Cover Photo: Davis Dam Road, Arizona (FHWA-Central Federal Lands Highway Division)

Mission Statements

The U.S. Department of the Interior protects and manages the Nation’s natural resources and 

	 cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its 	 	

	 trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated 	 	

Island Communities.

	 The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related

	 resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American

	 public.
May 2021 i

Executive Summary

With this document, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is pleased to present its first National Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). 

Transportation systems play a critical role toward fulfilling Reclamation’s mission to manage water in the West and provide the public with recreational

opportunities. Therefore, this National LRTP establishes goals and objectives for how Reclamation will manage its transportation system in support

of its mission. Reclamation was included in the Federal Lands Transportation Program (FLTP) with the 2016 passage of the Fixing America’s Surface

Transportation (FAST) Act. This plan identifies Reclamation’s long-term transportation needs related to achieving its transportation goals. In its first 5

years in the FLTP, Reclamation began parking lot and road inventory programs, started analyses of roadways that need safety improvements, launched a

new bridge inventory application, funded 35 transportation projects, and deployed a Reclamation-wide needs assessment to begin tracking current and

future transportation needs. With the completion of this National LRTP, Reclamation has outlined a 20-year vision to continue the success of the first 5

years, maintain its transportation system, and provide and expand recreational access on and around Reclamation waters and lands.

To establish baseline conditions with a focus on project needs, this plan uses the system-wide Transportation Needs Assessment conducted in 2018

and 2019 as its foundation. Building upon this initial snapshot, Reclamation continues to develop transportation condition inventories and management

systems that will add more clarity to the future needs of its transportation system. As most visitors to Reclamation sites continue to come by private

vehicle, the majority of need centers around maintaining roads, bridges, and parking lots, as well as addressing safety concerns. At the same time, visitor

recreation at Reclamation sites continues to grow, which will create future challenges with traffic congestion and access. As Reclamation continues to

address needs on its core assets, it will also look to prioritize some funding on projects that expand transportation options and enhance the visitor’s

experience at its high-use recreation sites.

To address the identified project needs, this plan takes a strategic look at differing funding outlooks. This will help guide investment decisions and evaluate

trade-offs between the tough choices that will have to be made due to the reality that total need is significantly larger than projected funding. In response

to these challenges, the plan includes investment focus areas and strategies Reclamation can use to prioritize funding and maximize the improvement value

of the projects selected. Using the investment focus areas as guidance will help Reclamation choose projects that address priority needs based on funds

available.

Using Reclamation’s FLTP funding to leverage other funding available to Reclamation or its partners will be crucial to address more transportation

needs. A key component of how Reclamation manages public recreation access is the use of managing partners. Most of Reclamation’s recreation areas

have been developed and managed in partnership with state, county, or local governments that have entered into long-term management agreements

with Reclamation. These partnerships position Reclamation, its managing partners, and surrounding regional communities well to compete for multiple

transportation funding sources.

This inaugural National LRTP was developed in collaboration with Reclamation’s six regions and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Central

Federal Lands Highway Division. Reclamation looks forward to continually working with its regions, FHWA, other Federal Land Management Agencies

(FLMAs) that receive FLTP funding, and its many managing partners to advance and implement this plan.
May 2021 ii

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Acronyms

AMD		 Asset Management Division	 

BLM	 	 Bureau of Land Management	 	 	 	

Caltrans California Department of Transportation

DOI Department of the Interior 

DOT Department of Transportation 

FARS		 Fatality Analysis Reporting System

FAST		 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation 

FHWA	 Federal Highway Administration 

FLAP		 Federal Lands Access Program	

FLH	 	 Office of Federal Lands Highway	 	 	

FLMA	 Federal Land Management Agency	

FLPP		 Federal Lands Planning Program		 	 	

FLTP		 Federal Lands Transportation Program		 	

FWS	 	 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

LRTP		 Long Range Transportation Plan

MPO	 	 Metropolitan Planning Organization

MR&R	 Major Rehabilitation and Replacement

MVA	 	 Motor Vehicle Accidents

NBI National Bridge Inventory

NBIS National Bridge Inspection Standards

NPS 	 	 National Park Service	 	 	

PPP	 	 Pavement Preservation Program

RIP	 Road Inventory Program

SMIS	 Safety Management Information System 

USACE	 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

USC United States Code 

USFS U.S. Forest Service	
May 2021 iii

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction......................................................................................................................................1 

Chapter 2: Goals and Objectives........................................................................................................................6

Chapter 3: Existing Condition and Future Need..............................................................................................8

Chapter 4: Transportation Funding Needs and Funding Outlook...............................................................18

Chapter 5: National Investment Considerations...........................................................................................28

Chapter 6: Implementation..............................................................................................................................31

Appendices........................................................................................................................................................43

Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................................110
Lake Pueblo State Park, Colorado Federal Lands Access Program improvements.

(FHWA-Central Federal Lands Highway Division/James Herlyck)
May 2021 1

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Chapter 1: Introduction

The Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) mission is to manage,

develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally

and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.

Established in 1902, Reclamation is best known for managing the dams,

power plants, pipelines, and canals constructed in the 17 western states. 

These water and power projects led to homesteading and promoted the

economic and social development of the West.

Reclamation is made up of six regions (Figure 1), the boundaries of which

align with the newly classified Department of the Interior (DOI) 2018

Unified Regional Boundaries. Reclamation stewards approximately 67

percent, by value, of all DOI real property assets (buildings and structures

constructed by DOI). From dams and irrigation facilities to hydropower

generation and distribution, Reclamation’s assets are a vital part of the

Nation’s economy, safety, and security. In addition, much of the 6.5 million

acres of Reclamation-owned or managed land and water offer public

recreation opportunities, serving millions of visitors annually.

Reclamation Assests

Transportation systems play a critical role in fulfilling Reclamation’s mission

to manage water in the West and provide the public with opportunities to

recreate in these areas. Reclamation has a wide variety of transportation

facilities that are included in the National Federal Lands Transportation

Facility Inventory such as roads, bridges, trails, parking lots, and boat

ramps. Reclamation’s inventories include over 2,800 miles of Reclamationowned public roads, over 300 Reclamation-owned public vehicle bridges

(also included on the National Bridge Inventory), over 1,300 miles of

public trails, and 450 boat ramps with associated parking areas.

Recreation and Transportation

Current legislation limits the number of locations where developed

recreation may be directly managed by Reclamation. Without specific

authority, Reclamation is limited by the Federal Water Project Recreation

Act of 1965, Public Law 89-72 to providing only “minimum basic”

facilities. Pursuant to Public Law 89-72, minimum basic facilities are

defined as guardrails, turnarounds at the ends of existing roads, and pit

toilets necessary to protect the health and safety of the public. Reclamation

has further defined minimum basic facilities as those facilities required for

public health and safety and/or that are necessary to protect or preserve

federal property and the public. Therefore, Reclamation partners with state

and local agencies to provide developed public recreation opportunities

and dedicated Wildlife Management Areas on Reclamation lands.

This approach has resulted in over 240 developed recreation areas that

draw over 44 million visits annually. Opportunities facilitated by these areas

include camping, horseback riding, interpretive education, boating, and

water play among a multitude of others. Wildlife Management Areas are set

aside to benefit wildlife. They have limited amenities and provide a natural

setting for hunting, fishing, and wildlife photography. In addition, dispersed

recreational opportunities are available at most reservoirs. Maintaining

transportation systems to these opportunities are vital to support public

recreation and spur economic growth in local communities.

Reclamation was included in the Federal Lands Transportation Program

(FLTP) as a competing partner in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 with the passage

of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Before the

FAST Act, Reclamation received a small amount of federal transportation

funding for bridge inspections.

