Transcript Tribal Transportation

People For People
Tribal Transportation
Planning, Partnerships and Coordination
Reneé Biles
Planning, Partnerships and Coordination
Led to. . .
The Keys to Success. . .
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Community Planning
Planning, Partnerships,
and Coordination
Active participation from
stakeholders & community members
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Identified the need and support for expanded
transportation services
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Identified federal state, and local resources for
transportation
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Partnerships with Transportation and Service
Providers
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Identified existing resources and gaps in service
Coordination with all providers of service
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Identified cost-efficiencies for transportation system
development
Brief Overview of our Area
Yakima Valley
•County Population:
234,000
•4296 sq miles
(Metropolitan Planning Organization)
Yakama Nation Area:
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Approximately 32,000 residents
within/near Yakama Reservation
boundaries
Yakama Nation Reservation 2187
sq miles (1.4 million acres)
Less than 1/3 are enrolled tribal
members
High poverty rates & low per
capita incomes
Grandparents caring for
grandchildren
Disabled adults
(Metropolitan Planning Organization)
Service Area for Pahto Public Passage
Wapato ●
Colville
Reservation
Harrah ●
Toppenish 
White Swan ●
Mabton ●
Yakama
Reservation
Partnership Overview
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Yakima Valley Conference of Governments
(COG)
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the
Yakama Nation
People For People
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Yakima Valley Conference of Governments (YVCOG)
14 cities + Yakima County = members
 Primarily a planning and coordination agency
 State and federal transportation planning
responsibilities
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Confederated Tribes And Bands of the Yakama Nation
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The Yakama Tribal Transit Program proposes to serve all
tribal and non-tribal members living on or near the
reservation.
On the reservation, several communities are clustered
together in towns where concentrations of tribal members
live.
Toppenish is the largest city on the reservation, and it is also
where the Yakama Tribal Headquarters and other central
tribal services are located. Other communities include White
Swan, Wapato, Harrah, and Mabton, Washington.
Confederated Tribes And Bands of the Yakama Nation
Tribal Government Structure
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama
Nation Treaty of June 9, 1855, 12 Stat. 951
Timber, Grazing
Overall Economic
Development
General Council
Tribal Council
Code of Ethics
Executive Committee
Fish &
Wildlife
Law &
Order
Loan Ext.
Education &
Housing
Health,
Employment &
Welfare
Roads,
Irrigation
& Land
Enrollment
Tribal Administrative Director
Carroll Palmer
Finance Officer
Lenny Abrams
Department of
Administration
Economic Development
Teri K. Johnson- Davis
Legislative
Budget
and
Finance
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People For People
Since 1965 People for People have served lowincome families, children, seniors and people with
disabilities in multiple counties in Central WA.
Board of Directors supported the partnership with
the Yakama Nation to serve the community.
Transportation services since 1982: Currently
provides Community Connector, special needs
transportation and public transit service.
Federal Transportation Administration(FTA)
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Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Department of
Transportation: Public Transportation on Indian
Reservations Program: Tribal Transit Program
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Purpose:
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A new program authorized by SAFETEA-LU
To establish the Tribal Transit Program
For Indian tribes
Funding to increase from $8 million in FY 2006
to $15 million in FY 2009
Coordination Efforts
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Yakima Valley Regional Transportation Planning
Organization (RTPO) – YVCOG
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Yakima County Special Needs Transportation
Coalition – People For People
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Coordinated Public Transit & Human Services
Transportation Plan
Partnering with Tribal Entities
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Official Committee Actions are needed
Tribal Council Resolutions are also necessary for
any new partnership or agreements established
Transportation Development Process
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Yakama Nation Transportation Plan 1999
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Partnership agreement between Yakama Tribal Council and
People For People 2006
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Vision for a transit system includes partnering with PFP
Develop a cooperative working relationship to promote coordinated
transportation
Tribal council resolutions support applications for FTA funding
Coordination Agreement
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Signed by Yakama Nation enterprises, local cities, health care centers,
social service agencies and employers
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Getting Ready to Implement Project
People For People & Yakama Nation
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Organization representatives meet regularly to
determine transit services to be offered by PFP to
match the goals of the Yakama Nation
Community Meetings
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Human service agencies and employers gather to
determine transit needs.
Relationship Building
Develop Common Vision
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To develop long and short term goals:
Identify transportation needs
 Develop culturally appropriate marketing
 Integrate existing transportation services
 Identify key partnerships
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Community Partnerships
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Yakama Nation
Yakama Nation Area Agency on Aging
Yakama Nation Vocational Rehab
Yakama Nation Human Services
Yakama Nation Economic Development
Yakama Nation TERO
Yakama Nation Transportation
Yakama Forest Products
Yakama Legends Casino
Aging and Long Term Care
University of Washington
Employment Security/WorkSource
DSHS-Wapato CSO
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic
People For People
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Yakima County Developmental Disabilities
Yakima Valley Conference of Governments
Yakima County Public Services
Telegraph Engineering
Department of Service for the Blind
Yakima Valley Council of Governments
City of Wapato
City of Union Gap
City of Zillah
City of Toppenish
South Central Workforce Council
City of Yakima Transit
Yakima Valley Community College
White Swan Health Clinic
U.S. Department of Interior (Job Corps)
DRYVE
Community Input
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In order to integrate community input as the
transit plan was developed:
Monthly transportation coalition meetings
 Face-to-face meetings with local employers
 Community forums with potential riders
 Surveys to parents of school-aged children
 Gathered data on local economic factors and
community needs
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Needs Assessment
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Yakama Nation and PFP conducted a needs
assessment that indicated significant need for
transportation:
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Rural/isolated region
Recent significant increase in DUI, negligent driving and
reckless driving arrests
High number of migrant seasonal farmworkers without
transportation
Pervasive poverty compared to neighboring cities
Lack of local health and social services
99% indicated that there is a need to establish a public
transportation system on the Yakama Reservation.
Survey Question:
I need
transportatio
n because:
No License ,
22%
Elder/Senior
Citizen, 8%
Homeless,
12%
Too Ill To
Drive, 5%
No Car, 24%
Disabled,
9%
No
Insurance,
20%
Success. . . Wheels on the Road
TRIBAL TRANSIT
START-UP
SEPT. 4, 2007
FTA Grants Awarded
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Year One, FTA awarded the Yakama Nation a
grant in the amount of $490,890.
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Year Two, FTA awarded the Yakama Nation a
grant in the amount of $400,000.
Fixed Route Service
Due to limited FTA funding, our services
are limited to one fixed route
HOURS OF OPERATION 6 a.m-6 p.m.
Yakama Forest Products
Bus Stop
Cougar Den
Bus Stop
Adams View New Addition Housing
Bus Stop
Heritage University
Bus Stop
Yakama Tribal Hdqrts
Bus Stop
Legends Casino
Bus Stop
MAP courtesy of: Yakima
Valley Conference of
Governments YVCOG
Ridership Continues to Grow
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Thank you.
Contact Information:
Renee Biles
[email protected]
(509) 248-6726