Tester Secures more than $1 Million to Improve Road Safety, Accessibility in Indian Country

CSKT and Blackfeet Tribes to receive Safe Streets for All Grants to develop safety action plans

U.S. Senator Jon Tester today secured a total of $1,165,105 in Safe Streets For All grants for the Blackfeet and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) through his bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The Blackfeet Tribe will receive $797,105 for the Blackfeet Safe Streets and Roads for All project and the CSKT will receive $368,000 for the CSKT Safe Streets for All project. This funding will be used to develop comprehensive safety action plans on the two reservations to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. 

Tester negotiated the IIJA and helped pass it into law last year, and he was the only member of Montana’s Congressional delegation to support it.

“Safe and accessible infrastructure is foundational to every Montana community, and I’m proud to have secured this funding so that folks in Indian Country can get to school and work without worrying,” said Tester. “Through my bipartisan infrastructure law we’re doing things like improving existing infrastructure to make our communities work smarter and safer. These investments will help improve safety for Tribal members, and I know CSKT and Blackfeet will put these resources to good use keeping folks safe.”

Tester worked across the aisle for months to negotiate the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with a group of five Republicans, four Democrats, and the White House. Tester’s law is projected to create more than 800,000 American jobs and lower costs for businesses by making targeted investments that will strengthen our nation without raising taxes on working families.

Tester secured significant wins for Montana in the legislation, including $2.82 billion for Montana’s roads, highways and bridges; $2.5 billion to complete all authorized Indian water rights settlements; $1 billion to complete all authorized rural water projects through the Bureau of Reclamation; $65 billion to deploy broadband to areas across the country that lack internet access and additionally make online connectivity affordable; and $3.37 billion to reduce wildfire risk nationwide, among others. Tester also worked to ensure that all iron, steel, and construction materials used for these projects must be made in America. A full list of Montana provisions in Tester’s bipartisan infrastructure law can be found HERE.