Department of Transportation (DOT)
OFFICE: (509) 634-2540 FAX: (509) 634-2529
2024 TRIBAL TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TTIP) FOR COLVILLE PDF
Mission Statement To provide safe, efficient, and reliable transportation and public road access to and within the Colville Indian Reservation and local communities for tribal members, visitors, recreationalists, resource users, and others while contributing to community and economic development, self-determination, and tribal member employment.
Program Director | Richard Palmer Sr. (509) 634-2556 Email
Superintendent | Lonnie Simpson Sr. (509) 634-2538
Construction Inspector | Leah Cate (509) 634-2541
Construction Inspector I | Joel DeWinkler (509) 634-2395
Business Service Supervisor | Brenda Whalawtisa (509) 634-2542
Administrative Assistant II | Teaira Duke (509) 634-2540
Budget Technician | Vacant (509)
Senior Transportation Planner | Deborah (Deb) LaCombe | (509) 634-2537
Elder Snow Plow Administrative Assistant II | Monica Jack | (509) 634-2589
Submitting CCT DOT Bids
Prepare for a New Process for Submitting CCT DOT Construction Bids (Bid Poster PDF)
Starting in February 2026, CCT DOT will only take bid responses through Infotech’s Bid Express platform for CCT DOT transportation projects. Paper copies or emailed responses will not be accepted for bidding purposes. Please submit all bid-related documents through Bid Express.
Interested parties can create a free account to view advertisements. To develop and submit a bid requires activation of an account. Please choose the Infotech option for activation which best fits your bidding intentions.
As of February 24, 2026, no construction projects are currently listed on the CCT DOT project page, but we anticipate advertising a bid for 2026 construction projects within the next few weeks. We encourage interested parties in setting up your account and becoming familiar with Infotech and Bid Express to prepare for the change.
RFQQ | Closing Date July 9, 2026 PDF
The Colville Confederated Tribes Department of Transportation (CCT DOT) is seeking Statements of Qualification and Quote from a qualified transportation and planning consultant firm (Contractor) to assist the CCT DOT in completing a CTCR transit expansion feasibility study.
All work will be done in accordance with the Tribal Transportation Program (TTP) regulation, the Federal Register 25 CFR Part 170, Road Inventory Field Data System (RIFDS), and the governing regulations set forth by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
To perform the study, the selected firm will also be required to answer the RFQQ via BidExpress at: https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/98526/home?agency=true&from_home, and work with CCT DOT staff and recent needs information obtained by District to:
strategize how to expand the CTCR transit system in a sustainable way
determine whether hubs, additional vehicles, and additional personnel are necessary for expansion to occur,
develop a concept of either a centralized hub or smaller District hubs with preliminary cost estimates, and
develop a schedule for implementing the preferred expansion strategy.
Video to Visually Introduce the Inchelium Bridge Concept
Link: https://youtu.be/0TpV0l5piFc?si=rVR21OBcFDFr1i4g
CCT DOT has completed developing a video reviewing information about the Inchelium-Gifford Ferry and introducing the Inchelium Bridge Concept. Staff will attend the next round of District meetings (May and June 2026) to show the video and receive comments. The Tribe has started the process of determining the feasibility of constructing a bridge to replace the Inchelium-Gifford Ferry and CCT DOT is ready to begin the planning process. The Inchelium Bridge Concept has been spoken about since 2009. The age and condition of the Inchelium-Gifford Ferry makes the conversation imperative now.
There will be several activities as we move forward with the feasibility study and CCT DOT will need everyone's input into the process, so that the resulting design can best serve the communities in the Inchelium area and across the reservation. Please view the video, attend your upcoming District Meetings, and share with CCT DOT your comments.
Link SR 155
This is the link to the SR 155 at the new Tribal Health Clinic outreach survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Z6RQG6P
CCT DOT proposed roundabout on SR 155 at the new Tribal Health Clinic - outreach survey
CCT DOT is considering applying for $5,000,000 from the 2026 WSDOT Safe Routes to School (SRTS) grant (due April 15, 2026) to seek necessary planning, engineering, and construction funding for a roundabout at this location.
