Alaska receives $3.8M in Tribal transit grants

The U.S. Department of Transportations’ Federal Transit Administration announced $7.7 million in Tribal Transit Program grant awards Nov. 17. The grants, made to 25 Tribal governments, including Native Village of Eyak, will be used to improve public transportation on Tribal lands. Alaska will receive $3.8 million through the program.

The NVE in Cordova will receive $22,500 in funding to develop a transit plan, according to a Federal Transit Administration release. This project will improve access to and within the community and better connect residents to jobs, healthcare and economic opportunities.

“These federal grants will help American Indian and Alaskan Native tribal governments provide public transportation in rural areas, connecting tribal residents with jobs, healthcare and other essential services,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

The Tribal Transit Program makes funds available to federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages, groups or communities to support capital projects, operating costs and planning activities for public transportation services on and around Tribal lands.

“The Federal Transit Administration is committed to partnering with tribal residents to support their transportation needs,” said FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams. “We’re proud to invest in their transit systems which provide access to critical services, which is particularly important during the public health emergency.”

Other grants include $1.83 million for Alaska’s Noorvik Native Community to build a storage facility to house its paratransit fleet, improving safety and ensuring a continuation of services for Tribal members; $528,617 for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska to expand the Winnebago Tribal Transit Maintenance Facility; and $523,693 for New Mexico’s Mescalero Apache Tribe to maintain transit services and purchase a mobile snow plow.

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In addition to the funding announced Nov. 17, FTA provides $30 million in formula funding to Tribes each fiscal year through the Tribal Transit Formula Grant program.

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