History of funding of the Indian
Reservation Roads Program (IRR)
The IRR Program was established on May
26, 1928, by Pub. L. 520, 25 U.S.C.
318(a).
It authorized the Secretary of Agriculture
(which had responsibility for Federal roads
at the time) to cooperate with state
highway agencies and DOI to survey,
construct, reconstruct, and maintain Indian
reservation roads serving Indian lands.
History of funding of the Indian
Reservation Roads Program (IRR)
In 1982, under the Surface Transportation
Assistance Act of 1982 (STAA), Pub. L.
97-424, Congress created the Federal
Lands Highway Program (FLHP).
This coordinated program addresses
access needs to and within Indian and
other Federal lands. The IRR Program is
a funding category of this program.
History of funding for IRR
Highway Bills:
Intermodal Surface Transportation Equity
Act (ISTEA)
Tenure 92-97
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century (TEA-21), Public Law 105-178
Tenure 98-2003
SAFETEA-LU
Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
Efficient Transportation Equity
Act: A Legacy for Users
SAFETEA-LU
Final Rule was published July 19, 2004.
Effective date (original) was October 1,
2004.
Effective date revised November 13, 2004.
What is the Indian Reservation
Roads Program?
The Indian Reservation Roads (IRR)
Program is a part of the Federal Lands
Highway Program established in 23 U.S.C.
204 to address transportation needs of
tribes.
What is a Indian Reservation
Roads Road?
The Indian Reservation Roads (IRR)
system includes tribally-owned public
roads as well as state and county-owned
roads.
What is the Purpose of the Indian
Reservation Roads Program?
The purpose of the IRR Program is to
provide safe and adequate transportation
and public road access to and within
Indian reservations, Indian lands, and
communities for Indians and Alaska
Natives, visitors, recreational users,
resource users, and others, while
contributing to economic development.
SAFETEA-LU
Tribal Shares Program (2005)
What are the challenges with
a tribal share program?
Our office needs the permission of each tribe via tribal
resolution to expend the tribe’s funds.
In a given year 14 out of our 25 tribes change
leadership.
New leadership; new directions and priorities.
Re-education of the road program to the individual tribes.
How is the IRR program
administered?
12 Regional offices
There are 562 federally recognized tribes
– Large tribes (Land and Population)
– Small tribes
Southwest Regional Office
9 Agencies
25 Tribal entities
Approximately 5 Million acres
3 States
Approximately 5,400 road miles
How is funding distributed?
BIA allocate and distribute tribal funds pro
rata according to the tribes’ relative need
percentage from the Relative Need
Distribution Factor (RNDF).
What is the Relative Need Distribution
Factor (RNDF)?
The Relative Need Distribution Factor
(RNDF) is a mathematical formula used
for distributing the IRR Program
construction funds. The RNDF is derived
from a combination of cost to construct,
vehicle miles traveled, and population.
RNDF
RNDF = 50% (CTC) + 30% (VMT) + 20% (POP)
RNDF
RNDF= 50%(CTC)+30%(VMT)+20%(POP)
CTC= Cost to Construct (How much it cost to bring an
existing section of road way to an adequate design
standard.)
VMT= Vehicle Miles Traveled (per section) * the ADT
(average daily traffic count.)
POP = NAHASDA data (service area)
RIFDS
Road Inventory Field Data System
Computerized program that allows the tribes to
enter road data into a national inventory data
base for all Indian Reservation Roads.
Funding and Inventory are Connected
Inventory drives funding allocations to
reservations
Inventory updates are essential to accurately
represent funding needs for tribes and
reservations
Updates to inventory do not always generate
increases in funding
The fund distribution to a tribe or reservation
is relative to all other tribes and reservations
Two Pots of Money
Highway
Trust Funds
–
–
–
–
Construction
Maintenance
Bridge
23 USC 204(j)
Tribal Priority
Allocation (TPA)
– Maintenance
What regulations pertain to the IRR
Program?
SAFETEA-LU
Pub. L. 109-59 (119 STAT1144)
25 CFR Part 170 Indian Reservation Roads
Program; Final Rule
23 U.S.C.
Public Law 93-638
Tribal Transportation Project
What preparation is needed to
begin a project?
