Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report (2012)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report Page 1 Executive Summary RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The objectives of this project are to develop: • An information package that describes and illustrates the variety of tribal transit practices in the United States; • A Guidebook that provides practical materials and clear pro- cesses for tribes to develop plans for and access funds for tribal transit; and • A Research Report with strategies and materials for leveraging resources through alternative organizational models and alternative funding mechanisms in order to create and sustain effective mobility for the people. Research Report Contents This Research Report has the following contents: Chapter 1: Literature Review presents a review of current research and research underway on tribal transit that docu- ments key challenges and lessons learned so as to not dupli- cate those efforts. This literature review is a mix of docu- mented research, case studies, and papers authored by those with experience in tribal planning. Chapter 2: Findings summarizes the information gathered from various tribes throughout this study. This includes findings from the first phase where a short-form question- naire was sent to 95 tribes, with a 71 percent response rate. It also includes findings from the second phase where a long- form questionnaire was sent to 54 tribes, with an 89 percent response rate. It includes information gathered from 15 site visits. The findings gathered were summarized under dif- ferent categories such as tribal characteristics, purpose of services delivered, different types of service delivery pro- vided, organizational structures for service delivery, cultural issues, environmental issues, if safety was a primary reason for starting a transit system, barriers to implementing transit service, and keys to sustainability. The focus of this data collection was to examine a broad cross section of repre- sentative tribes throughout the country.

Executive Summary Page 2 Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report Chapter 3: Funding Tribal Transit Programs lists a variety of federal funding programs; identifies whether the eligible activity under that grant allows for operating, capital, or for other purposes; and the service population or market segment that funding source is meant to serve. This chapter describes innovative approaches to local funding through funds allo- cated by tribal governments; funds received by partnering with local, regional, county, or state stakeholders; and how funds drawn from one grant source can be used to match funds from another grant source. Chapter 4: Mastering the Art of Transit summarizes the best practices observed from collecting data about current tribal transit programs, conducting in-depth interviews, and site visits which help sustain public transit systems operated by tribes. Some of the factors discussed are: • Having a plan for decisions to be made regarding what services to provide. • Funding and purchases to be made. • Obtaining funding from a variety of funding sources. • Engaging tribal leadership is a crucial element of a sustainable tribal transit program. • While there was no single organization structure that worked better than others, it is important to work with other organizations within the tribal government or outside the tribal government. • A plan would allow the tribe to select the most appro- priate type of service. • The many cultural implications reflecting the high value tribes place on providing transit for elders, youth, and veterans as well as on education. Chapter 5: Policy Issues describes a number of policy issues which have been identified related to tribal transit programs. The primary issues relate to the level of funding for tribal transit, the criteria for award of tribal transit grants, and con- tinuity of funding in the tribal transit program. Chapter 6: Research Needs presents additional topics of research that relate to tribal transit. Some of these research topics include:

Executive Summary Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report Page 3 • Development of training materials to accompany the guidebook. • Training in tribal transit financial management. • Rural regionalism—an emerging concept in tribal transit where local tribal operators are evolving into regional service providers. • Implications of the evolution in transit funding. • Guidebook for states working with tribes to address the issue of tribal sovereignty from the perspective of state governments and administration of FTA grant programs for which tribes are eligible. • A project to test the effectiveness of different approaches to providing technical assistance to tribal transit pro- grams. INFORMATION PACKAGE A separate Information Package consisting of an Information Booklet and PowerPoint presentation with accompanying narrative were submitted separately. The Information Booklet was distributed to the Tribal Technical Assistance Centers. Additional copies were sent to tribes which participated in the data collection for this research effort. The PowerPoint presentation and narrative are available from the Transit Cooperative Research Program. Purpose The information package is provided to describe and illustrate the different types of tribal transit programs throughout the country. The information is provided in summary form with some examples of the variety of transit services and the needs which are being met. Contents The Information Booklet describes the types of tribal transit programs and the development of those programs from less than 20 systems prior to 2000 to well over 100 systems today. A map shows the tribal transit programs in service at the time data were collected as well as tribes which were in various stages of planning new transit service. Chal- lenges faced by tribal transit programs are described and examples are given of how tribes were successful in overcoming these various challenges. The reasons for providing transit service are described and the benefits of tribal transit programs are summarized. The Information

