More than seven dozen tribal transportation projects across 18 states, including three in Arizona, can soon begin thanks to $20.9 million in federal grant funding aimed at reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries on tribal lands.Arizona’s Colorado River Indian Tribe received the largest allocation from the Federal Highway Administration’s Tribal Transportation Safety Program Fund for any one of the 88 projects. The Kaibab Band and Paiute Indians also received funding for a project on their reservation in northern Arizona.Transportation-related injuries and fatalities affect Native American and Alaska Native populations at greater rates than other demographic groups, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.“The crisis of traffic deaths on our nation’s roads stretches across the country, and that devastation is experienced at even higher rates in communities of Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and other indigenous peoples,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement announcing the funding. “The grants we are announcing today through our Tribal Transportation Program will improve, repair, and modernize infrastructure in communities of all sizes on Tribal land, making roads safer and saving lives.”Here’s a breakdown of what tribes in Arizona can expect:Colorado River Indian Tribes$1,571,680.63 for pedestrian safety improvements on Agency Avenue and 1st Avenue East on the Colorado River Indian Reservation including the construction of new 5-foot-wide sidewalks.$2,500 to update the 2016 Tribal Transportation Safety Plan.Kaibab Band and Paiute Indians$67,500 to complete the design phase of an all-weather accessible pathway on the Kaibab Indian ReservationReach the reporter at LLatch@gannett.com.The Republic’s coverage of northern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report from America. To support regional Arizona news coverage like this, make a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com. …