During its first 5 years in the FLTP, Reclamation began parking lot and

road inventory programs, started analyses of roadways that needed

safety improvements, funded 35 transportation projects, and deployed

a Reclamation-wide needs assessment to begin tracking current and

future transportation needs. In 2018, Reclamation also launched a new

Reclamation Bridge Inventory application that allows Reclamation to

digitally store bridge geospatial data, tabular data, and bridge files all in one

location. This application will assist Reclamation with the management

of over 7,000 bridge structures including Reclamation-owned bridges

(public and non-public) and non-Reclamation-owned bridges that cross

Reclamation facilities.
May 2021 2

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Figure 1. Bureau of Reclamation regions: Reclamation lands are only located in the 17 western states, meaning that Reclamation is present in only 6 of the Department 

of the Interior Unified Regions.
May 2021 3

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Reclamation’s first National Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

builds on this work to establish a strategic framework for transportation

investments Reclamation-wide over the next 20 years. It outlines goals

that tie together Reclamation’s mission and the role transportation plays in 

that mission. It provides an initial snapshot of Reclamation’s system-wide

transportation needs, outlines future funding possibilities, and identifies

how Reclamation can invest to meet its needs and mission. The LRTP

focuses on publicly accessible facilities (roads, bridges, parking lots, trails),

but also considers some administrative facilities where data are available.1

Development of the Long Range Transportation 

Plan

Development of the LRTP included outreach to Reclamation’s six regions

to identify plan goals and catalogue transportation needs. It also included 

ongoing coordination with the Office of Federal Lands Highway (FLH)

to ensure the LRTP met federal legislative requirements. Federal surface

transportation legislation, as reauthorized in the FAST Act, requires

federal land management agencies, such as Reclamation, to develop

LRTPs that are consistent with the planning processes required of

state departments of transportation (DOTs) and metropolitan planning

organizations (MPOs) (23 United States Code [USC] §201; 23 USC

§134 and §1352). This LRTP is consistent with those processes and legal

requirements.

Development of the LRTP included the elements described in the

following sections.

1 LRTPs are required for use of Title 23 funds. These funds can only be used on

publicly accessible facilties.

2 The full text of Title 23, United States Code is located at:

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/title23.pdf. Provisions specific to Sec. 201 and

Transportation Planning are located on page 174.

Develop Goals and Objectives 

Reclamation worked with staff from its six regions to develop

transportation goals and objectives that collectively are Reclamation’s

vision for the next 20 years. Development of the goals and objectives

included consideration for Reclamation’s mission, the investment

strategies that guide the FLTP, and Reclamation’s Strategic Asset

Management Plan completed in 2020. Through implementation of the

LRTP, the goals and objectives will be tied to performance measures

that Reclamation will monitor to see how well the goals of the LRTP are

being met.

Identify Existing Conditions and Future Transportation 

Needs

This first LRTP focuses on an extensive transportation needs

assessment deployed to all six regions. The assessment asked regions

to use an ArcGIS online web map to enter transportation needs

including project location, project type, estimated cost range, and region

priority of projects. FLH worked with the regions to refine and further

fill out the needs assessment. This resulted in identifying over 350

transportation needs Reclamation-wide.

The existing condition summary also used crash history data available

in the Fatality Analysis Report System Crashes on Federal Lands Tool,

bridge condition information reported to the National Bridge Inventory 

Database, road condition information available from Reclamation’s

Cycle 1 Road Inventory, large project needs identified in Reclamation’s

Major Rehabilitation and Replacement (MR&R) system, and estimates

related to trail maintenance and planning needs.

Reclamation is still in the process of completing the Cycle 1 Road

Inventory condition assessments. It is anticipated that this inventory,

along with additional safety management system development, will be

completed in the next 2 years. The information gathered will contribute

substantially when identifying additional existing conditions and future

transportation needs at Reclamation sites. This new information will be

included in future LRTP updates.
May 2021 4

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Outline Investment Strategy

The 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment, along with analysis

of additional need identified through ongoing data collection efforts,

helped to develop a first cut of Reclamation’s projected need over the

next 10 years. FLH developed conservative projections about future FLTP

funding levels and observed historical patterns of funding investment

in transportation from Reclamation and other federal transportation 

programs to identify future funding availability scenarios. All this

information was used to estimate transportation funding gaps and outline

investment strategies Reclamation may use to meet its transportation need.

Adopt Plan and Conduct Outreach

Drafts of the LRTP were shared with Reclamation, FLH, and the U.S.

Department of Transportation Volpe Center staff to gather input and

ensure the document met the intent of Reclamation and transportation 

legislative requirements.

This final LRTP will become a tool for Reclamation to conduct outreach

with existing and potential partners on transportation needs and projects

of mutual priority. Reclamation has a directive from Congress to 

coordinate recreation use at its water projects with existing or planned

federal, state, and local public recreation projects.1 Where possible, this

also means Reclamation seeks qualified government entities to manage 

recreation use at water projects. Typically, these entities are non-federal.

This unique partnership means Reclamation and its managing partners are

often in a position to compete for or leverage a variety of transportation 

funds available to both federal and non-federal entities.

1 Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992, Public Law 102-575, 106

Stat. 4690, Title XXVIII (Reclamation Recreation Management Act). See 

https://www.usbr.gov/recreation/legislation.html for further information on this 

law. A 2019 list of non-federal managing partners is located at: https://www.usbr.

gov/recreation/partners.html.

By outlining goals, needs, and investment priorities in this LRTP,

Reclamation will be able to conduct outreach with managing partners,

identify projects of mutual need, and strategize how to best move

forward with funding these transportation needs.

Plan Implementation

In order to better link the 20-year planning horizon of this LRTP to the

shorter-term project needs that support Reclamation’s long-term goals

and objectives, a 10-year implementation strategy has been developed

and is the focus of Chapter 6. Recognizing that the transportation

needs assessment was just a snapshot in time, it was important to

develop a strategy that attempts to address as many of those needs as 

possible for the next 10 years while simultaneously anticipating yet-tobe-identified needs that must also be taken into account over the next

20 years. Therefore, this LRTP establishes Reclamation’s transportation

vision for how it plans to meet its need over the next 20 years, while the

implementation strategy focuses on different project delivery options

over the next 10 years.

Regardless of the timeframe being considered (10 or 20 years),

Reclamation’s transportation needs will far outweigh available funding.

Therefore, the implementation of this plan will rely on coordination

and outreach with partners and stakeholders. Reclamation’s outreach

will focus on sharing transportation priorities and needs with partners,

stakeholders, and state and local transportation agencies. The purpose

will be to promote ongoing dialogue and coordination in efforts to

identify projects of mutual need and to move such projects forward for

consideration of transportation funding.
Boysen Dam, Wyoming access roadway improvements. 

(FHWA-Central Federal Lands Highway Division/Jerry Walter)
May 2021 6

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Chapter 2: Goals and Objectives

Reclamation has identified four transportation goal areas, each with

supporting objectives that outline the desired condition Reclamation

hopes to achieve in its transportation system over the next 20 years. Each

goal has objectives that provide actionable steps Reclamation will work

toward to achieve the desired outcomes of the goals.

Goal 1. System Preservation

Provide a sustainable transportation program to address

current and future needs. 

Objective 1: 

Maintain transportation access to critical Reclamation infrastructure

features and recreation opportunities at appropriate condition levels.

Objective 2: 

Ensure that Reclamation lands have appropriate levels of access, mobility,

and connectivity for all users and staff.

Goal 2. Safety

Provide a safe and reliable transportation system to and within

Reclamation lands.

Objective 1: 

Use the best available data to identify safety issues on Reclamation’s

transportation system and other transportation systems that connect to 

Reclamation lands.

Objective 2: 

Identify and implement appropriate countermeasures and tools to resolve 

safety issues and reduce the potential frequency and severity of incidents.

Goal 3. Economic Generation

Develop and maintain a transportation network that is

suitable for all functions that operate on and support

Reclamation lands.

Objective 1: 

Manage the transportation network to support Reclamation’s many

purposes including water delivery, power generation, recreation,

environment enhancement, and others. 

Objective 2: 

Identify the appropriate transportation network to support Reclamation’s

desired level of recreation visitor access at each project site.

Goal 4. Partnerships

Develop partnerships to leverage resources and implement 

integrated transportation solutions.

Objective 1: 

Build awareness and coordination amongst Reclamation partners to

identify areas of mutual transportation need and develop solutions to 

address these needs. 
Hoover Dam roadways and parking lots on Arizona side. Visitor parking structure and Visitor Center located on hillside in back left of photo. 

(FHWA-Central Federal Lands Highway Division)
May 2021 8

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Chapter 3: Existing Conditions and 

Future Need

Understanding the current state of Reclamation’s transportation system is 

key to long range transportation planning. This LRTP documents known

existing conditions of Reclamation’s transportation system. This LRTP

also summarizes future needs as identified by Reclamation’s regions.

The existing conditions, trends, and future needs summarized in this

chapter inform Reclamation’s first assessment of projected transportation

need. They also establish a baseline against which Reclamation can

develop performance measures and monitor progress toward meeting

transportation goals and needs.

