITA? The Intertribal Transportation Association (ITA) promotes training, advocacy, information and facilitates meetings between Tribes and local, state, and federal agencies.

TRIBAL TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM COORDINATING COMMITTEE

Members of the TTPCC met on Thursday, May 1, to discuss TTPCC initiatives and to determine future TTPCC meeting dates. At this time, the TTPCC is working on getting additional meetings for this year approved and is determining meeting dates and locations.

What is TTPCC? The Tribal Transportation Program Coordinating Committee (TTPCC) is the recommending committee (25 CFR 170.135) established by federal regulations, to provide input and recommendations to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) concerning the Tribal Transportation Program as detailed in Title 23 U.S.C. 202. The committee consists of 24 Tribal regional representative (two from each BIA region).

MINNESOTA TRIBAL TRAFFIC SAFETY SUMMIT & TZD TRIBAL ROUNDTABLES

Date: May 21, 2025

Time: 12 PM EST

Description: This presentation will discuss Minnesota’s annual Tribal Traffic Safety Summit - where it started last year and where it has gone in just one year. Tribal leaders, traffic safety professionals, stakeholders and community members gathered for a free two-day summit to discuss prevention strategies and raise awareness about crash-related injuries and deaths affecting Minnesota’s Tribal communities. The goal of these meetings is to create partnerships, share resources and work together to prevent fatal and serious crashes in Indian Country. The presentation is sponsored by the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals (ATSIP) Tribal Taskforce.

OKLAHOMA TRAFFIC SAFETY SUMMIT

Date: June 2 - June 4, 2025

Location: Omni Oklahoma City Hotel I 100 West Oklahoma City Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73109

Cost: There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.

Description: This Summit offers CLEET-approved training in a multitude of disciplines, including drug recognition expert education, traffic homicide investigation, child passenger safety, post-crash care, public information and education, social media strategies, interacting with vulnerable road users, teen driver outreach, creative enforcement efforts, and a host of others. 

NATIONAL RTAP TRIBAL & RURAL TRANSIT MINI-CONFERENCE

Date: June 24 - June 26, 2025

Location: Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza I 100 Sandoval Street Santa Fe, NM 87501

Cost: $100

Description: National RTAP is providing three (3) full days of tribal and rural transit training. The mini conference kicks off with a two-day grant writing workshop. On Day 3, attendees can choose from either a day-long training on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or taking a concurrent day-long training, which will include: a morning with Customer Service and Dealing with Problem Passengers training modules; and an afternoon of PASS Securement training.

NATIONAL TRIBAL GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP

Date: August 18 - 20, 2025

Location: South Point Casino I 9777 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89183

Cost: $50 for tribal agencies; $100 for non-tribal agencies

Description: This event is designed to equip transportation professionals, Tribal planners, transit managers, public works managers, grant writers, and funding coordinators with the skills and knowledge necessary to craft competitive, compelling and successful grant proposals.

FY25 SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL (SS4A) GRANT PROGRAM

DEADLINE: June 26, 2025, at 5:00 PM (EDT)

DESCRIPTION: The SS4A grant program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. Over $982 million is made available by this NOFO, and a similar amount is expected to be available next year in a future funding round.

TTP BRIDGE PROGRAM

DEADLINE: Any time during the year, in accordance with 23 CFR 661.25, a Tribe can submit an application package for preliminary engineering (PE) and/or Construction funding.

DESCRIPTION: The TTP Bridge Program is focused on improving the number of TTP bridges in poor condition.

QUESTIONS? Contact Chris W. Riley, PE., Acting TTP Bridge Program Manager at chris.w.riley@dot.gov

TRIBAL HIGH PRIORITY PROJECTS (HPP) PROGRAM

DEADLINE: Any time during the year, a Tribe can submit an application package for Tribal HPP Program funding. On January 31, the applications received will be reviewed for eligibility, evaluated, and ranked for funding. Applications submitted after January 31 will be collected for the next fiscal year funding cycle.

