MISSION STATEMENT
Improving the mobility of Tribal Members!
Introduction
The intent and purpose of the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes’ Roads Construction Program is to provide safe modes of transportation facilities and improve its transportation system to advance the safety and mobility of Tribal members, as well as the general public, across an eight (8) county service area. To achieve such a mission, the Roads Construction Program has developed a plan that shall demonstrate critical and necessary objectives to enhance the overall level of direct program service and secure longevity of the Tribes’ transportation system. The Roads Construction Program hopes to become a vital resource that shall advance the Tribes’ efforts to increase educational and employment opportunities among its Tribal membership.
Mission 1: Enhance Level of Services
Currently, the Roads Construction Program administers the Driveway Assistance Program, the Tribal Transportation Planning Program, and the Indian Reservation Roads (IRR) Program. The Roads Construction Program would like to enhance and expand service to include a Tribal Transit Program, a Road Maintenance Program, a Road Sign Maintenance Program, a Highway Tree Grant, and a Safe Drivers Program. Recent budget projections were developed and submitted for future funding through grants and/or funding allocations. Each program is created to produce direct benefits realized by Tribal members, is incorporated to meet the goals of improving transportation facilities, and will enhance the programs technology to stay advanced with the transportation industry.
Through the Tribes’ Indian Reservation Roads (IRR) Program and the Tribal Transportation Improvement Planning Program (TTIP), the Tribes’ Roads Construction Program provides for the planning, design, and construction phases of inventoried routes and/or projects. In past years, the Tribes’ Roads Construction Program has elected to administer its’ 638 Contracts through a Fixed Price Self-Determination Contract, however it is a goal to administer future projects through a Cost Reimbursement Self-Determination Contract. In the short-run, the Roads Construction Program hopes to expand its administrative capabilities by cultivating and fostering a team to oversee all phases of construction activities, thereby increasing its direct services and creating an effective administration over the Roads Construction Program.
In an effort to improve access routes and entries to Tribal members’ homes and various Tribal lands, the Driveway Assistance Program secures an estimated $100,000 annually through the Motor Fuels State Compact. Currently, the Roads Construction Program administers the funds by bidding said services through contracts with local and surrounding vendors. However, in order to expand services, the Roads Construction Program has set a goal to purchase heavy equipment necessary to provide the delivery and proper dispersal of said gravel. Yet, a bigger objective of the Roads Construction Program is to provide asphalt and/or concrete driveways, an enhancement to the current level of services.
The Roads Construction Program shall improve its current non-existent transportation system by securing a grant through the Federal Transit Authority to further improve mobility of the Tribal membership. Through a Tribal Transit Program, it shall be the goal of the Roads Construction Program to provide transit routes that reach into rural areas and shall transport Tribal members to areas where jobs are in demand and where training facilities can be reached. A decrease in unemployment and an increase in skilled laborers among Tribal members could be reached. Furthermore, a car pool system could also be developed to assist Tribal members in enhancing training skills and job experiences necessary to become self-sufficient, thereby creating a stronger labor force.
Through newly created programs, the Road Maintenance Program, the Roads Construction Program will produce direct benefits that will increase program services and increase the life-span of transportation facilities and structures. Also, the Highway Tree Grant will enhance road construction by providing aesthetics to the current conditions along routes and/or projects.
The Safe Drivers Program shall provide direct services to Tribal membership through payment of fees to obtain a state driver’s license, to improve driving skills, to enhance motor vehicle records, to acquire feasible insurance rates, and to ultimately enhance employability of Tribal members.
Mission 2: Secure Longevity of System
Currently, through the Indian Reservation Roads (IRR) Program and the Tribal Transportation Improvement Program (TTIP), the Tribes’ Roads Construction Program secures funding for the planning, design, and construction of inventoried routes and/or projects. Due to recent economic developments and expansions on Tribal lands, the Tribes’ “Long Range Transportation Plan”, as well as a more realistic “Priority List”, needs to be revised and updated. A short-term goal of the Roads Construction Program is to hire a consultant to update the current inventory of routes/projects to meet future projections and developments, specifically to stay current with the Tribes’ Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The long-term benefits of a “Long-Range Transportation Plan”, which must meet BIA’s Road Inventory Field Data System (RIFDS) criteria, shall sustain the longevity of continued road construction activities. With the aide of a consultant, due to the current shortage in staff, the Roads Construction Program will be able to secure funding for future projects that will support the program for years to come.
Through the newly-created maintenance programs, the Roads Construction Program shall further sustain its existence in the long-term by simply devising a necessary measure to keep up with the need to maintain its own routes and/or projects that are located on Tribal lands. Yet through the newly acquired Tribal Transit Program, the Roads Construction Program shall create a long-lasting demand for a needed service among Tribal members, hence a support for a program that shall sustain and survive future projections. And lastly, through the Safe Drivers Program the direct benefits to Tribal members shall further support the program in the long-run. The Roads Construction Program shall continue to strive to keep up with current, as well as future, demands for direct services that benefit its’ Tribal membership and shall sustain its existence long-term through continued progress and advancement in the types of programs and services provided.
Conclusion
The Roads Construction Program herein encompasses realistic objectives to meet short-term and long-term goals in an effort to meet future projections in the transportation industry, specifically an aspiration to expand direct services. Through the goals stated herein, the Roads Construction Program’s mission is three-fold: to enhance program services; to increase the skilled labor force among Tribal members; and to support the Tribes’ economic development and growth. The concept of creating a long-lasting and enduring program that shall sustain the changes in the Tribes’ economy shall require the current administration to adapt and evolve the existing conditions and develop goals that will assist the program reach said long-term goals, hence a re-organization shall be necessary. The vision for the Roads Construction Program is to expand its services, enhance its administrative capabilities, and develop a strong working relationship with other programs and departments to support economic demands. Through this vision, the Roads Construction Program hopes to be a leading and vital source in moving the Tribes’ forward in increasing educational and employment opportunities among Tribal members as well as economic conditions specifically in the Tribes’ eight county service area, while striving to improve the Tribes’ transportation infrastructure and system.