2024-2026 TTPSF Application Guide.pdf

Introduction Although the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) presents the official details for the Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund (TTPSF), applicants can find practical tools for preparing an application in this “Application Guide.” If there is any apparent discrepancy in these documents, applicants are encouraged to contact the program manager but the NOFO will take precedence.

For all applications, the application form, project narrative, and supporting documentation for each project must be submitted by the deadline. Applications that do not include these items may be incomplete and may not be considered in the evaluation and selection process. FHWA may use contact information provided in the application to contact parties for additional information about an application.

During an active application period, the application process and all relevant forms can be found at the following website: https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs-tribal/safety/funds

It is important to select the appropriate category in which to file an application. The selection criteria used to evaluate applications are different in each category. The following flow cart can help you determine the best category. Once the correct category has been identified, reference the corresponding section in this guide and begin the application process.

Table of Contents

Decision Chart 2

Safety Plans Category 4

Data Assessment, Improvement, and Analysis Category 5

Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasures Category 9

Infrastructure Improvement Category 15

Appendix A. Selection Criteria Guide https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs-tribal/safety/funds

TTPSF Decision Chart for Grant Applicants

Use this chart to select the appropriate TTPSF Category for your application.

START

Safety Plans Category

Data Assessment, Improvement, & Analysis Category

Systemic Roadway Departure

Countermeasures

Note: Tribes are encouraged to submit multiple applications.

See page 4

See page 9

See page 5

Does the Tribe have a transportation safety plan?

Does your safety plan identify the need for safety studies or data collection improvements?

Is reducing rural roadway departure crashes a priority for the Tribe?

Note: 63% of reported fatal crashes in all Tribal areas involve roadway departure.

Is your safety plan

3+ years old?

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes, time for an update

Yes or No (Also apply for other categories even if you have an older safety plan)

Yes

Does NOT require a safety plan or crash data Only specific countermeasures are eligible for this streamlined category:

• Curve warning signs

• Delineators

• New or upgraded center/ edge striping

• Rumble strips

• Roadside safety (barrier, object removal)

Continued Next Page

Continued From

Last Page

Yes

No

Yes

Does the safety plan identify the need for non infrastructure safety programs or projects?

Enforcement, education, and emergency medical services projects may be a better fit for other funding sources including the BIA Indian Highway Safety Program. See www.TribalSafety.

org/Funding

Does the safety plan or other safety planning document (e.g. RSA report or risk-based safety study) indicate a need for infrastructure improvements?

Infrastructure Improvement

Category

Other Funding Sources

Visit the program web page at https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs tribal/safety/funds or contact the Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund Manager at TTPSF@dot.gov or 360 619 2601.

Need Additional Guidance?

See page 15

TTPSF Decision Chart for Grant Applicants

Use this chart to select the appropriate TTPSF Category for your application.

Introduction:

The TTPSF emphasizes the development of strategic transportation safety plans using a data-driven process as a means for Tribes to determine how transportation safety needs will be addressed in Tribal communities. Transportation safety plans are a tool used to identify risk factors that lead to serious injury or death and organize various entities to strategically reduce risk. Transportation safety plans are aimed at preventing transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries in a locality that may include--

• A goal and timeline for eliminating fatalities and serious injuries;

• An analysis of the location, severity, and contributing factors of vehicle-involved crashes in a locality;

• An analysis of community input, gathered through public outreach and education;

• A data-driven approach to identify projects or strategies to prevent fatalities and serious injuries in a locality, such as those involving-- a. Education and community outreach;

• Effective methods to enforce traffic laws and regulations; New vehicle or other transportation-related technologies; and Roadway planning and design; and

• Mechanisms for evaluating the outcomes and effectiveness of the transportation safety plan, including the means by which that effectiveness will be reported to residents in a locality.

More information on the development of transportation safety plans can be found on the FHWA’s website at https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs-tribal/safety/safety-plan-toolkit or https://www.tribalsafety.org/safety-planning-resources.

To ensure eligibility for other programs, Tribes are also encouraged to consider the action plan components established for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program when developing and updating safety plans. Resources are available on the SS4A web page at https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A/resources.

Instructions:

1. The only activities eligible for this category are listed below.

a. To apply for funding to develop a Tribe’s first transportation safety plan (limit $15,000), applicants need only submit the application form.

b. For applications to update an existing safety plan (limit $10,000), submit the application form and include a copy of the existing safety plan.

2. Submit the completed application and any attachments by following instructions on the TTPSF web page at https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs-tribal/safety/funds

A project narrative is not required for this category.