CCT DOT is using similar survey questions in both the SR 155 and Tribal Health Clinic Roundabout and the US-97 & Dayton Street Roundabout surveys. CCT DOT also printed QR code posters and placed them in up to 22 locations throughout Omak and Okanogan, released the poster through the Tribe's customary email distribution, and will email it to jurisdictional stakeholders in the project area.
CCT DOT & WSDOT Joint US-97/Dayton Street Roundabout outreach survey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QHK756C
In 2022, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation completed a Tribal Transportation Safety Plan identifying the US-97 & Dayton Street intersection as needing improvements based on 2015 - 2021 data. Two crashes involving fatalities or serious injuries occured here between 2020 and 2021, and one occured in 2025, after the Plan was completed.
CCT DOT applied for $3,797,000 from the 2026 WSDOT HSIP grant (aka City Safety Program) and will be applying to WSDOT's Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan (due April 15, 2026) to complete the necessary funding for construction of a roundabout at this location.
CCT DOT coordinated the survey questions with WSDOT before publication of the survey and will share WSDOT's survey link on CCT DOT's webpage when it is released. CCT DOT will also print out QR code posters and plans to place them in up to 24 locations throughout Omak and Okanogan, release the poster through the Tribe's customary email distribution, and email it to jurisdictional stakeholders. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QHK756C
Why a roundabout?
WSDOT considers the suitability of a roundabout at roadway intersections prior to considering signal lights due to a variety of reasons including initial construction cost, associated ongoing costs for operations and maintenance, and the reduction in severity when a crash does occur, etc.
To learn more about roundabouts you can follow this link to WSDOT's webpage - https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/traffic-safety-methods/roundabouts.
A Youtube video of how to drive in a roundabout is located here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2nQ__1YJps.
Roundabouts are designed to be safer than traditional intersections for people walking or using mobility assistance devices.
The center and approaches to a roundabout can include Tribal art which provides the Tribes with an opportunity to develop a sense of place unique to each location.
This roundabout will fit well into the overall proposed US-97 pedestrian pathway design between the 12 Tribes Casino in Omak and the Walmart shopping area.
Anticipate results to be posted
CCT DOT appreciates the number of respondents we receive during our transportation-related surveys and we consider them when designing transportation projects. Results will be posted soon.
TTIP
The Colville Confederated Tribes Department of Transportation (CCT DOT) Tribal Transportation Improvement Program (TTIP) is a 6-year programming document presenting the CCT DOT prioritized transportation projects and planning efforts. Periodically, CCT DOT prepares an amendment to the TTIP which lists recent or emerging projects not currently included in their latest TTIP. The projects included in the TTIP and any amendment are fiscally constrained meaning that they are planned using reasonably anticipated funding in the 6-year timeframe from local, regional, state, and federal funding sources. 2025 TTIP PDF
The projects are consistent with the most recent Long-range Transportation Plan of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
The TTIP amendment is presented on the CCT DOT website at: https://www.colvilletribes.com/dot and is available in print at the CCT DOT office at the Nespelem Tribal Agency compound in Nespelem, Washington.
CCT DOT will be asking the Colville Business Council (CBC) to adopt the TTIP amendment via Emergency Resolution. After adoption, the TTIP will be forwarded to Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Department of Transportation (BIA DOT) for approval. When approved, CCT DOT can expend available funding on the projects in the TTIP.
For more information or to make a comment please contact Deborah LaCombe, Senior Transportation Planner at (please type “TTIP” in the email subject line): deborah.lacombe.dot@colvilletribes.com
ART in Transportation
INTENTION TO INCLUDE ART IN TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS (PDF Poster)
The Colville Confederated Tribes Department of Transportation (CCTDOT) plans, constructs, and maintains transportation infrastructure throughout the Colville Indian Reservation, including roads, bridges, trails, pathways, and related facilities. Public art integrated into transportation projects enhances safety, wayfinding, community identity, and the overall quality of public spaces.