Executive Summary Page 4 Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report Booklet also contains information about major funding sources and technical assistance programs available to tribes. The PowerPoint presentation is a summary of the material contained in the Information Booklet. The focus is to describe the variety of tribal transit programs, challenges faced by tribes, and examples of how tribes have overcome the challenges and have successful transit programs. Target Audience The Information Package is targeted toward elected officials at the local, regional, state, and national levels. The information may be used to educate elected officials about the needs for transit service and how tribes have been effective in using available resources to meet the transportation needs of tribal members and enhance the quality of life in tribal communities. Development of the Information Package The Information Package was prepared based on the responses to the Phase 1 questionnaire. A short-form survey questionnaire was sent to 95 tribes and 67 completed responses were received, for a response rate of 71 percent. The survey effort and responses are described in more detail in Chapter 2. The information from the responses was then summarized in the Information Booklet. GUIDEBOOK The Guidebook for Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services has been prepared as a separate document. The Guidebook provides information to help tribes through the process of setting up a transit service or improving an existing service. Purpose There are 565 federally recognized tribes throughout the United States. In 1999, the Community Transportation Association of America reported there were 18 tribes operating public transit service. Since then, the number of tribes with a public transit service has grown to over 100 and continues to increase as additional tribes plan and implement a new service. While these tribes have been able to start a transit program, many had to overcome challenges and others have not been successful in implementing a transit service. The purpose of the Guidebook is to provide guidance, information, and resources for tribal planners to develop or enhance a transit program which can be

Executive Summary Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report Page 5 sustainable and will meet the needs of tribal members, non-tribal residents, and visitors. Contents The Guidebook is organized to provide an overview of the tribal transit planning process with more detailed information about the various steps for planning and implementing a transit system. The steps that are described may be used for planning a new transit system, enhancing an existing service, or taking action to sustain services. Following an executive summary, the Guidebook has the following contents: Chapter 1: Planning Considerations describes some of the specific issues and challenges faced by tribes when implementing a transit service. While many challenges are similar to those faced by other transit systems, there are a number of issues which are specific to tribal programs. Some of the planning considerations discussed in this chapter include tribal sovereignty, role of governing bodies, tribal governing body and staff turnover, effective tribal government support, relationship with state and local governments, funding, difficulty in finding qualified employees, and adequate facilities. Chapter 2: Overview of the Planning Process describes in general terms the elements of the process to be followed. Many details are then provided in later chapters. The general steps of the planning process briefly explained in this chapter are: • Understand the existing resources for transportation. • Transportation needs assessment. • Develop strategic goals and objectives. • Transit service planning and implementation. • Monitor and evaluate the transit program. Chapter 3: Inventory of Transportation Resources describes the approach for determining what resources may already be available. Although there may not be a public transit service, there are typically transportation programs operating within the tribe such as medical transportation, transportation for elders, or transportation to educa- tion opportunities. An understanding of the existing programs and resources is essential for determining what needs are not being met and what resources may be available to develop a transit service. The

Executive Summary Page 6 Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report chapter discusses the different types of transportation programs that may be available in a community, gives information on the type of data to be collected from each transportation service, and discusses the need to document the existing funding sources of providers in the area. Chapter 4: Transportation Needs Assessment provides information on how to determine the transportation needs for various population segments. When the needs are identified and compared with existing services, it is possible to establish the level of unmet needs. References are provided for several technical planning resources that may be used by tribal planners. Chapter 5: Developing a Transit Vision, Goals, and Objectives pre- sents the importance of developing a vision for the transit service and having specific objectives that should be achieved. Without an under- standing of the desired outcome, it will be impossible to plan a suc- cessful service. This chapter gives example mission statements, goals, and objectives that have been developed by other tribal transit agencies. The chapter emphasizes the need for quantifiable service indicators to measure the accomplishment of objectives identified. It also suggests various quantifiable measures that can be used and how useful they are in the operations and expansion of a tribal transit program. Chapter 6: Environmental Issues describes some of the environ- mental issues that must be considered when planning a transit ser- vice. While certain activities do not require an environmental review, others will require some type of analysis before action can be taken. Some of the environmental programs discussed in this chapter include Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ), National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), Environmental Mitigation, and National Environmental Policy Act requirements for facilities such as Categorical Exclusion, Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Statement, and Title VI requirements for providing transit service. Chapter 7: Transit Service Planning outlines the specific steps to be used in planning the transit operations. Different types of transit service are described and guidelines are presented for analysis and selection of the most appropriate service type. This chapter also discusses a variety of challenges that tribes face in providing tribal transit programs, which may affect the type of service that should be operated. The chapter also gives information on selecting the appro-