Note: You may both apply for funding to update a safety plan and submit additional applications to implement projects supported by a previous safety plan or other safety planning document (e.g. Road Safety Audit, Risk-based Safety Study, or state safety plan). Such requests should be submitted as separate applications in the appropriate category.

https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs-tribal/safety/safety-plan-toolkit https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs-tribal/safety/safety-plan-toolkit https://www.tribalsafety.org/safety-planning-resources https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A/resources

Safety data is critical for informed transportation safety decisions. Eligible activities for this category include:

• Assessment of traffic records needs using tools like the self-assessment tool in the Tribal Crash Reporting Toolkit at https://www.tribalsafety.org/tribal-crash-reporting-toolkit or more detailed traffic records assessments.

• Crash data improvement including software and technology to support the implementation or improvement of electronic crash reporting.

• Technology to enable the electronic sharing of crash data with other jurisdictions.

• Collection of roadway asset data (when the applicant demonstrates how such data will be used to further transportation safety efforts)

• Road Safety Audit for a specific location

• Risk-based (systemic) safety study

• Other study to better understand or document safety needs

Data analysis projects may be conducted concurrent with the development or update of a transportation safety plan.

Instructions:

For projects eligible under the Data Assessment, Improvement, and Analysis category:

1. Develop a project narrative (See the recommended project narrative outline below).

2. Gather supporting documentation

a. Documentation supporting the statements made in the project narrative may be provided but should be limited to relevant information. The project narrative must summarize any information that can be found in the supporting documentation. It is recommended that applicants provide an index of all submitted supporting documentation and use file names that are easily deciphered.

3. Complete an application form.

4. Submit the completed application form, project narrative, and any supporting documentation by following instructions on the TTPSF web page at https://www.tribalsafety.org/tribal-crash-reporting-toolkit

Data Assessment, Improvement, and Analysis Category

Recommended Project Narrative Outline:

Develop a project narrative for your project that addresses the recommended sections below.

Table of Contents

I. Applicant Information:

1) Tribe Name & Contact Information

2) Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project

3) Funding Category: Data assessment, improvement, and analysis activities

II. Project Abstract: Describe project work that is to be completed under this particular request, the project purpose and safety benefit to the Tribe, and whether this is a complete project or part of a larger project with prior investment. It is important that your project abstract succinctly describes how this specific request for TTPSF funds will be used to complete your project. (Maximum: 5 Sentences)

III. Project Description

1) Project location – Provide a brief description

2) Provide a brief description of the proposed work:

Describe the scope of work that is to be completed with this funding request. This description should include answers to questions such as:

• What are the safety needs and how does this project address them?

• What are the strategic goals or priorities of the strategic safety planning document that are addressed by this project?

• What is the intended outcome?

• If this project will establish new sources of safety data, what additional safety analysis capabilities will be enabled?

Supporting documentation may be referenced in the project narrative and attached to the application.

3) Amount of TTPSF Funds Requested, Funding Packages, and Cost Estimate:

Provide a cost estimate that is reflective of the total cost of the proposed work by line item. Each line item in the cost breakdown must be associated with a task, deliverable, or outcome that contributes to the completed funding request.

If the applicant is willing to accept partial funding of the request, that should be explicitly stated. If partial funding is acceptable, the applicant should identify the individual components of the project that could be accomplished with partial funding and present funding packages that would accomplish these components. If only partial funding is available, this information will aid in the development of funding recommendations and provide the applicant the opportunity to fully complete individual components of the funding request.

4) Project Schedule:

Provide an anticipated project schedule. Show when the work will be advanced, if funded. The schedule should also state the anticipated project completion date. Project schedules may show the anticipated calendar date when each task will be completed or the number of months relative to an award announcement. Grant awards are typically announced about four to five months after the application deadline.

Applications should only be submitted for projects or phases of projects that are ready to advance when funding is available.

IV. Coordination with Other Entities

1) Previous Federal funds contributed to this project:

Indicate the type of Federal funds, that this project has previously received, the Federal fiscal year, and the current status of any work associated with these funds.

2) Commitment of Other Funds:

Indicate the amounts and sources of any private or other public funding being provided as part of this project.

3) Project Administration:

Indicate whether the project is being administered by the Tribal Government or another entity.

V. Selection Criteria As described in the NOFO Section E, projects will be selected based on the selection criteria, departmental selection criteria, commitment of other resources, and an evaluation of the applicant’s capacity to deliver the project. The project narrative should clearly identify how the project addresses these items. Include an anticipated rating for each selection criteria and a discussion of why that rating is appropriate.

