The U.S. Department of Transportation recently issued a press release detailing the bipartisan infrastructure law’s investments into Tribal roads and transit.
Earlier this week, President Joe Biden signed the infrastructure law that will contribute historic amounts of funding for transportation projects, which seek to improve roads, bridges and transit on Tribal lands across the country.
“The bipartisan infrastructure law is historic, for many reasons, including its investments that will deliver better, safer transportation infrastructure in Indian Country,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, according to the news release. “My department looks forward to working closely with our Tribal partners on a range of infrastructure projects that create good jobs, protect our environment and build a foundation for economic opportunity that will last for generations.”
Under the bill, the Office of Tribal Government Affairs will be established, and leadership of the department will be elevated to the rank of assistant secretary within the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
The bill will commit $3 billion to the Tribal Transportation Program (Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), $1.025 billion in dedicated bridge investments on Tribal lands (FHWA) and $229 million for Tribal transit projects (Federal Transit Administration).
This month the USDOT signed an updated memorandum of understanding (MOU) stating a commitment to protect Tribal treaty rights and similar Tribal rights in agency decision-making processes. The USDOT also signed on as a supporting agency to two MOUs that will help protect historic properties of cultural and religious importance to tribes and help preserve Native American languages.