DESCRIPTION OF RFQ
The Tribes are requesting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from professional artists and artist teams interested in creating public art associated with transportation infrastructure projects on the Colville Indian Reservation.
This RFQ is intended to establish a qualified artist roster for future transportation-related art opportunities. Projects may include, but are not limited to:
Bridges and bridge approaches
Roundabouts and traffic circles
Shared-use pathways, sidewalks, and trails
Transportation corridors, gateways, and wayfinding elements
Transit-related facilities
Selection to the qualified roster does not guarantee award of a project. Artists on the roster may be invited to participate in project-specific selections, interviews, or design phases as individual transportation projects are developed.
HOW TO RESPOND TO THE RFQ
Interested individuals may respond by creating an account in Infotech and completing the response to this RFQ through Infotech's Bid Express platform. CCT DOT only takes responses through Infotech’s Bid Express platform for transportation projects. Please do not send paper copies or email responses.
RFQ | Colville Confederated Tribes Department of Transportation (CCT DOT), Call for Artists | Closing Date July 15, 2026 PDF
CCT District-specific transit needs surveys
In 2025, CCT DOT conducted four public surveys about Tribal transit use, one in each of the four Districts: Inchelium, Keller, Nespelem, and Omak.
Why?
CCT DOT is preparing to update the Tribal Long-range Transportation Plan and associated Tribal Transportation Improvement Program.
Currently, there are two Tribal transit routes: one route is between Inchelium and Nespelem and is closely related to the 4-10 schedule of employees at the Nespelem Agency; and the other route is between Inchelium and Colville.
CCT does not currently provide financial support to any non-Tribal transit service providers traversing through or connecting to the reservation.
CCT DOT received Tribal Council direction to cooperate with Tribal transit by providing planning assistance.
CCT DOT received a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Consolidated Grant to determine transit needs throughout the reservation of the Colville Confederated Tribes.
A feasibility study on how and when to expand transit is also included in the WSDOT Consolidated Grant.
Anticipate outreach through District and other advertised meetings
CCT DOT appreciates the number of respondents we had for the surveys and are completing summaries of the results for each survey. Results will be posted for each of the four Districts on the CCT DOT webpage and CCT DOT plans to attend District meetings to share the results during regularly scheduled District meetings this Spring (2026). CCT DOT staff will also try to schedule one meeting in each District at Senior meal sites. Meeting dates will be announced through our Tribal email system and via posted flyers at least one week ahead of the events.
The results support conducting the feasibility study on potential strategies for expanding Tribal transit
In the feasibility study, a market analysis will allow the Tribe to determine if there is a sustainable need for Tribal transit expansion, explain how to ensure on-reservation efforts can align with connecting non-Tribal transits, and identify necessary infrastructure, vehicles, hubs, and personnel to accomplish any expansion.
CCT DOT looks forward to our continuing Tribal transit planning dialog with you
Please do not hesitate to contact us with survey questions or meeting schedule questions.
Inchelium District Survey Summary PDF
Keller District Tribal Transit Survey Summary PDF
Nespelem District Transit Survey Summary PDF
Omak District Transit Survey Summary PDF
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Transportation service gaps and deserts seemed significant enough for CCT DOT to seek grant funding to identify how to address transportation barriers throughout and connecting to the Colville Reservation. CCT DOT was awarded funding from Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT's) Consolidated Grant program. The project for which CCT DOT is receiving funding is a three pronged approach to public transportation planning. The three transit planning efforts in the grant are: to gather information for a transit needs assessment, develop a transit hub feasibility study, and establish an asset management program.