Appendix A describes how selection criteria will be evaluated.

1) Project Selection Criteria

Projects are primarily selected for funding based on how well the application demonstrates alignment with the project selection criteria. Describe how the proposed project meets the Selection Criteria from the NOFO Section E.1 (Criteria) by addressing the questions below for Data Assessment, Improvement, and Analysis Projects (see other sections of this guide for other project types):

i. What strategic safety planning document(s) identify this project?

Please reference a page number or describe how this project is identified in the supporting strategic safety planning document(s).

For this category, the supporting strategic safety planning document must be a Tribe’s transportation safety plan or a state’s strategic highway safety plan.

ii. Summarize the data that demonstrates the need for the project.

• For traffic records assessments and improvements, including crash data collection:

An estimate of the data to be collected (such as approximate number of crashes per year) and a description of any process currently used to collect that data. Also describe how the data will be used.

• For Road Safety Audits (RSA):

Site specific data should be submitted which demonstrates an incident history or propensity on the specific roadway section(s) to be analyzed.

• For Systemic (Risk-based) Safety Studies and Roadway Asset Data Collection:

Data should be provided which demonstrates an incident history associated with the risk to be studied.

For example: High severity crashes at several intersections may prompt the study of risk factors at those intersections and a scan of the road network to see where similar conditions exist. This study may form the basis of a project to make improvements at high-risk sites based on the crash experience at a few sites.

iii. What entity owns the facility(s)?

When applicable to the project (such as a Road Safety Audit or other location-based study), the road owner must provide a letter acknowledging the project unless the road is owned by the BIA or a Tribe. For projects not focused on a location(s), indicate that the project addresses Tribal area wide safety needs.

2) Status of Prior TTPSF Awards

Describe the status of projects funded by TTPSF awards in prior years. For completed projects provide an evaluation of the project’s success.

VI. Supporting Documentation.

Include with the Project Narrative an index listing all supporting documentation.

If including supporting documentation (such as maps, pictures, inventory data sheets, supporting data, etc.), label attachments with the Tribe and Project Title. Supporting documentation should further illustrate the information provided in the project narrative.

Supporting documents are not likely to be reviewed if they are not summarized and referenced in the project narrative.

Tribes can reduce the risk of serious roadway departure crashes by deploying improvements designed to keep drivers in their lane, provide recovery areas, and establish crashworthy roadsides. Roadway departure is a factor in 63% of fatal motor vehicle crashes in Tribal areas according to the Tribal Transportation Strategic Safety Plan (https://www.tribalsafety.org/reports). Most of these crashes involve only one vehicle and sometimes result from driver behavior factors such as distraction, impairment, and error.

Roadway departure crashes in Tribal areas often involve similar risk factors (e.g. horizontal curves, narrow lane widths, misleading visual cues, hazardous roadsides, or low light conditions) but occur infrequently at a given location. For this reason, the systemic approach treats sites of higher risk instead of attempting to treat all sites or focusing only on crash history.

This category provides a streamlined application process to request funding to address rural roadway departure using these specific low-cost safety countermeasures:

• Horizontal Alignment Warning Signs

• Delineators

• Center line and Edge line markings (striping)

• Rumble Strips

• Roadside safety improvements (removal of fixed objects, updating to crashworthy roadside hardware, and installing guardrail or other barriers)

If the project involves any other countermeasures (such as shoulder widening or paving, high friction surface treatments, realignment, etc.) those must be submitted under the Infrastructure Improvements category.

Projects in the systemic roadway departure countermeasures category will be selected by considering risk factors, roadway alignment, and ownership at the locations identified for improvement instead of relying only on location specific crash history.

Instructions:

To apply for funding from the Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasures Category:

1. Make sure the improvements you are proposing are eligible for this category. Any other improvements will need to be submitted under the Infrastructure Improvements Category.

2. Identify the location, risk data, and proposed countermeasures for each location you plan to improve by completing the roadway departure countermeasure request form.

3. Compile a brief project narrative. (See recommended outline below.)

4. Complete the application form.

5. Submit the completed application, countermeasure request form, and any attachments by following instructions on the TTPSF web page at https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs-tribal/safety/funds https://www.tribalsafety.org/reports

Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasures Category

Only the items listed below are eligible for the Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasures Category. If applicants propose a project in this category that contains items that are only eligible under other categories, the request may be removed from consideration, partially funded, or evaluated under the criteria of the Infrastructure Improvements Category.