Executive Summary Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report Page 7 priate service type, ways to coordinate transportation programs, planning for adequate facilities, hazards and security, maintenance and safety, and specific insurance and licensing requirements. Chapter 8: Funding Tribal Transit Programs has important infor- mation about various funding programs which are available for tribal transit programs. While funding to begin a service may be a chal- lenge, often the greater challenge is securing funding in future years to sustain the program. A number of tribes have initiated a transit service and then have been forced to reduce or eliminate the service because of insufficient funding. This chapter lists the various federal grant programs and a sample of state programs that support tribal transit planning, operations, and services. It also discusses innovative approaches to local funding with examples of funding innovations undertaken by tribal government. Information is provided about FTA and state program compliance and reporting requirements. Chapter 9: Elements of Transit Program Implementation describes the specific steps required from initially developing a plan to starting the service. Information is provided on operations, organization and administration, monitoring and reporting, maintenance and safety, marketing, financial plan and budget, alternative fuels, vehicle dis- posal, legal issues, insurance, and the steps and responsibilities in the implementation process. Chapter 10: Tribal Transit Program Case Studies summarizes key information found from the site visits conducted as part of the research. Examples of innovative approaches are given for the systems that have been successful in establishing and sustaining a tribal transit program. Target Audience The Guidebook was developed for use by tribal transit managers, tribal planners, and other planners who may be working with tribes to develop or enhance a tribal transit program. Development of the Guidebook The Guidebook was based on responses to both the Phase 1 question- naire and the Phase 2 questionnaire. The Phase 2 long-form question- naire was distributed to 54 tribes who had previously answered the short-form questionnaire. These 54 tribes were chosen based on an assessment of their willingness to participate in Phase 2 and their responses to the Phase 1 short-form survey. In Phase 2, the tribes were asked more detailed information about the challenges and successes

Executive Summary Page 8 Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report of their transit program. Of the 54 tribes contacted, 48 responses were received, for a response rate of 89 percent. After detailed information was collected through the longer question- naire, some tribes were visited to gain an in-depth understanding of their transit programs or the barriers that have kept them from developing a successful transit program. The information from these case studies is presented in the Guidebook. KEYS TO SUSTAINABILITY The information from tribes with successful transit programs pointed to several common themes as keys to their success. In most cases, the key to implementing a successful program incorporated all of these. As tribes consider developing or enhancing a transit program, these keys should be kept in mind. While the process described in this Guidebook will help in establishing a sustainable transit program, the path to sustainability will be found in these keys. Planning All successful tribal transit programs were implemented following some type of plan. However, the common theme that emerged is that the process of preparing a plan was as important, or more important, than the plan itself. Developing the plan required those involved to assess the needs for transit service and determine the best approaches to meet those needs. Existing resources were identified and additional resource requirements could be determined. As the plan was imple- mented, conditions inevitably were different, but having gone through the process allowed the key leadership to adjust to changing conditions. The planning process provides detailed information and the tools to make decisions as the implementation steps are under- taken. Many of the tribes have received either funding or technical assistance for preparation of their plans. The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) Tribal Technical Assistance Program and planning grants through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Tribal Transit Program were cited as very valuable in planning for a new transit service. These resources are described in Appendix B. Other tribes have received planning grants from their state department of transportation. Many tribes obtained assistance for preparing their plans, relying on expertise from professional transit planners. While not essential, assistance from experienced transit planners may provide insight and expertise not available locally. “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” Dwight Eisenhower “Plans may not work, but planning does!” Mike Moritz, Sequoia

Executive Summary Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report Page 9 Local Leadership Strong local leadership has been proven to be essential for imple- menting and sustaining a transit program. Invariably, challenges and barriers will arise that may make implementation difficult. Having someone who is committed to success is vital. Every successful pro- gram attributed their success at least in part to having strong leader- ship within the tribe. As challenges and barriers arise, strong leader- ship will find ways to overcome the challenge. The leadership may be someone on tribal council, a tribal employee, or a tribal member. In some cases, the tribal elders have provided the leadership to ensure implementation of the service. Support from elected tribal officials is important to the sustainability and long-term success of a transit program. This support will facilitate approval of grant applications, development of agreements, coopera- tion from various tribal government departments, and tribal funding. When support is lacking, transit programs may lose support from one year to another and have significant challenges in sustaining the program. Support from Tribal Government Among many tribes, the tribal elders have significant influence on the decisions made by the elected officials. Strong support among tribal elders has been found to increase the level of support from the elected officials and is able to make the difference between having a transit program that is a priority or ending up with a transit program that lacks support and may not be sustained. Support from Tribal Elders Cooperation and Coordination Many of the successful transit programs have worked in cooperation with other transportation programs. In some cases these have been other transportation programs within the tribe, such as medical trans- portation or a tribal college. Other tribes have worked with non-tribal transit programs to coordinate schedules, allow transfers between systems, or establish a consolidated transit service. The Standing Rock Sioux transit system is operated by Sitting Bull College. The Con- federated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon primarily provide transportation by contracting on a government-to-government basis with the Salem Area Mass Transit District and Yamhill County Transit Area. The Couer d’Alene Tribe in Idaho operates public transit “Never give in. Be willing to change tactics, but never give up your core purpose.” Jim Collins, How the Mighty Fall