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Update
CCT DOT is excited to present the DRAFT CCT Transit Needs Assessment for 2025-2026. This document presents results for each of the four District transit needs surveys and offers assessment conclusions. If you are interested in reviewing the Assessment document and providing comments on it, please submit your comments by June 25, 2026. Comments can be emailed to deborah.lacombe.dot@colvilletribes.com with Transit Needs Assessment in the subject line. Alternatively, you can print out this PDF and scan it to Deb's email address or bring it to CCT DOT office at 23 Nespelem/San Poil Street during business hours (7:00am to 5:30 pm, M-Th).What's Next?
The intention is that the surveys' assessment will guide the development of a feasibility study. The feasibility study will explore when and how Tribal transit can be expanded to all Districts.A Request for Qualifications and Quotes will be announced through CCT DOT's InfoTech portal to gather consultants with transit marketing analysis and planning skills in early June 2026. CCT DOT will revisit each District with additional surveys to provide information the selected consulting firm needs to complete the study for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
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In order to understand if public transportation (transit) may greatly assist vulnerable populations in each of the four Districts on the reservation, customary planning steps will be taken.
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These surveys fit into the transit needs assessment portion of the planning deliverables. CCT DOT will perform outreach to surrounding transit agencies as well as seek gathering needs from persons living, working, or visiting others on the Reservation of the Colville Confederated Tribes. To keep the surveys shorter, CCT DOT will be preparing surveys for each District. CCT DOT's first survey will be for the Inchelium District.
CCT DOT will use the reservation-wide surveys to gather needs, identify gaps in services, and then feed that information into a transit market study which explores the feasibility of expanding the transit program to cover the needs identified.
As the three planning efforts progress, we will be updating the CCT DOT webpage and presenting reports to the Tribal Council, and also to the communities through presentations in the District meetings.
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No. CCT DOT does ask that you participate in the surveys applicable to the Districts in which your home, work, education, shopping, family connections, cultural connections, other social connections, camping, hunting, fishing, gathering, or recreation may be located.
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Please do. We plan to keep each survey open for one month. During that time in addition to spreading the opportunity through Tribal announcements, we will be engaging with schools, towns, other transit agencies, internal department heads to include medical clinics, employers, post offices, and other places where people gather both in person and online. If you are sharing the posters, please send me an email (deborah.lacombe.dot@colvilletribes.com), so that I can add that outreach event to the study.
Thank you for taking our transit needs surveys! Inchelium District Link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZM8YTVX
Introduction to Inchelium Bridge Concept PowerPoint
CCT DOT is sharing the 2022 PowerPoint which informs about prior concept planning done by CCT DOT and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CTCR). In the PowerPoint slides the viewer will find some preliminary alignment proposals and discussion about potential bridge types. In 2024, CCT DOT received an updated preliminary estimate, performed outreach to CTCR department heads using the PowerPoint slides, and re-introduced the Inchelium Bridge concept to the Tribal Council. The PowerPoint Presentation is accessible here. Results Link.
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Funding was also requested from a variety of sources to develop outreach materials and CCT DOT sought a visualization team which could help CCT DOT develop the types of outreach materials to bring the discussions to the community level. We are preparing in August to host the visualization team as they collect on-site video using drones, gather visual and audio interviews to use in the outreach materials, and pull in historical and cultural information to make the outreach video and handouts meaningful for our upcoming outreach events.
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This simple survey focuses on providing information, gathering local knowledge, offering opportunities to interact with the visualization team, and guiding when and how the completed outreach materials could be presented to encourage meaningful public participation. Please take a few minutes sometime this or next week to provide feedback in the 4-minute survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/InchBridgeSurveyRev
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The survey was concluded on August 12, 2025. The following link will take you to the summarized survey results.
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CCT DOT will announce when the 3-D modeling team comes to Inchelium to conduct the drone flights and interviews. If you provided your name and contact information, we will contact you directly to ask if you are still interested in providing an interview. If you didn't leave your contact information but wish to be considered for an interview, please contact Deb LaCombe at: deborah.lacombe.dot@colvilletribes.com to provide your name, phone number, and email address now. Thank you in advance!