Data Sources and Organization of Existing 

Conditions

This chapter presents Reclamation data on roads, bridges, recreation,

partnerships, and trails, as well as information gathered through the 2018-

2019 Transportation Needs Assessment. The descriptions of existing

conditions and future need presented in this chapter are organized around

the goal areas defined in the previous chapter: System Preservation,

Safety, Economic Generation, and Partnerships. This organization allows

Reclamation to see how the current state of the transportation system

relates to its goals. It can also help Reclamation identify what other data

in the future might be useful to better inform the state of transportation

goals. 

Additional data and analysis, forthcoming from the Road Inventory

Program and the Safety Management Information System, will expand

the understanding of baseline existing conditions and need relative to

system preservation and safety. As such, the contents of this chapter will

likely change significantly when Reclamation updates the LRTP in five

years.

2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment

Reclamation conducted a transportation needs assessment with the regions

in 2018 and 2019 by deploying an online ArcGIS tool. The tool allowed

representatives from each region to draw polygons at or near the location

of a transportation project need. Regions were asked to consider needs

as far out as 20 years, both inside and outside Reclamation’s boundaries.

They were asked to consider needs on roads, bridges, trails, parking lots,

boat ramps, and culverts, regardless if the facilities were publicly accessible

or only used administratively. However, almost all the needs entered

were on publicly accessible facilities. The regions were asked to consider

capital improvements, maintenance needs, planning needs, and operations

needs. For each need entered, the region was asked to populate project

details about the anticipated need or project, assign the need a priority,

and answer questions about the need as it related to LRTP goal areas.

Reclamation’s MR&R needs for transportation facilities were also prepopulated into the tool. 

Appendix A includes the guide provided to the regions. This guide

includes details of all the questions that were asked for each need entered,

the options regions could choose, and guidance on selecting those

options. Appendix B includes several summary tables from the assessment

database, which were used to inform the existing conditions in this

chapter. This refinement included completing or adding information for

incomplete entries, confirming project descriptions and priorities, and in

some cases adding or removing a few needs.

Ultimately, 354 transportation needs were gathered across the six

Reclamation regions.1 Reclamation and FLH summarized the data both at

national and regional levels. National level summaries are presented in this 

chapter while regional level summaries for all six regions are included in

Appendices C through H.

1 Sixty-six needs were identified as being at locations that only allow administrative

use. Funding options for these needs will be different than for needs at sites allowing

public access. However, all transportation needs are considered and summarized in

this chapter to provide a comprehensive picture of Reclamation conditions.
May 2021 9

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Existing Conditions: System Preservation

Road Inventory

Reclamation’s road inventory includes over 2,800 miles of Reclamationowned public roads. This includes 791 miles of paved and 2,066 miles

of unpaved roads. Reclamation is required to seek managing partners

for recreation areas (which also includes areas from Reclamation’s public

road inventory). Over 67 percent of Reclamation’s roads are operated

and maintained by other federal or non-federal agencies. The managing

partner agreements state that Reclamation owns the roads and other

assets, but the partner is responsible for operations and maintenance for

the duration of the agreement. Table 1 is a summary of roadway miles by

region.

Region Mileage

Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas Gulf Region 125

California-Great Basin Region 328

Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region 472

Lower Colorado Basin Region 478

Missouri Basin Region 1,035

Upper Colorado Basin Region 420

TOTAL 2,858

Table 1. FY 2020 Road Inventory Program roadway mileage by region

FHWA and Reclamation conducting manual rating assessments 

for the Road Inventory in the Lower Colorado Basin Region. 

(FHWA-Central Federal Lands Highway Division)
May 2021 10

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Bridge Inventory and Condition

Reclamation has been receiving Federal Highway Administration

(FHWA) funding for many years to comply with the National Bridge

Inspection Standards (NBIS). Reclamation manages data for over

7,000 structures using the Reclamation Bridge Inventory. Reclamationowned public vehicular bridges over 20 feet are reported to the

National Bridge Inventory (NBI) and included in the National Federal

Lands Transportation Facility Inventory. Historically, Reclamation

has approximately 300 NBI bridges. However, the number of NBI

bridges fluctuates from year to year due to bridge disposals, new bridge

construction, and additions to the inventory. As of 2020, the NBI has

information on 312 Reclamation-owned bridges. Reclamation inspected

and reported on 282 of these bridges. These bridges are located across

15 of the 17 states that include Reclamation lands; Oklahoma and Texas

are the exceptions, as neither has NBI-listed bridges. The remaining 30

bridges were inspected and reported to the NBI by state DOTs.

Reclamation’s Bridge Program catalogues extensive information on

bridges reported to the NBI and most bridges are designated for

inspection every 24 months. The ages of the bridges range from 1 year

to 112 years, with the average age of Reclamation bridges being 50 years

old. Most Reclamation bridges (91 percent) are in good or fair condition,

but there are 25 bridges that are in poor condition and considered

structurally deficient (see Table 2). Figure 2 shows the type of structure

for Reclamation bridges, with most bridges (77 percent) being a type of

concrete. Bridges in the NBI range in length from 25 to 3,500 feet, with

the average length being approximately 110 feet.

Table 2. Condition of Reclamation’s NBI bridges (n=282)

Condition

Good Fair Poor

33% 59% 9%

48%

29%

17%

6%

Concrete Prestressed Concrete

Steel Wood or Timber

Figure 2. Reclamation bridge structure types

n=282
May 2021 11

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Reclamation is responsible for maintenance on 44 percent of the NBI

bridges while state, county, or local agencies maintain most of the

other bridges (Table 3). Table 4 provides information on the functional

classification of the bridges. Most of Reclamation’s bridges are located on

rural, local routes and provide two lanes of bi-directional travel. However,

32 percent of Reclamation bridges only have one lane of travel. In most

cases, this is a one-lane bridge allowing two-way traffic.

Maintenance Entity Percentage of 

Reclamation-Owned 

Bridges

State Highway Agency 2%

County Highway Agency 6%

Other State Agencies 10%

Other Local Agencies 32%

Private (Other than Railroad) 6%

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1%

Bureau of Reclamation 44%

Table 3. Breakdown of maintenance responsibilities for Reclamation-owned 

bridges (n=282)

Functional Classifcation Number of 

Bridges

RURAL

Principal Arterial - Interstate 1

Principal Arterial - Other 5

Minor Arterial 42

Major Collector 14

Minor Collector 21

Local 194

URBAN

Minor Arterial 1

Collector 1

Local 3

Table 4. Functional classification of bridges (n=282)

Reclamation bridges in the NBI are also called Type 1 bridges.

Reclamation classifies two other types of bridges. Type 2 bridges are

Reclamation-owned bridges not located on a public road. Type 2 includes:

pedestrian bridges, trail bridges, railroad bridges, and non-public road

bridges. Type 3 bridges are non-Reclamation-owned bridges that cross

Reclamation facilities (typically water conveyance facilities like canals). 

Type 3 bridges are usually public bridges that are included in the NBI,

but are owned and reported by another agency. Reclamation tracks

information on Type 3 bridges to ensure Type 3 bridges are not impacting

Reclamation’s water delivery capabilities. Reclamation has over 1,100

Type 2 bridges and over 3,000 Type 3 bridges. There are over 2,000 more

structures that are less than 20 feet in length that are also included in the

inventory.
May 2021 12

 Long Range Transportation Plan

64%

23%

4%

7%

2%

Capital

Maintenance

Operations

Transportation Studies

Other1

Trail Inventory

Reclamation does not yet have a comprehensive trails inventory. The 

Cycle 1 inventory is underway and should be completed in the next 2

to 3 years. Reclamation estimates having over 1,300 miles of trails. The

inventory will help catalogue additional miles of trail and the classification

of Reclamation trails.

Feature Number of 

Projects as Primary 

Feature

Number of Projects 

as Secondary 

Feature

Boat Ramp 20 16

Bridge 49 6

Culvert 7 7

Parking Lot 46 79

Roadway 207 59

Trail 23 12

2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment: Facility Type

The 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment asked regions to

identify what type(s) of facility was associated with each need and what

type of project would be necessary to address the need. Almost all of the

needs identified a primary facility or feature where the project need was

located. In some cases a secondary facility or feature was also identified.

Table 5 and Figure 3 show that most regions identified needs located

on roadways, parking lots, and bridges involving a capital improvement

project.

