Rural and Tribal Community Resources
Welcome to the Bureau Rural and Tribal Resources page. The Bureau has several programs that support rural and tribal communities. We look forward to working with you to bring your projects to fruition.
Rural Projects Initiative
There is a special program that is part of the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) called the Rural Project Initiative (RPI).
The RPI credit program is not your grandparents’ transportation financing plan! TIFIA RPI provides flexible, low-interest (half the treasury rate), long-term loans to get transportation projects underway now – benefiting our communities and not collecting dust as plans on a shelf. Plus, all types of projects can borrow up to 49 percent of project costs for up to 35 years.
Click below to view two example RPI projects:
Monterey-Salinas Transit District
San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority
The Census 2020 designations can be viewed on this website:
State Infrastructure Banks (SIBs)
Tribal and rural communities can also get loans for projects from State Infrastructure Banks (SIBs), which borrow funds from the Bureau on behalf of smaller entities that might not otherwise be qualified for a loan with one project. The SIB can then lend to a variety of projects and provide the same favorable terms as a traditional TIFIA loan for a larger project.
Check out more here.
Regional Infrastructure Accelerators
Regional Infrastructure Accelerators could also be a viable option for rural communities. The grant program helps an agency or a group partnered with a public agency to set up regional partners of the Bureau to incubate projects and get them prepared for financing sooner than they might otherwise be ready.
Check out the Accelerators program.
Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created a new grant program that benefits rural and tribal communities. More information is available on the program page.
Rural & Tribal Assistance Pilot Program
- A $10 million, five-year pilot program to provide rural state, local, and tribal governments with:
- Technical, legal, and financial advisory assistance
- Evaluate potential projects to be delivered through alternative delivery through alternative delivery methods
- Pay for early development activities such as:
- Feasibility studies
- Revenue forecasting
- Preliminary engineering
- Environmental review
Visit the ROUTES website to learn more about the Department-wide initiative to address disparities in rural transportation infrastructure.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Visit the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law webpage to learn more about its historic investment in America’s infrastructure