DESCRIPTION: This program is a nationwide priority program for: (1) An Indian Tribe or governmental subdivision of an Indian Tribe whose annual allocation of funding under the Tribal Transportation Program is insufficient to complete the highest priority project of the Indian Tribe or governmental subdivision of an Indian Tribe; or (2) Any Indian Tribe that has an emergency or disaster with respect to a transportation facility.

RURAL AND TRIBAL ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM

DEADLINE: New Application Opening Date TBD

Due to technical issues applicants experienced when attempting to apply for Rural and Tribal Assistance (RTA) Program funding, the application portal has been closed. The RTA program will not review any applications submitted and no grants will be awarded from applications submitted during the portal opening between March 18 and March 21, 2025.

The Build America Bureau is working to resolve the issues and establish a new date for the application submissions as soon as possible. All communities interested in FY24 RTA funding must apply when the portal reopens - this includes any community that applied between March 18 and March 21, 2025.

The BAB will announce the new date on grants.gov, LinkedIn and on the RTA Program webpage https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/RuralandTribalGrants. 

BRIDGE INVESTMENT PROGRAM - LARGE BRIDGE PROJECTS

DEADLINE: August 1, 2025

DESCRIPTION: Large Bridge Project Grants under the Bridge Investment Program are available for bridges with total eligible project costs over $100 million, with minimum grant awards of $50 million, and maximum grant awards of 50 percent of the total eligible project costs.

BRIDGE INVESTMENT PROGRAM - PLANNING PROJECTS

DEADLINE: October 1, 2025

DESCRIPTION: Planning Project grant applications are available for bridges with maximum grant awards of 80 percent of the total eligible project costs.

BRIDGE INVESTMENT PROGRAM - BRIDGE PROJECTS

DEADLINE: November 1, 2025

DESCRIPTION: Bridge Project Grants under the Bridge Investment Program are available for bridges with total eligible project costs up to $100 million, with minimum grant awards of $2.5 million, and maximum grant awards of 80 percent of the total eligible project costs.

Securing funding for your project can be challenging, but with professional grant writing assistance, you can increase your chances of success. Since 2013, Cross Timbers Consulting staff have prepared over 100 funded grant applications, garnering over $102.1 million dollars in funding for tribal transportation programs. These include:

• Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant Program [TIGER/RAISE]
• Energy and Mineral Development Program [EMDP]
• Tribal Transportation Program Safety Funds [TTPSF]
• Indian Community Development Block Grant Program [ICDBG]
• Community Development Block Grant CARES Act [CDBG-CV]
• Accelerated Innovation Deployment [AID] Demonstration Program
• FTA Tribal Transit Grants
• Safe Streets and Roads for All [SS4A]
• Bridge Investment Program [BIP]
• Tribal Energy Development Capacity [TEDC]

CTC grant writing staff can help simplify the process and improve your odds of receiving funding. When you're ready to take the next step, contact us to discuss how we can support your funding goals.

May Is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

6,335 motorcyclists were killed in traffic crashes in 2023, which represents 15% of all traffic fatalities. Millions of people across the United States ride motorcycles – some as a primary or secondary form of transportation, and others as a leisure ride. May marks the beginning of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Motorcycle safety is an ongoing responsibility for all road users. By consistently following safe driving and riding practices and sharing the road with everyone, motorists can help reduce the number of motorcyclist fatalities.

Safe Driving Tips for all Drivers

• Observe all traffic laws and always obey the speed limit
• Drive and ride alcohol and drug free
• Avoid distractions while driving or riding
• Drivers should yield to motorcycles, especially while turning at intersections
• Motorcyclists should wear high-visibility protective gear and DOT compliant helmets

May 8 Intertribal Transportation Association

1 PM - 2 PM Central Time I Join the meeting now I Meeting ID: 227 955 870 589 I Passcode: bM644iG7 

September 21 - 25 NTICC

Gila River Casino & Resort I Chandler, AZ I nticc.org

December 7 - 10 National RTAP Conference

Hyatt Regency Austin I Austin, TX I nationalrtap.org