Introduction to Walking and Bicycling Survey - Nespelem Agency Area
Recently, CCT DOT conducted a public input survey about walkers' and bicyclists' preferences for designing a potential walking/bicycling route as an alternative for the Nespelem Agency area use of a high-speed rural route as an unofficial pedestrian route. CCT DOT Nespelem Walking and Bicycling Survey PDF
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Nespelem Area agency has a large number of employees and an observably high number of recreational walkers throughout the day.
Washington State fatalities of active transportation users have been rising at an alarming rate.
From 2019-2023 there were 161 American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) traffic deaths in Washington State.
One in four fatally injured AI/AN people were active transportation users (2019-2023).
53% of AI/AN fatalities occurred in a rural setting (2019-2023).
Active transportation users (walkers and rollers) are our most vulnerable transportation system users and they take risks which result in fatalities.
122 of the 177 active transportation users' deaths (all races) in 2023 occurred on the road and not in a crosswalk.
53% of the active transportation users were impaired, 18% were distracted, 12% were in the roadway improperly, 30% of the deaths were caused by improper crossing of the roadway, and 55% failed to yield the right-of-way (2023).
Drivers involved with active transportation users' fatalities also displayed risky behavior, but at a far lesser degree.
7% of drivers involved with active transportation users' deaths were impaired, 14% of the drivers were distracted, and 6% were speeding (2023).
The severity of injuries among the active transportation users is tied to the speed of roadways when pedestrians and bicyclists share roadways with vehicles.
Of the 177 active transportation users' deaths, 157 occurred at speeds over 25 mph (2023).
10% chance of death occurs at 23 mph compared to 50% at 42 mph, and 90% at 58 mph (NHTSA statistics).
AI/AN have the highest traffic fatality rate per 100,000 population, and not just marginally:
White - 9.80
Hispanic - 10.27
Black - 11.88
American Indian/Alaska Native - 37.62
The statistics above may be grossly under- or over-estimated for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and we will be able to bring our safety intelligence closer to reality through the data analysis we are doing at CCT DOT.
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Washington State (Washington Traffic Safety Commission and Washington State Department of Transportation) tracks Washington traffic fatalities on most urban streets and some rural roadways. Their databases are lacking data on roads other than state highways and county fatalities within the Reservation of the Colville Confederated Tribes. CCT DOT is analyzing the previous 10 years' of State and County data (Okanogan and Ferry) to start coordination with Tribal Police about determining how best to infill our data into the State database appropriately
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This is simply the first survey in Nespelem District, please look for upcoming surveys in the Keller, Inchelium, and Omak Districts this year. CCT DOT plans to continue surveying each district with observably high recreational or commuting walkers or rollers. These surveys will help CCT DOT and the Tribe prepare planning documents, prioritize roadway improvements, and seek funding to implement projects.
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Please do not hesitate to phone with questions (509-634-2540) or email with questions (deborah.lacombe.dot@colvilletribes.com).
CCT DOT three surveys for specific areas: Town of Nespelem area, Town of Elmer City area, Town of Coulee Dam area, and US 97 area in Omak.
Responses for Elmer City an Coulee Dam SR 155 Walking and Bicycling Survey PDF
Responses for Omak US 97 Walking and Bicycling and Horseback Riding Survey PDF
Responses for Connecting the Town of Nespelem with the Nespelem Agency SR 155 Walking and Bicycling Survey PDF
The Colville Confederated Tribes: Department of Transportation (CCT: DOT)
Elder Snow Plow Application PDF
Department of Transportation (DOT) PDF
Roads
To enhance the quality of life in Indian communities.
To facilitate the preservation and enhancement of Tribal and cultural/traditional values.
To optimize Bureau and Tribal human resources by ensuring Tribes are assisted in planning and maintaining an adequate network of Roads to support their Social and Economic Development through disseminating information on the Roads Program and funding; coordinating between Tribes, other agencies, and Area Office staff; and coordinating compliance with Tribal permitting program.
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation is one of the twenty-six federally recognized tribes in Washington State.