Office of Planning, Environment, & Realty (HEP)
Planning · Environment · Real Estate
Partnerships are strategic agreements between two or more agencies to work together to accomplish a common goal.
Who are my partners? All of the transportation providers, operators, managers and planners within your region are part of your professional network. They are your potential partners. You share the common goal of addressing the transportation needs of your communities. Networking with these officials will assist in your efforts to improve the tribal transportation system.
| Tribal Partners | Agency |
Provides transportation for: |
|---|---|---|
| State DOTs | Communities across the entire State | |
| MPOs | Communities within its designated planning region | |
| County/City DOTs | Communities within specific jurisdictions | |
| Transit agencies | Users within their service areas | |
| Tribal agencies | Tribal communities |
Why is partnering necessary in leveraging? Leveraging is the strategic use of a partnership’s combined resources to achieve a desired outcome, such as pooling funds to build a project.
Your tribe’s transportation services and programs are supported by the BIA, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). These agencies provide funding, policy guidance and technical support to tribes. Similarly, States, MPOs, local governments and transit agencies rely heavily on FHWA and FTA funds for their roadway and transit services that support regional and national access.
The amount of IRR funding available to tribes is often less than what is needed to meet transportation needs. Your partners have similar challenges. Competition for funds has become a normal part of the transportation process. In this environment, leveraging one partner’s funds and resources with another’s is an effective way to enter into the competitive funding process. This enables both agencies to do more with less.
TIP #1: Review the Transportation Funding module. It offers information on the Federal funding available to tribes.