Executive Summary Page 10 Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report for the urban area of Couer d’Alene. Fort Belknap joined a regional partnership to provide transit service in north-central Montana. Cooperation and coordination of services have allowed tribes to pool existing resources and leverage those financial resources to obtain additional funding. Coordinated efforts result in greater efficiency in delivering service and often allows for a greater service area. Participation in state and national organizations—such as a state transit association, the Community Transportation Association of America, or the Intertribal Transportation Association—gives transit staff access to many resources. Tribes that have established successful transit programs have often been involved in these outside organiza- tions. Attendance at conferences and training programs helps tribal transit personnel develop the skills and expertise necessary to operate a good system. These organizations provide access to technical assistance as well. The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) and the National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) have training programs and technical assistance that have benefited many tribes with successful transit programs. Participation in State and National Organizations Interaction with other transit providers is another benefit of partici- pating in these organizations. The peer-to-peer connections that are established serve as a resource for tribal transit programs to increase expertise and obtain informal assistance. Trained Key Staff It is important to have key staff trained with the skills necessary to operate a transit program. Much of the training can be obtained through participation in state and national organizations. A key area where training is essential is in financial management. Tribes have failed to receive funding in subsequent years because the required reporting and draws on grants were not completed. While the money was being spent, the grants were not being used and the Federal Transit Administration did not approve additional funding because the records showed that the funds had not been used. Budgeting and financial reporting are essential to sustaining a transit program. If costs are not tracked and not known, the necessary revenue may not be available. A thorough understanding of financial management is critical to the long-term sustainability of a tribal transit program.

Executive Summary Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report Page 11 Multiple Funding Sources Sustainability of a tribal transit program is linked directly to funding. The most successful tribal transit programs have obtained funding from a variety of sources. If one source of funding is reduced, the program does not suffer as much as if it relied only on that one source. Multiple sources of funding may also provide the opportunity to use some sources as local match for other sources of funding. The broader the range of funding sources, the more sustainable the transit program will be. A broad range of funding sources available to tribes is presented in Chapter 9 of the Guidebook. To ensure sustainability of funding and to advocate for tribal transit, it is important to inform and educate policy makers and elected officials about the importance and benefits of transit services. This is not only important at the local level, but at the state and federal levels as well. Funding for local transit service often comes from state and federal sources. Tribal officials should be active in ensuring that their representatives are well informed about the needs and benefits of transit. KEY FINDINGS Key findings are related to challenges and keys to success. Infor- mation from tribes which had not been able to implement a transit service and from tribes which had been successful was used to deter- mine the major challenges faced by tribes and how those challenges have been overcome. These key findings are developed in more detail in subsequent chapters. CHALLENGES Of the 48 tribes that were interviewed in Phase 2, 16 did not have a transit program. Many of these had taken steps to implement a transit service, but had not yet been successful. Follow-up interviews and site visits provided additional insight into the reasons these tribes had not been able to start a transit service. Lack of Planning The tribes which had not been successful in implementing a transit service lacked a plan to follow. Some were in the stages of seeking funding to start planning efforts. The importance of having a plan was identified as one of the keys to success.

Executive Summary Page 12 Developing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Tribal Transit Services: Final Research Report Lack of Leadership Support Lack of support from tribal leaders was found to be a significant barrier to implementing or sustaining a tribal transit program. With- out leadership support, funding and personnel were not available to develop or maintain a viable transit program. Funding Lack of sufficient funding was often cited as a major barrier to pro- viding transit service. Lack of funding was attributed to a variety of factors such as lack of support from tribal leaders, inability to obtain grants through state programs, and uncertainty in funding levels through the Federal Transit Administration Section 5311c Tribal Transit Program.