Table 5. Reclamation Transportation Needs: Facility type of the project (n=3521) 

Figure 3. Reclamation needs by project type

2 The “Other” project type category was predominantly agreement project needs.

The need was usually to formalize a maintenance or easement agreement.

n=354

1 Two of the 354 needs identified did not identify any transportation feature

associated with the entry.

2
May 2021 13

 Long Range Transportation Plan

5%

31% 50%

14%

Good

Fair - Sustainable through maintenance

Poor - Will fail with no action

Failed - Does not meet intended use

Existing Conditions: Safety

Reclamation has systems in refinement or development that will assist

with tracking safety incidents on Reclamation transportation facilities.

Reclamation uses a system called the Safety Management Information

System (SMIS) that tracks all safety incidents across Reclamation lands.

One of the many types of incidents tracked is Motor Vehicle Accidents

(MVAs). Since the start of FY 2016, when Reclamation was included in

the FLTP, there have been 20 reported MVAs. However, not all of these

accidents were on Reclamation-owned roads. Currently, SMIS tracks all

Reclamation personnel involved in MVAs regardless of whether they were

on Reclamation-owned roads or not. Reclamation’s Asset Management

Division (AMD) is working with its Policy and Programs Directorate to

improve the capabilities of SMIS for better data tracking of accidents on

Reclamation-owned roads.

Reclamation also worked with the Department of the Interior (DOI) and

U.S. DOT Volpe Center in creating the Fatality Analysis Report System

Crashes on Federal Lands Tool. This database geospatially mapped

crashes that occurred on roads within federal land boundaries, which were

reported in the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) from 2009 to 2011

and 2013 to 2017. Twenty incidents, resulting in twenty-four fatalities, were

reported within Reclamation boundaries. However, only eight incidents

identified a road owner, and these incidents involved either a state or a

county road owner. All incidents were one-vehicle crashes, with drunk

drivers reported in 12 of the incidents. Only one incident cited inadequate

or poor roadway design or construction as a factor in the crash.

Continued use and refinement of the SMIS and FARS databases will allow

Reclamation to track fatalities on Reclamation-owned roads over time and

analyze trends related to the fatal crashes. Going forward, SMIS and FARS

will be able to assist Reclamation in identifying areas on transportation

facilities that routinely experience safety incidents. Both systems will also

have the ability to assess if design or condition of the facility contributed

to the crash. As a result, these areas can then be prioritized for project

funding to support improvements.

n=289

2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment: 

Facility Condition

In the 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment, regions could

self-assess the condition of the transportation facility each need was

located on. Of the 354 needs entered, 289 of the entries provided an

observation of the facility condition (Figure 4). Fifty-five percent of the

transportation facilities upon which the need was located were assessed

to be in fair or good condition, meaning pavement preservation may be

enough to maintain the facility. The remaining 45 percent of facilities

were assessed to be in poor or failed condition. This means some level

of capital improvement will likely be necessary in the near future to keep

those facilities in good operation.

Figure 4. Assessment of transportation facility condition
May 2021 14

 Long Range Transportation Plan

13%

33%

40%

14%

High Medium Low Not Applicable

5%

2%

6%

6%

68%

13%

Accessibility Bicycle

Hazard Pedestrian

Vehicle Not Applicable

2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment: Safety Concerns

The 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment asked regions for each

need they entered to describe safety concerns associated with that need.

Questions included describing the level of safety risk associated with

the need that was entered, and if the need had a specific type of safety

concern. Risk could be assessed as low, medium, high, or not applicable.

For the type of concern, regions could say if the need had a safety

concern related to vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle, or visitors with disabilities

access, or if there was just a general hazard that needed to be addressed;

regions could also designate this category as not applicable.

.

Figure 5. Safety risk associated with the need Figure 6. Type of safety concern 

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the results from the needs entered by the

regions. Thirteen percent of the needs entered into the assessment were

observed to have a high-risk safety concern associated with them, while

40 percent of the needs were assessed as low-risk safety concerns. The

type of safety concern (Figure 6) mostly involved safe vehicle access,

chosen for 68 percent of the needs entered that had some associated

safety risk.

n=267 n=262
May 2021 15

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Existing Conditions: Economic Generation

Reclamation’s impacts to economic generation include both the recreation

opportunities and the water and power resource infrastructure provided

to the country. Reclamation owns/manages approximately 6.5 million

acres of land and water, much of which is available for public outdoor

recreation. Reclamation owns and oversees over 240 developed recreation

areas that draw over 44 million visits annually. The developed recreation

areas provide 590 campgrounds, 450 boat launch ramps, 7,500 miles of

shoreline, and 18,000 campsites to the American public. There are more

than 500 designated Reclamation day use areas with facilities that include

picnic sites and shade shelters. These areas accommodate activities such 

as hiking, fishing, educational interpretation programs, watersports,

and wildlife viewing. In Reclamation areas that do not have developed

recreation facilities, dispersed recreational opportunities such as hunting,

hiking, photography, wildlife viewing, and fishing are available.

Table 6 illustrates the range in annual visitation that Reclamation

recreation areas received in 2018. Sixty-three percent of sites reported

visitation under 100,000. The remaining 37 percent of sites reported

visitation over 100,000.

2018 Visitation Percentage of Sites

0-9,999 20%

10,000-49,999 31%

50,000-99,999 12%

100,000-249,999 18%

250,000-499,999 8%

500,000+ 11%

Table 6. Reclamation 2018 recreation visitation

Reclamation is best known for the dams, power plants, pipelines, and

canals constructed in the 17 western states. Reclamation is the steward

of approximately 67 percent, by value, of all DOI real property assets

(buildings and structures constructed by DOI). Reclamation’s water

resource infrastructure assets have a current estimated total replacement 

value of $113.4 billion. In FY 2019, the delivery of water, power, and

other benefits from Reclamation’s projects provided $67 billion in positive

economic impact and supported more than 472,000 jobs.1

Existing Conditions: Partnerships

Reclamation is directed by Congress to coordinate the recreation use

at its water projects with the use of existing and planned federal, state,

or local public recreation developments and to seek non-federal public

bodies, or other federal agencies, to manage recreation at Reclamation

project areas. Over the years, it has been Reclamation’s goal to seek other

qualified government entities to manage recreation at its water projects. 

This effort has resulted in many successful federal and non-federal

partnerships with qualified entities throughout the 17 western states.

Most Reclamation project areas have been developed and managed

for recreation purposes in partnership with state, county, or local

governments who have entered into long-term recreation management

agreements with Reclamation. These types of agreements are typically

for 25 years and have a specified termination date. As of 2018, 64 nonfederal partners manage 190 developed recreation areas at Reclamation

water projects while 56 areas are managed directly by Reclamation. In

addition, 85 areas have been developed and jurisdictionally transferred

to other federal agencies or tribes through agreements or congressional

authorization, which allows them to manage recreation and other land

resources using their rules and regulations. These types of transfers are 

usually in perpetuity and have no termination date.

1 This information is taken from the FY 2019 DOI Economic Report: 

https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/econ-report-2019-final.pdf.
May 2021 16

 Long Range Transportation Plan

2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment: Partnering 

Opportunities

The ownership and/or maintenance of transportation facilities is

generally an eligibility factor when pursuing funding for transportation

needs. In the 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment, regions were

asked what entities owned and maintained the facility upon which the

entered needs were located. Eighty-nine percent of the needs entered

were on facilities owned by Reclamation or another federal entity.

However, 57 percent of the needs entered were on facilities operated or

maintained by non-federal entities.

Reclamation facilities that are operated or maintained by non-federal

entities may make them eligible for some funding sources that are only

available to state, county, and local agencies. One such program is the

Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP). FLAP is an Office of Federal

Lands Highway program to improve transportation facilities that

provide access to, are adjacent to, or are located within federal lands. The

program helps supplement state and local resources for public roads,

transit systems, and other transportation facilities providing improved

and increased access to federal lands. Reclamation sites have been

eligible for FLAP funding since 2012. To date, 24 FLAP projects that

lead to Reclamation lands have been funded in 14 of the 17 states where

Reclamation has lands (See Appendix I for a list). FLAP funds identified

for programming toward projects accessing and within Reclamation lands

have exceeded $75 million, with projects programmed out through FY

2025.

Berryessa-Knoxville Road, California. A Federal Lands Access 

Program Project. (FHWA-Central Federal Lands Highway Division)
Birdsall Road 2019 construction of Mechanically Stabilized Earth 

retaining walls to repair erosional damage.