Recommended Project Narrative Outline:

Applicants to the Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasures Category are encouraged to completed a brief project narrative using the template below. The template includes recommended language but applicants should complete any information requested in << brackets >>.

a. Project Abstract: (Recommended Language):

This project addresses roadway departure on the Tribe’s highest-risk roadways by implementing low-cost safety countermeasures. The proposed improvements are detailed on the attached <<Add additional project description if needed to clarify the project>>

b. Applicant information and coordination with other entities:

<<Identify the name of the Tribal government, contact information, and any other entities involved in the project. If the project improves routes not owned by the Tribe, provide documentation that the road owner has acknowledged the funding request. >>

c. Project Description (Recommended Language):

This project implements a risk-based approach to addressing roadway departure by implementing countermeasures eligible for the Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasures Category. The proposed improvements are proven safety countermeasures identified in the FHWA’s Focus on Reducing Rural Roadway Departures (FoRRRwD) initiative (https://highways.dot.gov/safety/rwd/forrrwd/forrrwd-resources).

The specific locations and improvements are detailed on the enclosed forms. The following list presents a summary of these locations from highest risk to lowest risk:

<<Insert a prioritized list of the roadways proposed for improvement >>

The Tribe anticipates that NEPA requirements will be satisfied by a categorical exclusion for all improvements proposed in this application.

<<Insert any proposed improvements that may require higher level NEPA review>>

If this application is selected, the Tribe will maintain signs and striping by…

<<Insert a description of the sign and pavement marking maintenance method used by the Tribe. See the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Sections 2A.08 and 3A.03.>>

d. Grant Funds and Sources/Uses of Project Funds, Scope, Schedule:

• <<Summarize the total budget for this project. Include any additional anticipated costs, such as design costs, as a percentage of the improvements. The following table is one method you can use for the budget>> https://highways.dot.gov/safety/rwd/forrrwd/forrrwd-resources https://highways.dot.gov/safety/rwd/forrrwd/forrrwd-resources https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/part2/part2a.htm#section2A08 https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/part3/part3a.htm#section3A03

Budget Item Cost Location 1: $ Location 2: $ Location 3: $ Design Cost (x%) $ Total Project Cost $

• <<Identify any matching funds (including TTP shares and in-kind match) that will be contributed to this project. Matching resources are not required.>>

• <<Present a schedule demonstrating when the project will be completed. The schedule can be based on time after award date rather than calendar date.>>

e. Selection Criteria (Recommended Language):

Appendix A of the Application Guide describes how the selection criteria will be evaluated. For the Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasures category the selection criteria from Section E, Subsection 1 Criteria are:

• Criterion 1: Strategic Safety Planning:

o <<Optional: If applicable, reference any section of the Tribe’s transportation safety plan that addresses roadway departure.>> o Roadway Departure is a factor in 63% of fatal motor vehicle crashes in

Tribal areas according to the Tribal Transportation Strategic Safety Plan (https://www.tribalsafety.org/reports).

• Criterion 2: Supporting Safety Data o Risk data is provided on the attached forms to demonstrate the need at location proposed for improvement. The applicant understands that the project may be partially funded if there is high competition in this category and locations documented as higher risk will be selected first.

• Criterion 3: Systemic Prioritization o The attached forms document the alignment of the locations proposed for improvement. The applicant understands that the project may be partially funded if there is high competition in this category and proposals that focus on safety improvements to horizontal curves may be selected before straight tangent sections of road.

• Criterion 4: Facility ownership o The attached forms document the facility ownership for each proposed location. The applicant has included a letter acknowledging the proposed improvements from any road owners that are not BIA or the Tribe.

https://www.tribalsafety.org/reports

Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasure Request Form

Location Information

Route Name

NTTFI Route NTTFI Section Segment Length Alignment

Surface Type

Risk Data

Traffic Volume Speed Limit

Lane Width Paved Shoulder Width

What additional data indicates a high risk for roadway departure crashes here?

Countermeasures

Existing Requested Requested Funding

a. Horizontal alignment warning signs (see MUTCD Section 2C.06)

b. Delineators (flexible or post mounted) as described in Chapter 3F of the MUTCD

c. Center line and edge line markings (Maintenance is not eligible. TTPSF can fund striping where it does not exist or upgrades in line width or material type.)

d. Rumble strip or rumble stripes (Please attach a design detail drawing, if available)

e. Mitigation of roadside hazards to establish or widen clear zone (specify improvement in project narrative)

Photo

(optional)

Instructions for the Systemic Roadway Departure Countermeasure Request Form Please complete a separate form for each route and section proposed for improvement.