Tribal decision to spend their construction
funds on a project
Is project on the tribe’s Long Range
Transportation Plan (LRTP)?
Is the Route on the tribal inventory?
Why is Planning so Important?
Projects need to be in the IRR Inventory in
order to be placed on a IRR Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP).
IRR Inventory (sections) is tied to Control
Schedule/ TIP
What is the process followed to
build a construction project?
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT
ROAD
INVENTORY
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT
ROAD
INVENTORY
LRTP
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT
ROAD
INVENTORY
LRTP
TRIBAL
PRIORITY
LIST
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT
ROAD
INVENTORY
LRTP
TRIBAL
PRIORITY
LIST
TTIP
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT
ROAD
INVENTORY
LRTP
TRIBAL
PRIORITY
LIST
TTIP
CONTROL
SCHEDULE
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT
ROAD
INVENTORY
LRTP
TRIBAL
PRIORITY
LIST
BUILD
PROJECT
TTIP
CONTROL
SCHEDULE
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT
ROAD
INVENTORY
LRTP
TRIBAL
PRIORITY
LIST
UPDATE
INVENTORY
& LRTP
BUILD
PROJECT
TTIP
CONTROL
SCHEDULE
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT
ROAD
INVENTORY
LRTP
TRIBAL
PRIORITY
LIST
UPDATE
INVENTORY
& LRTP
BUILD
PROJECT
TTIP
CONTROL
SCHEDULE
Long Range Transportation
Plan (LRTP)
§170.400
Purpose of the LRTP
Clearly demonstrate a tribe’s
transportation needs
Future land use
Economic development
Traffic Demand
Public Safety
Health and social needs
Long Range Transportation Plan
§ 170.410 b) Planning should be 20 years
to match state transportation planning
horizons.
Short Term – 5 years
Mid Term – 10 years
Long Term – 20 years
How is the tribal Long Range
Transportation Plan used and
updated?
§170.414
Tribe should review the document yearly.
Tribal priorities are taken directly from this document.
Should be update every 5 years.
Must include public involvement.
§170.423 How are projects placed
on the IRRTIP?
In consultation with the tribes, the BIA
selects projects from the TTIP for inclusion
on the IRRTIP.
What if a tribe does not earn enough
funding for a project?
Enter a consortium of tribes and delegate
authority to the consortium to develop a
TTIP.
Enter into agreement with other tribes
Apply for IRRHPP
Seek flexible financing
§170.425 a) How does the BIA
update the IRRTIP?
During the first quarter of the fiscal year
each BIA Regional Office notifies tribes of
the update and provides projected IRR
Program funding amounts and a copy of
the previous year’s regional IRRTIP.
§170.425 b) How does the BIA
update the IRRTIP?
The tribe reviews any new transportation
planning information, priority list, and TTIP
and forwards an updated TTIP to BIA
Regional Office on or before July 15.
Control Schedule
Projects for the next three years.
Control Schedule
Need to verify the amount of money each
tribe has for construction.
Control Schedule
Need to verify the amount of money each
tribe has for construction.
Past year expenses.
Control Schedule
Need to verify the amount of money each
tribe has for construction.
Past year expenses.
Need Tribal priorities. (Changes in Tribal
Government).
Control Schedule
Routes are placed on control schedule at
the section level. (Important for routes to
be sectioned correctly.)
The control schedule is a planning tool.
§170.442
What is the IRR
Inventory?
a) The IRR Inventory is a comprehensive
database of all transportation facilities eligible
for IRR Program funding by tribe, reservation,
BIA agency and region, Congressional
district, State, and county. Other specific
information collected and maintained under
the IRR Program includes classification, route
number, bridge number, current and future
traffic volumes, maintenance responsibility,
and ownership.
§170.442
What is the IRR
Inventory?
B) Elements of the inventory are used in
the Relative Need Distribution Factor. BIA
or tribes can also use the inventory to
assist in transportation and project
planning, justify expenditures, identify
transportation needs, maintain existing
IRR transportation facilities, and develop
management systems.