(FHWA-Central Federal Lands Highway Division/Justin Henwood)
May 2021 18

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Chapter 4: Transportation Funding 

Needs and Funding Outlook 

Using available data, Reclamation estimated its total transportation need.

This need was predominantly derived from the information the regions

provided through the 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment.

In addition to the Needs Assessment, the need was identified through

partially available data from the Road Inventory Program (RIP),

information on bridge safety and deficiency, an estimate of trail

maintenance needs, non-capital planning and programmatic needs, and

large project needs identified through transportation bill reauthorization

research. 

Review of all these data determined that it was important to develop

a strategy that focused on meeting as many of the needs as possible

over the next 10 years while also anticipating that there are many future

needs that are yet-to-be identified when taking into account the 20-year

planning horizon. Therefore, this chapter projects 20 years of need based

on the assumption that the existing transportation need only accounts for

about half of Reclamation’s total need and that the same amount of new

needs will be identified over time.

Reclamation can estimate the gap in funding by comparing the difference

in identified and anticipated need with funding availability over the

next 20 years by extrapolating another 10 years of new need equal to

the amount of existing transportation funding need. The extent of

Reclamation’s funding gap will depend on a variety of factors that can

only be approximated based on changes in current funding levels and

projected success in leveraging other funding sources.

The funding outlooks developed for this plan present a range based

on Reclamation’s historical transportation funding and the pattern of 

increase in transportation funding from Congress. The gap between

Reclamation’s estimated need and each funding outlook will be bigger or

smaller depending on how much additional funding becomes available

through partnering and leveraging of the base transportation program. The

projected cost and funding figures in this plan all use an inflation rate of

3 percent, compounded, to estimate future cost of today’s dollars. Three

percent was chosen based on the long-term average inflation rate and

forecasts.

Transportation Need

2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment

The 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment was a snapshot in time.

The assessment catalogued as many transportation needs as possible and

included Reclamation’s MR&R needs for transportation facilities (See

Appendix A and Figure 7). Most entries were capital or maintenance

improvements to roadways or parking lots; only a few trail and planning

projects were identified. A review of the projects entered in the assessment

identified almost $290 million in project need on facilities open to public

access.1Considering inflation compounded over 10 years, this need is

estimated at over $390 million.

1 $290 million is the sum of the median estimated cost for each need entered. 

Figure 7. A snapshot of the ArcGIS tool that regions used to enter and describe 

transportation needs
May 2021 19

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Road Inventory 

Reclamation is in the process of completing initial road condition 

assessments as part of the RIP. Condition information from the

inventory will further inform Reclamation’s overall transportation needs

in the next 10 years. It will identify recurring maintenance that will be

needed, such as chip seals, overlays, full pavement replacements, and

gravel replacements.

In the absence of a complete road inventory dataset, Reclamation

conducted an analysis using available RIP data for the Lower Colorado

Basin and Upper Colorado Basin regions to estimate the additional need 

not yet captured in the 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment.

These two regions include almost 40 percent of Reclamation’s roadway

miles. The analysis compared road and parking lot needs identified

through the RIP condition assessments against road and parking lot

needs entered into the transportation assessment. This determined 

what additional need was captured in the RIP and not identified in the

assessment. The result was an additional 40 percent in needs identified

across the two regions. Using that figure and applying it across all

Reclamation roadway mileage, it is estimated there is another $115 million

in transportation need. Considering inflation over 10 years, the need

would be estimated at $155 million.

Table 7 explains the identified additional RIP need. Appendix J further

explains the comparison between the Lower Colorado Basin and Upper

Colorado Basin regions’ RIP and the 2018-2019 Transportation Needs

Assessment data.

Deficient Bridges

Reclamation’s bridge inspection program has identified 25 structurally

deficient bridges that need over $30 million in repairs. Adjusting for

inflation, this need is over $40.5 million in the next 10 years.

Trail Maintenance

The 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment only identified about

a dozen trails initially needing some sort of improvement and only one

request for a new trail segment. It is expected that trail project needs will

grow as recreation visitation to Reclamation sites increases, Reclamation’s

trail inventory matures, and more trail connectivity projects are identified.

Currently, Reclamation has over 1,300 miles of trails. While the exact

condition or need on all 1,300 miles is not known, Reclamation has used

research from the U.S. Forest Service and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to 

estimate needing at least $1,000 to $1,500 per mile in trail maintenance

each year.2 This amounts to $1.95 million a year to maintain the 1,300

miles of trails, or $19.5 million over 10 years. Adjusting for inflation, this

need is almost $22.5 million.

1 Figure based on analysis of treatment needs in Lower and Upper Colorado Basin

RIP.

2 https://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/research_papers/pdfs/

scanned/OCR/ne_rp575.pdf.

https://www.greenwaysfoundation.org/resources/BestPractices-TrailMaintenance.

pdf.

Table 7. Summary of estimated additional need from the Road Inventory

Factor in Road Inventory Value

2020 Reclamation Miles 2,857

Estimated Maintenance per Mile1 $100,000

Estimated Total Road Network Maintenance 

Needs

$287,000,000

40% of RIP Need (Estimate of RIP needs not 

captured in Needs Assessment)

$115,000,000
May 2021 20

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Planning Needs 

Reclamation has annual programmatic planning needs related to longrange planning, data collection, Road Safety Audits, establishing a Traffic

Monitoring Program, and the ongoing management of road, bridge, and

trail inventory programs. The Federal Lands Planning Program (FLPP) is

the only dedicated funding source for all programmatic planning needs. 

Reclamation only receives about $2 million a year in FLPP funds. This

allotted amount isn’t enough to cover all programmatic needs without

making choices about restricting the depth of detail that develops the

management systems used to make investment decisions.

The 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment identified over 30

local-level planning projects, which amounts to over $10 million in

program costs. These local-level studies are accounted for in the overall

Transportation Needs Assessment figure, in part because FLPP cannot

typically fund individual local-level studies or plans. These prospective

planning projects range from facility feasibility studies to larger site

studies that consider future access management. A larger FLPP or other

FLTP and Reclamation funds will be needed for project level planning

efforts. However, competing capital and maintenance priorities make it

hard to use these funds for planning efforts.

20-Year Need

Based on the 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment, RIP

condition evaluation, structurally deficient bridge figures, estimated

trail maintenance, and planning needs, Reclamation’s total estimated

transportation need over the next 10 years would be over $455 million or

about $46 million a year. Adjusting for inflation, this figure would grow to

$608 million in 10 years (Table 8) and almost $1.2 billion in 20 years.

The 20-year planning need is extrapolated from the 10-year projectfocused need explained within this chapter. It is assumed that the

needs assessment, and other estimated need, only captured 10 years of

need, and the additional $608 million in the out years of the plan will

be re-evaluated in 5 years when this plan undergoes its first update.

During the next 5 years, Reclamation may consider implementing a

Pavement Preservation Program (PPP) once the RIP is completed.

Establishing a PPP would prolong the pavement life cycles to 30 or 40

years, thus reducing Reclamation’s long-term pavement rehabilitation

and reconstruction costs. In conjunction with implementing a PPP, the

2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment could also be re-deployed

to more comprehensively capture future needs that go beyond the needs

initially captured and represented in the 10-year Implementation Plan.

Need Area Estimated Cost 

with Inflation

2018-2019 Needs Assessment 

(including planning needs)

$390M

Additional RIP Need $155M

Structurally Deficient Bridges $40.5M

Trail Maintenance $22.5M

TOTAL $608M

Table 8. Summary of estimated 10-year need
May 2021 21

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Large Projects

Individual project needs can frequently exceed financial resources

available from typical funding allocations. These types of projects

will require specific congressional legislation to address. For example,

Reclamation owns the 3,600-foot Pit River Bridge located in Northern

California that carries Interstate 5 and the Union Pacific Railroad over

Shasta Reservoir. The Pit River Bridge is the only interstate bridge in the

U.S. that is owned by a federal agency. The California Department of

Transportation (Caltrans) is considering rehabilitation or replacement

alternatives for the bridge. The estimate to fully replace this bridge is $1.5

billion. This transportation need is not accounted for in the 10-year need

summarized in previous sections of this chapter.