Applications containing greater detail may be more competitive. A fillable PDF version of this form is available online. A description of each field is below:

Location Information

• Road Name – Common description for the segment of road.

• National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI) Route and Section Number –

Routes must be official in the inventory.

• Segment Length – approximate length in miles

• Alignment – Curves, Tangents (straight sections), Both

• Surface Type – Dirt, Gravel, Paved

Risk Information –

• Traffic Volume – Qualitative responses (high or low volume) or estimates may be used in lieu of average annual daily vehicle counts.

• Posted Speed Limit

• Lane Width – Width of paved lane or half the width of unpaved surface

• Paved Shoulder Width – Paved shoulder width; Enter 0ft for unpaved.

• Additional Risk Data - What additional data indicates a high risk for roadway departure crashes here? - Describe any roadway attributes that would suggest this location needs to be improved. An elevated risk of roadway departure crashes may be indicated by:

o Roadway geometry (i.e.

sharp curve) o Intersection within a curve o Misleading visual cues o Speed study results including curve advisory speed o Pavement edge conditions o Terrain (i.e. steep drop-offs, cliff, embankment) o Shoulder design o Hazardous objects in the clear zone o Site-specific crash experience o Other site-specific conditions

Site Photos (optional) – Although optional, including a photo could help reviewers better understand the risks being described.

Countermeasures – Indicate safety countermeasures that are already in place (existing) and the additional improvements for which funding is requested. Document the requested funding amount for each proposed improvement. Only items listed in the table are eligible:

a. Horizontal alignment warning signs (see MUTCD Section 2C.06)

b. Delineators (flexible or post mounted) as described in Chapter 3F of the MUTCD

c. Center line and edge line markings - Maintenance is not eligible. TTPSF can fund striping where it does not exist or upgrades in line width or material type.

d. Rumble strip or rumble stripes - Please attach a design detail drawing, if available

e. Mitigation of roadside hazards to establish or widen clear zone - This may include clearing and grubbing, removing hazardous objects, new or upgraded guardrail, upgrading to crashworthy drainage structures and other roadside hardware. Shoulder widening and slope flattening are not eligible for this category.

Most TTPSF applications are submitted to the Infrastructure Improvement Category.

A wide variety of projects are eligible in this category. This category is flexible to the needs identified in a Tribe’s transportation safety plan. Pedestrian, intersection, speed management, and roadway departure are typical types of safety improvements addressed by projects submitted for funding in the Infrastructure Improvements category. Applicants should review the FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasures and the non-exhaustive eligibility list in 23 U.S.C. § 148(a)(4) for examples of projects that are eligible for the Infrastructure Improvements category.

Instructions:

For projects eligible under the Infrastructure Improvement category, applicants should:

1. Develop a project narrative (see recommended outline below).

2. Gather supporting documentation.

a. Documentation supporting the statements made in the project narrative may be provided but should be limited to relevant information. The project narrative must summarize any information that can be found in the supporting documentation. It is recommended that applicants provide an index of all submitted supporting documentation and use file names that are easily deciphered.

3. Complete an application form.

4. Submit the completed application form, project narrative, and any supporting documentation by following instructions on the TTPSF web page at https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs-tribal/safety/funds.

Recommended Project Narrative Outline:

Table of Contents

I. Applicant Information:

1) Tribe Name & Contact Information: This should match the application form.

2) Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project: This should match on the description provided in the application form and be a very short project description that readily identifies the project or is commonly used to describe the project.

3) Funding Category: Infrastructure improvement category.

II. Project Abstract: Describe project work that is to be completed under this particular request, the project purpose and safety benefit to the Tribe, and whether this is a complete project or part of a larger project with prior investment. It is important that your project abstract succinctly describes how this specific request for TTPSF funds will be used to complete your project. (Maximum: 5 Sentences)

III. Project Description

1) Location: Provide a brief description of the project location.

https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:23%20section:148%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title23-section148)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true

Infrastructure Improvement Category

a) Length of project: (Miles)

b) Project limits: Narrative description. Include the project termini and the National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI) route and section number(s).

2) Provide a brief description of the proposed work:

Describe the scope of work that is to be completed with this funding request. This description should include answers to questions such as:

• What are the safety needs and how does this project address them?

• What are the strategic goals or priorities of the strategic safety planning document that are addressed by this project?

• Is this a complete project or part of a larger phased project?

• What is the intended outcome?

• What is the status of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act?

Only include work that is eligible for TTPSF funding. See the NOFO for TTPSF selection and eligibility criterion.

Appropriate supporting documentation should be referenced in this narrative and copies of the documentation provided with the application.