How Do You Get a Route on the
Inventory?
Long Range
Transportation Plan
(LRTP)
Long Range
Transportation Plan
(LRTP)
Tribal Priority List
Long Range
Transportation Plan
(LRTP)
Tribal Priority List
Tribal Transportation
Improvement Plan
(TTIP)
Long Range
Transportation Plan
(LRTP)
Tribal Priority List
Tribal Transportation
Improvement Plan
(TTIP)
Indian Reservation
Roads Transportation
Improvement Plan
(IRRTIP)
Long Range
Transportation Plan
(LRTP)
Road Inventory update
Tribal Priority List
Tribal Transportation
Improvement Plan
(TTIP)
Indian Reservation
Roads Transportation
Improvement Plan
(IRRTIP)
Road Inventory Update
(Per Section)
Tribal Resolution
Tribal
Resolution
Road Inventory
Update
Tribal Resolution
Strip Map
Strip Map
STRIP MAP
Road Inventory Update
(Per Section)
Tribal Resolution
Strip Map
RIFDS Data Sheet
(old 5704 sheet)
RIFDS Data Sheet
Road Inventory Update
(Per Section)
Tribal Resolution
Strip Map
RIFDS Data Sheet
(old 5704 sheet)
Narrative
Route Narrative
BIA Route 0320
Section 010 - .5
020 - .1
030 - .1
040 - .1
050 - .1
060 - .1
070 - .3
080 - .2
090 - .3
Total 1.8 miles
Location: The Pueblo of Pojoaque has identified this road to be placed I the Inventory as a
BIA route and owns the right0of0way. The road is located near the Cities of Gold Rd. and is
1.8 miles in length. The route is within the Pueblo of Pojoaque Reservation Boundary located
in Santa Fe County, New Mexico.
Road Condition: The surface width varies from 20 feet to 36 feet with the shoulder width
varying from 2 to 40 feet. The surface is Bituminous mat 2” thick or more (Surface Type 6).
Although the Tribe currently maintains the roadway, the Tribe requests that the BIA oversee
the maintenance for this road. The terrain is fairly flat with two gradual curves.
Service: This road provides access to numerous businesses and is the sole means of
access to many mobile homes.
Road Inventory Update
(Per Section)
Tribal Resolution
Strip Map
RIFDS Data Sheet
(old 5704 sheet)
Narrative (optional)
Centerline photo
(optional)
Centerline Photo
Road Inventory Update
(Per Section)
Tribal Resolution
Strip Map
RIFDS Data Sheet
(old 5704 sheet)
Narrative (optional)
Profile photo (Bridge)
(optional)
Centerline photo
(optional)
Bridge profile
Road Inventory
Update
Tribal Resolution
Strip Map
RIFDS Data Sheet
(old 5704 sheet)
Narrative (optional)
Profile photo (Bridge)
(optional)
Centerline photo
(optional)
Route Description
(LRTP)
Time Frames
Time Frames
November 1
Time Frames
November 1
Inventory
Time Frames
November 1
Inventory
Approved TTIP
Time Frames
November 1
March 15
Time Frames
November 1
March 15
Resolution
Time Frames
November 1
March 15
Resolution
Strip map
Time Frames
November 1
March 15
May 15
Time Frames
November 1
March 15
May 15
Changes and
omissions to tribes
Time Frames
November 1
March 15
May 15
June 15
Time Frames
November 1
March 15
May 15
June 15
Deadline for tribes to
resubmit
Why is this important to those
outside the Bureau of Indian
Affairs?
Three (3) years ago 95% of our tribes where
direct service tribes.
Last year 95 % of our tribes opted to PL 93-638
(contract) their own projects.
May include non-IRR projects for inclusion into
the State Transportation Improvement Program
(STIP). (Matching funds.)
Why is this important to those
outside the Bureau of Indian
Affairs?
GRIP II projects need to be identified in
Long Range Transportation Plans and
Inventory if IRR funding will be used as
matching funds for the project.
Importance of having the JPA signed by
the state and the tribes.