Pre-construction activities for raising Shasta Dam have been

congressionally approved and are underway. If related plans for raising

Shasta Reservoir are also approved, then the existing Pit River Bridge

would need to have a major rehabilitation performed to protect the

bridge from the higher reservoir level. Pit River Bridge is one of the only

bridges connecting California to the Pacific Northwest. Catastrophic

closure of the bridge would cost an estimated $44 million per month in

delays and lost shipping time.1

Pit River Bridge, California (Caltrans)

1 Caltrans 2014 Pit River Bridge: Financial Impact Study of Interstate 5 Closure

from a Catastrophic Failure.
May 2021 22

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Funding Outlook

Reclamation has only been a competitive partner in the FLTP since

FY 2016. Before becoming an FLTP partner, Reclamation invested in

transportation projects, but historical patterns related to transportation

investments were not tracked. Furthermore, Reclamation’s Transportation

Program is still expanding and developing. New information about road

and trail conditions may expand the amount of estimated need and may

influence the amount of FLTP funding Reclamation secures in the future.

As such, Reclamation’s first National LRTP presents three funding

outlooks to help Reclamation plan and prioritize its transportation

needs. Outlook A assumes Reclamation only commits FLTP funds to

transportation needs. Outlook B assumes Reclamation’s Transportation

Program continues the pattern of investment it has been following since

it started receiving FLTP funds. In this situation, Reclamation would

continue to leverage its own funds and other federal transportation funds

to complete transportation projects. Outlook C assumes Reclamation will

see a slightly larger increase in FLTP funds, thus resulting in the ability to

leverage more Reclamation and other federal funds.

A. Federal Lands Transportation Program (Base) Funds Only 

Since 2016, Reclamation has competed with Bureau of Land

Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other approved

Independent Federal Agencies for about $25 million in FLTP funds each

year. Reclamation has competed successfully in this process, growing its

annual allocation of FLTP funds to about $7.5 million a year.

Under this outlook, funding available for Reclamation transportation

needs is limited to the FLTP funds Reclamation receives each year.

FLTP is Reclamation’s only source of funding committed exclusively to

transportation projects. The next transportation bill will determine what

increases FLTP may see. The bill will also determine if Reclamation

remains a competing partner or is given a dedicated allocation each year. 

Based on historical patterns, this outlook assumes funding levels remain

around $7.5 million a year, increasing only by about 3 percent each year.

This outlook also assumes Reclamation remains a competitive partner in

FLTP and successfully competes for about the same level of funding each

year. Under this outlook, Reclamation would receive about $86 million in

FLTP over the next 10 years, or $202 million over the next 20 years. This

would leave an estimated funding gap of $522 million over the next 10

years or $1.014 billion over 20 years.

Federal Lands Transportation Program

The Federal Lands Transportation Program (FLTP) was 

established in 23 U.S.C. § 203 to improve the transportation 

infrastructure owned and maintained by the following federal 

lands management agencies: National Park Service, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of 

Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of 

Reclamation and Independent Federal Agencies with land and 

natural resource management responsibilities.

Eligible facilities include public highways, roads, bridges, trails, 

transit facilities, and other appropriate public road facilities 

located on, adjacent to, or providing access to federal lands 

for which title and maintenance responsibility is vested in 

the federal government. Maintenance responsibility is still 

vested with the federal government when Reclamation has a 

transferred works contract or managing partner agreement.
May 2021 23

 Long Range Transportation Plan

B. Base Funding with Leveraging (Business as Usual Funding) 

Since Reclamation became a part of the Federal Lands Transportation

Program, FLTP funds have successfully been leveraged with other

Reclamation and federal transportation funds to address more 

transportation projects. Using a combination of other Reclamation funds

and funding that Reclamation partners have received from the FLAP,

Reclamation has successfully programmed over 35 FLTP projects and has

seen partners receive funding for more than 24 FLAP projects.

Under this outlook, Reclamation’s FLTP funding levels are the same as in

the previous section and contributions of other Reclamation funds will

continue. The ability for Reclamation or its partners to continue to secure

a minimal amount of other federal transportation funds is also assumed. 

Reclamation is required to seek out managing partners to manage

recreation and resources on Reclamation land. Reclamation currently 

has 64 non-federal partners that manage 190 developed recreation areas

at Reclamation projects. Over 67 percent of Reclamation-owned roads

are managed by other entities. This creates a unique opportunity for

Reclamation to use FLTP and FLAP funds on Reclamation roads since

FLAP only requires eligible facilities to be owned or maintained by a nonfederal entity. The majority of Reclamation’s transportation needs could

look to FLAP as a potential funding source.

Since 2012, FLAP projects that lead to Reclamation lands have been

funded in 14 of the 17 states where Reclamation has lands. FLAP

funds identified for programming toward projects accessing and within

Reclamation lands have exceeded $75 million, with projects programmed

out through FY 2025. This funding outlook assumes Reclamation

continues to coordinate with its partners to pursue FLAP and other

federal funds, regardless of whether Reclamation or the partner provides

the minimum match. Funding Outlook B estimates that Reclamation

can, on average, secure $5 million a year through these types of funds for

projects that access its lands.

Federal Lands Access Program

The Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) was established in 

23 U.S.C. § 204 to improve transportation facilities that provide 

access to, are adjacent to, or are located within federal lands. 

The Access Program supplements state and local resources for 

public roads, transit systems, and other transportation facilities, 

with an emphasis on projects that access high-use recreation 

sites and economic generators.

Eligible facilities include public highways, roads, bridges, trails, 

transit located on, adjacent to, or providing access to federal 

lands, for which the title or maintenance responsibility is vested 

in a state, county, town, township, tribal, municipal or local 

government.
May 2021 24

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Reclamation has always invested its own funds in transportation projects.

Some transportation needs in the assessment identified Reclamation

funds as one possible source for completing the project. Reclamation

contributions to FLTP projects have ranged from $150,000 to over

$6 million on a single project. Additionally, investment of nontransportation-specific Reclamation funds is often tied to project sites

that also produce power. 

Historically, it has been harder for Reclamation to contribute additional

Reclamation funds to transportation projects covered under a managing

partner agreement due to the Title 28 requirement for the managing

partner to pay 50 percent of the cost. However, Reclamation recently

received a Solicitor concurrence confirming that these federal funds can

cover the non-federal share of costs for Title 23 projects including FLTP

and FLAP projects. This authority allows Reclamation to contribute

additional Reclamation funds to a transportation project even if it is at

an area with a managing partner. With confirmation of this authority,

Reclamation anticipates an increase in Reclamation funding and managing 

partner funding for transportation projects at areas with a managing

partner. Managing partner contributions were not included in the funding

outlook since this authority was not previously available.

Under Outlook B, it is assumed Reclamation would continue to put funds

toward priority transportation projects at sites eligible for Reclamation

funds with purposes related to maintaining the mission of Reclamation.

There are many competing non-transportation projects also seeking

Reclamation funding. So, this scenario assumes that $3 million a year, on

average, could go to transportation projects.

Based on historical investment patterns, this scenario assumes

Reclamation would have an estimated $178 million over the next 10

years, or $417.5 million over 20 years, for transportation projects. This

would leave an estimated funding gap of $430.5 million over the next

10 years, or $798.5 million over the next 20 years. Table 9 breaks down

the estimated FLTP, FLAP, and Reclamation funds contributed in this

outlook over the next 10 and 20 years.

Funding Source

Base Funding with 

Leveraging

10 Years 20 Years

FLTP $86M $202M

FLAP 

(based on average per year)

$57.5M $134.5M

Reclamation (based on 

average per year)

$34.5M $81M

TOTAL $178M $417.5M

Table 9. Estimated funding availability: base funding with leveraging (adjusted 

for inflation)

C. Increase in Base Funding and Leveraged Funds

The final outlook assumes that Reclamation’s FLTP funding is slightly

increased above historical patterns, inflating on average by about five

percent. If FLTP funding increased, it is assumed that available FLAP

funds would also increase. It is assumed Reclamation would then also

increase the amount of funds leveraged through FLAP, other federal

grants, and Reclamation funds. The increase in FLTP funding could be

the result of future congressional actions that would give Reclamation

more dedicated FLTP funding or just an increase in the amount of

overall FLTP funds available to the competitive partners. Under these

assumptions, Reclamation would have an estimated $195.5 million over

the next 10 years, or $512.5 million over the next 20 years. This would

leave an estimated funding gap of $412.5 million over the next 10 years,

or $703.5 million over the next 20 years.