3) Amount of TTPSF Funds Requested, Funding Packages, and Cost Estimate:

Provide a cost estimate that is reflective of the total cost of the proposed work by line item. Each line item in the cost breakdown must be associated with a task, deliverable, or outcome that contributes to the completed funding request. A cost estimate for a Safety Plan can be a lump sum.

If the applicant is willing to accept partial funding of the request, that should be explicitly stated. If partial funding is acceptable, the applicant should identify the individual components of the project that could be accomplished with partial funding and present funding packages that would accomplish these components. If only partial funding is available, this information will aid in the development of funding recommendations and provide the applicant the opportunity to fully complete individual components of the funding request.

4) Project Schedule:

The anticipated project schedule is required. The schedule should show how the work will be advanced if funded. The schedule should also state the anticipated project completion date. This should directly reference each line item in the cost estimate.

Applications should only be submitted for projects or phases of projects that are ready to advance when funding is available. The project schedule should identify if the funds will be obligated within one year of the date the funds are made available.

VII. Coordination with Other Entities

1) Previous Federal funds contributed to this project:

Indicate the type of Federal funds, that this project has previously received, the Federal fiscal year, and the current status of any work associated with these funds.

2) Commitment of Other Funds:

Indicate the amounts and sources of any private or other public funding being provided as part of this project. Only indicate those amounts of funding that are firm and documented commitments from the entity controlling the funds.

3) Project Administration:

Indicate if the project will be administered by the Tribal Government or another entity.

VIII. Selection Criteria The NOFO describes the application review and selection process. Projects will be selected based on the selection criteria, departmental selection criteria, commitment of other resources, and an evaluation of the applicant’s capacity to deliver the project. The project narrative should clearly identify how the project addresses these items.

Applications should state your anticipated rating for each selection criteria along with a discussion of why that rating is appropriate.

1) Project Selection Criteria Projects are primarily selected for funding based on how well the application demonstrates alignment with the project selection criteria. Describe how the proposal meets the Selection Criteria from the NOFO Section E.1 (Criteria) by responding to the following questions.

i. What strategic safety planning document(s) identify this project?

Please provide a page number or describe where this project is identified in the supporting strategic safety planning document(s).

The strategic safety planning document may be a state Strategic Highway Safety Plan, a Tribe’s transportation safety plan, Road Safety Audit, systemic (risk-based) safety study, or other safety engineering study.

ii. Summarize any data that clearly demonstrates the need for the project.

Summarize the best available data that demonstrates a history or risk of transportation incidents which are expected to be reduced by the proposed activity. Describe any relevant incident history in terms of the type, severity, and quantity of incidents that directly demonstrate the need for the project.

Average daily traffic volumes, pedestrian volumes, traffic citation statistics, public surveys, roadway alignment data, and sign inventories are examples of alternative safety data sources which could be used to demonstrate risk at the project location and supplement relevant incident history.

In some cases crashes may not have occurred at a location but the risks suggest future crashes may occur. In such cases, alternative safety data sources can demonstrate risks at the location proposed for improvement are similar to risk elements at other locations where crashes have occurred. A risk-based

(systemic) safety study can be a useful planning tool to document such circumstances.

iii. Identify evidence that the project is likely to reduce crash frequency and/or severity.

When available, reference supporting publications such as the FHWA’s proven safety countermeasures or the Crash Modification Factors Clearinghouse.

Similar references or studies may also be acceptable.

iv. Route Information – Demonstrate the National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI) status of routes proposed for improvement. Also document the route owner. For routes not owned by the BIA or a Tribe, applicants must include a letter from the road owner acknowledging the project.

v. What is the age and status of prior TTPSF awards?

Describe the status of projects funded by TTPSF awards in prior years. Also document the year of award. For completed projects provide an evaluation of the project’s success in improving transportation safety.

2) Departmental Selection Criteria After considering other project selection criteria, the departmental selection criteria may be considered by FHWA. Describe how the proposal meets any applicable Departmental Selection Criteria from the NOFO Section E.2.

IX. Supporting Documentation.

Include with the Project Narrative an index listing all supporting documentation. If including supporting documentation (such as maps, pictures, inventory data sheets, supporting data, etc.). Label attachments with the Tribe name and Project Title.

1) Letter from Facility owner All applications involving infrastructure improvement must be accompanied by letter from the facility owner(s) acknowledging awareness of the project. Facilities owned by a Tribe or BIA are exempt from this requirement.

