LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN

A Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) is a process that identifies and prioritizes regional transportation projects on a local and reservation-wide level over the next 20 years that will address community transportation needs and improve our quality of life. Topics that are usually included in a LRTP are: road construction and maintenance, public transit, roadway safety, pedestrians, bicycles, recreational trails, and airports. A LRTP sets goals, identifies needs, and establishes steps to be taken according to a schedule determined by the Tribe. It reflects the Tribe’s vision for the region’s transportation systems and services, prepared through collaboration with Federal, State, County, and additional stakeholders as well as through consensus from the Tribal communities. A LRTP identifies methods to achieve long-term transportation goals, establishes tribal ownership of the process, defines road control and jurisdiction, identifies the programs that will be implementing each project, and the resources necessary to pay for them. This acts as a guide of major projects for the next 20 years, and helps to organize and prioritize significant projects.

A LRTP is required by federal law as a prerequisite to accessing federal transportation funds for road construction, transit, and highway safety. The planning process also provides a mechanism for road users and the public to have input into the plans and priorities before they move into the construction phase. A Tribal LRTP considers the ownership of each road and provides clear recommendations and input into the State and county planning processes. In the current oil-boom environment, it is important to identify the major transportation needs across the reservation. In addition, transportation related issues are constantly changing on the Fort Berthold Reservation so the LRTP must be able to remain flexible while still addressing the current issues. The LRTP should be updated every 5 years.

Although MHA Nation has a current Long Range Transportation Plan (see in the Resources page below), there have been no major updates since 2006. In addition, we have never had a complete multi-modal plan; the previous version only includes roads (not freight, air, transit) and there has been very limited public involvement in the process. The proposed update for the LRTP will include a multi-modal assessment of existing infrastructure with a focus on performance, demands, future needs and projects, community input and involvement, and connectivity with off-reservation communities and services.