Table 10 (next page) breaks down the estimated FLTP, FLAP, and

Reclamation funds contributed in this outlook over the next 10 and 20

years.
May 2021 25

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Funding Source

Base Funding with 

Leveraging

10 Years 20 Years

FLTP $94.5M $248M

FLAP 

(based on average per year)

$63M $165.5M

Reclamation (based on 

average per year)

$38M $99M

TOTAL $195.5M $512.5M

Table 10. Estimated funding availability: increase in base funding and leveraging 

(adjusted for inflation)

Table 11, below, summarizes each outlook’s estimated funds available

over the next 20 years by funding source. The table also shows the

variance in how big or small the funding gap becomes in the context

of meeting all of Reclamation’s initial identified transportation needs.

As the comparison shows, none of the outlooks would completely

meet Reclamation’s needs identified through this LRTP. Depending on

unforeseen changes to Reclamation’s mission or unanticipated new travel

demand to Reclamation lands over the next 20 years, the gap between

needs and available funding could dramatically increase beyond the

baseline identified in this plan.

Funding Source

Funding Outlook Funding Need and Gap

A. Base Funding B. Base Funding 

with Leveraging

C. Increase in Base 

Funding & Leveraging

Estimated Need Leveraging Target 

(Gap)

FLTP $202M $202M $248M

$1.2B $703.5M-$1.014B

FLAP - $134.5M $165.5M

Reclamation (based on 

average per year) - $81M $99M

TOTAL $202M $417.5M $512.5M

Table 11. Estimated funding outlook, need, and gap over the next 20 years

Leveraging Opportunities

As illustrated in the above table, Reclamation’s need will far outweigh funding available to meet that need. Reclamation’s ability to leverage additional

transportation funds will determine how much of the transportation need can be addressed. Table 12, on the next page, presents some other funding

sources, beyond FLAP and Title 28, that Reclamation may consider for transportation projects.
May 2021 26

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Table 12. Other potential funding sources for transportation projects

Program Annual 

Funding

Type of 

Funding

Basic Eligibility

Eligible Applicants Eligible Projects Match Notes

FHWA 

Recreational Trails 

Program (RTP)

40% of 

State RTP 

Funds

Competitive State, county, city, federal, and 

tribal governments

• Trailside maintenance and restoration

• Trailside and trailhead facilities

• Construction of new recreational trails

• Acquisition of trail corridors

• Assessment of trail conditions

• Safety and environmental education

20-60%+ • RTP funds are often 

leveraged with other 

community and state 

funds.

FHWA

Transportation 

Alternatives SetAside (TA)

$850 

Million

Competitive Local governments, regional 

transportation authorities, 

transit agencies, natural 

resource or public land 

agencies, school districts, local 

education agencies or schools, 

and tribal governments

• Bicycle and pedestrian facilities

• Recreational trails

• Safe routes to school projects

 NA • The FAST Act also 

allows nonprofit 

entities responsible 

for the administration 

of local transportation 

safety programs to 

apply.

USDOT

Rebuilding 

American 

Infrastructure with 

Sustainability and 

Equity

$1 Billion Competitive State, local, and tribal 

governments, including U.S. 

territories, transit agencies, 

port authorities, metropolitan 

planning organizations (MPOs), 

and other political subdivisions 

of state or local governments

Capital projects including, but not limited to:

• Road or bridge projects 

• Public transportation projects 

• Passenger and freight rail transportation 

projects

• Port infrastructure investments (including 

inland port infrastructure and land ports of 

entry)

• Intermodal projects

• Projects investing in surface transportation 

facilities 

0-20% • Discretionary grant 

• No research projects

• Program may put 

caps on maximum 

grant award or 

maximum funds one 

state may receive.

Nationally 

Significant Federal 

Lands and Tribal 

Projects Program

$100 

Million

Competitive Any entity eligible under 

FLTP, FLAP, or the Tribal 

Transportation Program; also 

state, county, and local entities

Projects that:

• Are on FLTP, FLAP, or TTP eligible facilities

• Have completed environmental compliance

• Have estimated cost of at least $25 million

10%

NPS Rivers, Trails, 

and Conservation 

Assistance 

Program (RTCA)

NA Competitive State and local agencies, tribes, 

nonprofit organizations, or 

citizen groups. National Parks 

and other federal agencies may 

apply in partnership with other 

local organizations.

Projects that:

• Build outdoor opportunities

• Conserve natural lands and rivers

• Engage the youth

• Strengthen organizational capacity

• Support NPS

NA • No monetary 

grants are made. 

• This is technical 

and coordination 

assistance for federal 

lands and their 

gateway communities. 
Folsom South Canal Trail Project Phase II, under construction in October 2020.

(FHWA-Central Federal Lands Highway Division/Coby Cubic)
May 2021 28

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Chapter 5: National Investment 

 Considerations

As indicated in the previous chapter, Reclamation’s transportation needs

will outweigh available funds. This chapter identifies high-level investment

strategies intended to help guide Reclamation in making tough choices

on where to best place limited funds. Investment focus areas have been

developed to help Reclamation achieve its transportation goals and direct 

how to maximize improvements to its transportation system using limited

transportation funding.

Investment Focus Areas

Investment Focus Area 1: High Priority Projects and System 

Preservation: Address high priority needs across facility conditions.

Goal Areas: Safety, System Preservation, 

Economic Generation

Knowing Reclamation’s needs will far outweigh future

funding availability, this investment area will focus on

identifying and addressing Reclamation’s highest priority 

needs first. Reclamation’s definition of high priority needs will include

those identified by the regions in the needs assessment, Functional Class

1 roads, and the consideration for needs on sites at high risk of turn back.

Turn back is where one of Reclamation’s managing partners relinquishes

their recreation management responsibilities and conveys them back to

Reclamation, typcially due to financial difficulties.

There are 518 miles of Functional Class 1 roads representing 18 percent

of Reclamation’s public road inventory. Functional Class 1 roads are

Reclamation’s highest priority roads, followed by Functional Class 2, and

then Functional Class 3.

The 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment asked the regions

to self-identify the priority of the need. Of the 354 entries, 59 were

categorized as high priority projects with 52 of those being on sites

providing recreation or public access.1 The regions were asked to selfassess priority and answer questions about the need entered related to the

safety, system preservation, and economic generation goals of the LRTP.

Overwhelmingly, a common trait of the priority needs was that they were

also high priorities as related to the LRTP goal areas. Seventy percent of

the needs prioritized as high or medium were also identified to be at least

one of the following: on a facility that had either a high or medium safety

need, on a facility in poor or failing condition, or accessed a site that was

considered a high or medium economic generator for the region.

Investment Focus Area 2: Safety: Address needs with the highest

safety concerns.

Goal Area: Safety

The 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment asked the

regions to identify if there was a safety concern associated with

the need entered and the severity of the safety risk (high, medium,

low). One hundred transportation needs were identified as having a safety

concern that was rated high or medium. The nature of these concerns

predominantly stemmed from facilities the regions said were either

deteriorating, had a history of crashes or near-misses, or had a history of

conflicts between roadway users.

Reclamation uses the SMIS system to track all safety incidents across

Reclamation lands. Reclamation also uses the FARS database to geospatially

map fatalities on Reclamation and DOI lands. As more data in FARS and

SMIS are analyzed, Reclamation will be able to identify hotspots where

additional safety improvements, beyond those already identified in the

assessment, should be made.

Maintaining safe bridges is also a part of this focus area. Reclamation has

identified 25 structurally deficient bridges in need of repair. The estimated

cost to fix these bridges is about $40.5 million with inflation. Reclamation’s

transportation program will continue to look at ways to focus transportation

funding towards bridges that are or will become structurally deficient.

1 Until needs are programmed into projects for delivery, it is hard to know how many

projects this priority will equate to; estimated at 40 to 45 projects.
May 2021 29

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Investment Focus Area 3: High-Use Recreation Sites: Address

needs at high-use recreation sites and expand transportation options.

Goal Area: Economic Generation

Transportation legislation and funding programs for 

federal lands place emphasis on identifying and investing 

in sites that draw in high numbers of visitors and provide economic

generation for the communities where they are located. Reclamation

does not have an absolute definition of high-use recreation sites, but

recognizes that funding projects at sites with high or growing visitation

will help meet Reclamation’s mission and LRTP goals.