2) Inventory Data Sheets Applicants should include documentation that the routes proposed for improvement are official and existing (not proposed roads) on the National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI), an eligibility requirement. One possible sources of such documentation is the Regional NTTFI Reports posted online at https://itims.bia.gov/.

3) Other Attachments Supporting documentation should further illustrate the information provided in the project narrative. Supporting documents are not likely to be reviewed if they are not summarized and referenced in the project narrative.

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/ https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/ http://www.cmfclearinghouse.org/ https://itims.bia.gov/

Page i

APPENDIX A. SELECTION CRITERIA GUIDE

Applicants should carefully review the official selection criteria in Section E of the Notice of Funding Opportunity. The project narrative should thoroughly address the selection criteria and that information should be summarized when responding to questions in the application form. A project must meet highly qualified (HQ) standards for all criteria to be ranked as highly qualified. A project must meet either qualified (Q) or HQ standards for all criteria to be ranked as qualified. If a project meets the standards for not qualified (NQ) for any of the selection criteria, the project will be ranked not qualified. Below is a guide describing how the selection criteria will be evaluated. See also Section E.1 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Category: SAFETY PLANS Selection Criteria Description Rating Guide What is the age and status of existing transportation safety plans?

(Or, is this application for funding to develop the Tribe’s first transportation safety plan?)

HQ: Requests (up to $15,000) to develop a new transportation safety plan or requests (up to $10,000) to update existing Tribal transportation safety plans that are at least 3 years old.

Q: N/A NQ: Projects that do not meet the eligibility requirements; request to update a transportation safety plan that is less than 3 years old.

Describe how funding will be used in the development or update of a Tribal Transportation Safety Plan.

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Category: DATA ASSESSMENT, IMPROVEMENT, AND ANALYSIS ACTIVITIES For this category, all criteria will be evaluated but greater consideration will be given to criteria 1 and 2.

Selection Criteria Description Rating Guide What strategic safety planning document(s) identify this project?

Please provide a page number or describe where this project is identified in the supporting strategic document(s).

For this category, the supporting strategic safety planning document must be a transportation safety plan developed by a Tribe or a state’s strategic highway safety plan.

HQ: Requests that are in a current State SHSP or a Tribe’s transportation safety plan that is five years old or newer.

Q: Requests that are in the most recent State SHSP or a Tribe’s transportation safety plan (the supporting plan is more than five years old).

NQ: The application did not provide documentation that would demonstrate that the project is supported by a safety plan.

Summarize data that demonstrates the need for the project.

• For traffic records assessments and improvements:

an estimate of the data to be collected (such as approximate number of crashes per year) and a description of any process currently used to collect that data. Also describe how the data will be used.

• For Road Safety Audits (RSA):

Site specific data should be submitted which demonstrates an incident history or propensity on the specific roadway to be analyzed.

• For Systemic Safety Studies:

Data should be provided which demonstrates an incident history associated with the risk factor to be studied.

HQ: Submission of data, as specified for the specific project type, that clearly demonstrate the need for the activities.

Q: Submission of some data, as specified for the specific project type, that demonstrate the need for the activity.

NQ: No applicable supporting data was provided to demonstrate the need for the activity.

What entity owns the facility(s)?

When applicable to the project (such as a Road Safety Audit or other study), the road owner must provide a letter acknowledging the project unless the road is owned by the BIA or a Tribe.

HQ: Project addresses safety needs on a facility owned by a Tribe or BIA, including where a route owned by a Tribe or BIA intersects with a facility not owned by BIA or a Tribe and the road owner has provided a letter acknowledging the project.

Q: Project addresses safety needs on a facility not owned by a Tribe or BIA and the road owner has provided a letter acknowledging the project.

NQ: Project is located on a route that is not owned by BIA or a Tribe and the road owner did not provide documentation acknowledging the project.

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Category:

SYSTEMIC ROADWAY DEPARTURE COUNTERMEASURES

An application in this category may propose to improve multiple locations. Each location will be evaluated individually which may result in partial funding of an application. For this category all criteria will be evaluated with equal importance.

Criteria Description Rating Guide What strategic safety planning document(s) identify this project?

Please provide a page number or describe where this project is identified in the supporting strategic safety planning document(s).

HQ: The need to address roadway departure is identified in a Tribe’s current transportation safety plan that is five years old or newer.

Q: The need to address roadway departure is identified in the 2017 Tribal Transportation Strategic Safety Plan (www.TribalSafety.org/reports), a current State SHSP, or a Tribe’s transportation safety plan that is more than five years old.

Supporting Safety Data

For this category both crash experience and other risk factors will be evaluated for each horizontal curve or tangent segment submitted.

