Tribal Transit Program
National RTAP Tribal Transit Program
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This lists technical assistance and training resources geared to Tribal Transit managers, staff, and riders.
Tribal Transit Peer Forum
This private Forum is a place for sharing questions and information. National RTAP staff monitor the forum and help provide answers not fully addressed by peers.
Tribal Transit Awards
The awards were presented at our 2023 and 2019 Conferences to honor outstanding tribal transit agencies and staff.
Tribal Transit Events
National RTAP Tribal & Rural Transit Mini-Conference in Rapid City, South Dakota
Please join National RTAP in Rapid City, South Dakota for three days of Tribal and rural transit training. The conference will be held at the Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City/Curio Collection by Hilton.
The mini-conference kicks off with a plenary roundtable discussion of attendee agencies’ best practices and challenges, then continues with 90-minute breakout sessions covering a wide range of transit-specific and hot topics by experts in Tribal and rural transit program development, including, but not limited to: Transit Planning I and II, long range transportation planning, National Environmental Policy Act I and II, procurement and the use of NRTAP’s ProcurementPRO tool, grant writing, the latest research on right-sizing your fleets, as well as how transit agencies can “do more with less” in this new environment of uncertain future federal funding.
Tribal Scholarships
We provided scholarships to several tribal transit agencies for our Conference in Myrtle Beach, December 3-6, 2023.
National Transportation in Indian Country Conference
Chandler, AZ, September 21-25, 2025
National RTAP will organize the transit sessions
Other Tribal Transit events National RTAP has hosted or participated in:
- Tribal and Rural Transit Mini Conference, Santa Fe, NM, June 24-26, 2025
- Capital Projects and Mobility Management Training, Anchorage, AK, March 24-28, 2025
- Transit Capital Projects Training with the Alaska Tribal Transportation Working Group, Anchorage, AK, 2023
- National Transportation in Indian Country Conference, Louisville, KY, 2022
- Tribal Transit Capital Project Development Training, Flagstaff, AZ, 2022
- Tribal Transit Mini-Conference, Anchorage, AK, 2022
- Tribal Transit Mini-Conferences, Minnesota, Montana, and Oklahoma, 2021
About the FTA Tribal Transit Program
The Federal Transit Administration’s Public Transportation on Indian Reservation Roads program, or Tribal Transit Program (TTP), provides funding to federally recognized tribes for capital, operating, planning, and administrative expenses for public transit projects that meet the growing needs of rural tribal communities.
History
Originally established as a discretionary funding program by SAFETEA-LU in 2006, the TTP was revised in 2012 under MAP-21 to include both a discretionary and a formula component. Formula funds were allocated to eligible tribes for the first time in federal FY 2013, in accordance with a formula outlined in MAP-21 and after consultation with Indian tribes.
Current Program
The FAST Act (December 4, 2015) authorized funding for the Tribal Transit Program for FY 2016-2021 as a set-aside from the Formula Grants for Rural Areas (Section 5311) program, with $30 million formula program and a $5 million competitive grant program. A 10% local match was required under the competitive program, however, there was no local match required under the formula program.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as enacted in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, authorizes funding for the TTP
for FY 2022-2026. The TTP continues to be a set-aside from the Section 5311 program. For
FY 2022, the funding
consists of a $35 million formula program and a $9 million competitive grant program, subject to appropriations. The funding is set to increase incrementally over four years.
For more information about the TTP, including formula funding allocations, discretionary projects awarded, and training materials, visit FTA's Tribal Transit Program page.
On October 1, 2020, a new Tribal Transportation Self-Governance Program (TTSGP) final rule became effective, providing federally recognized Tribes and Tribal organizations with greater control, flexibility, and decision-making authority over federal funds used to carry out tribal transportation programs, functions, services, and activities (PFSAs) in tribal communities. The TTSGP also affords Tribes and Tribal organizations with specific rights and federal resources to implement and support their Self-Governance programs. To learn more, visit the U.S. DOT Tribal Transportation Self-Governance Program page.
FTA Regional Tribal Liaisons
Each FTA Region has one or more FTA Tribal Liaisons. They are available to assist Tribal FTA grant recipients.
Updated July 29, 2025
A program of the Federal Transit Administration administered by the Neponset Valley TMA
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