FTA Announces $9.2 Million to Support Tribal Transit Projects Nationwide

8/15/2024

FTA has announced the availability of nearly $9.2 million in FY24 competitive grant funding to support transit services for American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages in rural areas. 

FTA’s Tribal Transit Program supports public transportation provided by tribes to help people access jobs, schools, healthcare, and other vital services, including meeting the needs of elders, people with disabilities and youth in rural areas where some rely completely on transit for their travel needs.

In 2023 and 2024, FTA engaged in a consultation process with tribal governments to improve the Tribal Transit competitive program and technical assistance efforts. As a result of the feedback, FTA is making several changes to ensure everyone—even those running some of the nation’s smallest transit systems—can compete for federal support for these critical transportation systems.

FTA streamlined the application process for the program and made changes such as: 

  1. Raising the cap on planning projects from $25,000 to $50,000;  
  2. No longer limiting which tribal governments can apply for operating assistance; and  
  3. Not requiring a local match for any project funded through the Tribal Transit competitive program.  

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed into law by President Biden in November 2021, increased competitive funding for the Tribal Transit Program by nearly 83 percent per year through 2026.

Instructions for applying can be found on and in GRANTS.GOV (FTA-2024-012-TPM-TRTR).