Document crash experience or other risk considerations for each horizontal curve or tangent location. This may be done using the risk assessment form for the systemic roadway departure countermeasures category

HQ: Submission of data that directly demonstrate high risk at the location to be improved by the project.

Q: Submission of some data that demonstrate risk at the location to be improved by the project.

NQ: Insufficient supporting data were provided to demonstrate the need for the activity.

Systemic Prioritization

Improvements to horizontal curves will generally be prioritized over improvements in tangent sections as described in Section A of the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Risk data and other factors for each location could result in some tangent sections being selected before some horizontal curves. Curves will be rated highly qualified for this criterion while tangents will be rated as qualified.

Route number(s) from the National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI)

Required for systemic roadway departure countermeasures and infrastructure improvement projects. Routes must be both official and existing (not proposed roads) to be eligible.

What entity owns the facility(s)?

HQ: Improvements to a facility owned by a Tribe or BIA that is an official and existing route in the NTTFI.

Q: Facility not owned by a Tribe or BIA but road owner provides a letter acknowledging the proposed project.

NQ: Improvements are located on a route that is not official or existing on the NTTFI or project is located on a route not owned by BIA or a Tribe and the road owner did not provide documentation acknowledging the proposed improvements.

http://www.tribalsafety.org/reports https://highways.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.dot.gov/files/images/Systemic%20RwD%20Risk%20Assessment%20Form%20-%20FINAL.pdf https://highways.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.dot.gov/files/images/Systemic%20RwD%20Risk%20Assessment%20Form%20-%20FINAL.pdf

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Category:

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT

AND OTHER ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES AS LISTED IN 23 U.S.C. 148(A)(4)

For this category, all criteria will be evaluated but greater consideration will be given to criteria 1, 2, and 3.

Criteria Description Rating Guide

1. What strategic safety planning document(s) identify this project?

Please provide a page number or describe where this project is identified in the supporting strategic safety planning document(s).

The strategic safety planning document may be a state Strategic Highway Safety Plan, a Tribe’s transportation safety plan, Road Safety Audit, or other safety engineering study.

HQ: Project is identified in a current State SHSP, Tribe’s transportation safety plan, RSA, or other safety engineering study.

The supporting document is five years old or newer;

Q: Project is identified in a current SHSP, a Tribe’s transportation safety plan, RSA, or other safety engineering study. The supporting document is more than five years old;

NQ: The application did not provide documentation that demonstrates that the project is supported by a State SHSP, Tribe’s transportation safety plan, RSA, or other safety engineering study.

2. Summarize any data that clearly demonstrates the need for the project.

Summarize the best available data that demonstrates a history or risk of transportation incidents which are expected to be reduced by the proposed activity.

Average daily traffic volumes, pedestrian volumes, traffic citation statistics, public surveys, and sign inventories are examples of alternative safety data sources which could be used to demonstrate risk at the project location and supplement relevant incident history.

HQ: Submission of data describing the type, severity, and quantity of incidents that directly demonstrate the need for the project.

This should be site specific data that describes the crash history and directly demonstrates the safety need.

Q: Submission of some data that demonstrate the need for the project. This data could be an area-wide incident history (such as the results of a systemic safety study or regional safety plan) and some supporting data from an alternative safety data source.

NQ: No supporting data was provided to demonstrate the need for the activity.

3. Identify evidence that the project is likely to reduce crash frequency and/or severity.

When available, reference supporting publications such as the FHWA’s proven safety countermeasures or the Crash Modification Factors Clearinghouse

HQ: The application references evidence that demonstrates the proposed project is likely to reduce crash frequency/severity.

Q: Although the project is likely to reduce crash frequency and/or severity, the application does not reference evidence quantifying the expected crash reduction.

NQ: N/A for this criterion.

4. What entity owns the facility(s)?

HQ: Project located on a BIA or Tribal facility; The intersection of a Tribal/BIA route with a facility of another ownership will be considered HQ for this criterion.

Q: Facility not owned by a Tribe or BIA but road owner provides a letter acknowledging the proposed project.

NQ: Not a Tribal or BIA route and no letter from the road owner.

Route number(s) from the National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI)

Required for infrastructure improvement projects. Routes must be both official and existing (not proposed roads) to be eligible.

5. Prior TTPSF Awards HQ: The Tribe has not received funding for a TTPSF transportation safety construction project in more than 5 years.

Q: Tribe has received funding for a TTPSF transportation safety construction project within the past 5 years.

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/ http://www.cmfclearinghouse.org/

Appendix A. Selection Criteria Guide