Tribal Leaders Letter - October 5, 2018

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1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, D.C. 20590

October 5, 2018

In Reply Refer to: HIN

 

Dear Tribal Leader,

It was good to see many familiar faces and meet new ones at the National Tribal Transportation Conference (NTTC) in Tucson. The conference was a great success and FHWA looks forward to bringing you next year's NTTC. We will work with tribal representatives and National Tribal Transportation Assistance Program (TTAP) Center to develop and deliver an equally enticing program of training and workshops in 2018.

During the conference's plenary session, the two-year TTAP pilot was discussed. An overview of the pilot can be found at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovativeprograms/centers/local_aid/ttap/. As discussed at the NTTC, from October 1st to when the new TTAP Center is operational, all training and technical assistance needs will be managed by FHWA. We will keep you apprised of the date on which the National TTAP Center is fully operational. During this transition, requests for training or technical assistance should be submitted to FHWA via email though the above website. This can be done by finding the "Request the Following" box on the right-hand side of the page and clicking either training or technical assistance. An email will open that is pre-addressed to the Center for Local Aid Support (CLAS@dot.gov). Requestors need to identify the training or technical assistance they need and provide their contact information so a response can be coordinated.

FHWA hears your concerns with past communication and is taking steps to address those concerns and strengthen communication efforts during the pilot period. During the plenary session, we proposed the following communication actions to improve information sharing, engagement and feedback during the two-year pilot.

• FHWA will engage with tribal governments at regional and national meetings to exchange information and receive your feedback during the pilot. We don't have the resources to attend every meeting, but will endeavor to accept as many requests as we reasonably can. If you would like our attendance at a meeting you are holding, we ask that you provide us advance notice of these meetings so we can schedule staff and resources.
• FHWA will continue to attend TTPCC meetings and will work with and update the TTPCC throughout the pilot
• The following proposed events are scheduled to inform the maximum number of tribal members on the pilot.
• November/December 2017 - Webinar to introduce the National TTAP Center
• January/February 2018 - Webinar sharing TTAP Training Plan for 2018
• June 2018 - Virtual Listening Session to discuss pilot implementation and receive tribal input
• November 2018 - Virtual Listening Session to discuss pilot implementation, receive tribal input,. and share 2019 Training Plan
• March 2019 - Virtual Listening Session to discuss pilot implementation and receive tribal input
• June 2019 - Webinar to share future TTAP plans
• November 2019 - Pilot Ends - Webinar Sharing Final Results of Two-Year Pilot

Please know that FHWA hears your concerns regarding past communication and is actively seeking your input on how communications going forward can be better aligned with your needs. If you have any questions or comments, you can reach us at CLAS@dot.gov or call me directly at 720-963-3522.

 

Sincerely,

Victoria Peters
Director, Center for Local-Aid Support