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
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
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.
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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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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.