In the 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment, the regions were

asked to gauge if the transportation need they entered was at a site

that had visitation over or nearing visitor carrying capacity, based on

observations from staff. One hundred and thirty-eight needs were

identified at sites over or nearing capacity. Prioritizing project needs at

these sites will help manage growing visitation and issues that arise at

facilities that are viewed as having higher use.

Transportation options to and within Reclamation sites influence how

visitors access and experience these recreation areas. In the long term,

they can also affect visitation levels if visitors return to experience the

area again. This also subsequently impacts regional economies and

resources at Reclamation sites. With limited transportation funding 

available, Reclamation’s transportation program will continue to focus on

road, bridge, and parking lot improvements at these high-use sites first.

As Reclamation makes strides in meeting needs associated with these

priority facilities and as visitation continues to grow, the ability to address

trail needs and expand trail and transit options will increase.

The 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment identified 20 multimodal needs. Almost all of these needs were trail improvements or

building new trail connections. The median estimated cost for these

improvements is around $21 million. The trail inventory that is underway

is anticipated to generate additional project need. Also, as the regions

see needs being addressed on priority facilities or as more transportation

funds become available, the focus will likely turn to identifying and

completing more trail and possibly transit projects.

Investment Focus Area 4: Leveraging Funds: Prioritize

projects that leverage FLTP funds with other funding sources.

Goal Area: Partnering

Coordinating across funding programs inside and outside Reclamation,

and amongst multiple partners, will assist Reclamation in bridging some

of the estimated transportation funding gap. Partnering will be an

underlying investment principle as Reclamation tries to address needs 

across the other investment focus areas. 

As previously discussed, the unique structure by which Reclamation

manages its recreation areas means the majority of Reclamation-owned

transportation facilities are managed by non-federal or sometimes

other federal entities. Of the 354 needs entered in the 2018-2019

Transportation Needs Assessment, 57 percent were on facilities that had

some combination of this ownership and maintenance relationship. Many

of Reclamation’s transportation needs could pursue a combination of

funding sources available to federal and non-federal entities.
Lake Berryessa Foxtail Flat Day-Use Area improvements completed in 2018. 

(FHWA-Central Federal Lands Highway Division)
May 2021 31

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Chapter 6: Implementation

Reclamation’s LRTP provides a framework to build on the success of

Reclamation’s existing transportation program. It identifies goals and

objectives that will assist Reclamation in meeting transportation needs and

the agency’s mission over the next 20 years. The LRTP funding outlook

assumptions and investment strategies will help guide Reclamation in

implementing a transportation program that can address a range of 

transportation needs depending on future funding availability.

As indicated earlier in the plan, a 10-year implementation strategy will

be undertaken to help Reclamation better link its 20-year vision for

improving its transportation system to its shorter-term project delivery

decision-making process. The implementation strategy will focus on an

evaluation of competing priorities and different options for how best to

achieve the established goals. It will also focus on identifying some initial

performance management strategies as well as continuing outreach and

coordination with Reclamation partners and stakeholders. Both actions

are key to ensuring Reclamation can address its greatest transportation

needs and make the best use of funding available.

10-Year Project Implementation Strategy

This section focuses on a set of options that Reclamation could consider 

to meet its needs over the next 10 years based on the goals and objectives

it will pursue in the next 20 years. Over the next 10 years, it is estimated

that $86 million in FLTP funding will be available. The identified need

during this same timeframe is over $608 million. Considering all the needs

in the assessment, additional need identified through the road inventory,

costs to fix structurally deficient bridges, and costs of maintaining

Reclamation’s existing trails, this equates to a funding gap of $522 million.

To close this gap, Reclamation will need to rely on partnerships and

funding leveraging opportunities.

Considering the amounts Reclamation has historically leveraged in other 

funding, and assuming a continued focus to identify and pursue more

leveraging opportunities, this 10-year project implementation plan will

assume that Reclamation could potentially leverage at least another $92

million over the next 10 years, thus creating a range of funding from a

base of $86 million to as much as $178 million.

 10-Year Outlook
May 2021 32

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Even with leveraging, funding availability will likely not be sufficient to

meet all identified needs. Reclamation will need to make choices about

where to prioritize funding. Programmatically, the following investment

focus areas have been established in this LRTP:

High Priority Projects and System Preservation

• Addressing high priority projects across all need categories.

• Addressing needs on Reclamation’s 518 miles of Functional Class 1

roadways.

• Addressing projects at sites with high turn back risk.

Safety

• Addressing project needs at sites with the highest safety concerns.

• Fixing structurally deficient bridges.

High-Use Recreation Sites

• Completing projects at sites with the highest use.

• Consideration for expanding transportation options for visitors.

Leveraging Funds

• Prioritizing projects looking to use FLTP funds as match for a larger

FLAP project.

• Prioritizing projects that bring in additional funding, beyond FLTP, to

a transportation project.

This next section presents a few options for how Reclamation could

prioritize limited funding over the next 10 years by each investment focus

area. It concludes with an option that funds a mix of projects across all

investment focus areas.

High Priority Projects and System Preservation Focus

This option focuses on addressing the highest priority needs already 

identified by the regions and supplemental rehabilitation and pavement

preservation on the 518 miles of Functional Class 1 roads. It also

addresses needs in the assessment at sites with high turn back risk,

fixes the structurally deficient bridges, and provides some funding for

maintaining trails. Addressing needs across these elements is vital to

maintaining and preserving Reclamation’s priority assets. 

Table 13 (next page) estimates the cost to address all the needs in

this investment area alone. The Percent of Total Need column then

apportions the comparative amount of need in each category in relation 

to the total amount of need identified in the table. Based on how much

funding is estimated to be available in FLTP, the percentages are then

applied to the assumed amount of FLTP funding. Lastly, the Leveraging

Target column looks at how much additional funding in leveraging would

be needed in each category to meet all the need. 

In this scenario, Reclamation has $86 million in FLTP funding available

over the next 10 years. Reclamation would need to leverage an additional

$115.5 million to meet needs identified to date in this area, or about $12

million a year. Based on Reclamation’s historical success with leveraging, it

is reasonable to assume the leveraging target could be achieved.
May 2021 33

 Long Range Transportation Plan

High Priority Projects and System 

Preservation Focus Project Type

Estimated Cost 

with Inflation

Percent of 

Total Need

Projected Funds Available Over 10 Years

Estimated Portion 

Covered by FLTP

Leveraging Target

Needs Identified as High Priority by Regions1 $86M 43% $37M $49M

Highest Needs on Functional Class 1 Roads 

(Pavement Preservation & Rehabilitation)2

$60M 30% $26M $34M

Needs at Sites with High Turn Back Risk $10M 5% $4.3M $5.7M

Minimal Trail Maintenance Budget $5M 2% $1.7M $3.3M

Fix Structurally Deficient Bridges $40.5M 20% $17M $23.5M

TOTAL $201.5M 100% $86M $115.5M

Table 13. Estimated cost and projected funds available to address a high priority projects and system preservation focus

1 The number of actual projects for all needs in this table would be determined by how they are packaged for delivery. 

2 Some Functional Class 1 Road needs may be addressed via High Priority Project Needs identified by the regions in the 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment.
May 2021 34

 Long Range Transportation Plan

High Safety Risk Focus

When considering how to balance transportation investment priorities,

safety is always going to be at the top of the list. The figures in Table

14 represent a summary of the safety needs identified in the 2018-2019

Transportation Needs Assessment, along with the bridges that have been

rated as structurally deficient. 

Table 14 estimates the cost to address all the projects in this investment

area alone. The Percent of Total Need column then apportions the

comparative amount of need in each category in relation to the total 

amount of need identified in the table. Based on how much funding is

estimated to be available in FLTP, the percentages are then applied to the

assumed amount of FLTP funding. Lastly, the Leveraging Target column

looks at how much additional funding in leveraging would be needed in

each category to meet all the need. 

In relation to the projected base funding amount, Reclamation is well

positioned to meet almost all of its highest safety needs over the next 10

years. However, if safety were the sole focus, there would be no funding

remaining to address other needs. Further, this only addresses the highest

safety needs. There were almost another 100 needs identified as having a

medium safety risk. It is anticipated that further analysis of the SMIS and

FARS data would identify more safety needs.

High Safety Risk Focus Project Type Estimated Cost 

with Inflation

Percent of 

Total Need

Projected Funds Available Over 10 Years

Estimated Portion 

Covered by FLTP

Leveraging Target

Needs Identified as Having a High Safety 

Risk1

$46M 53% $46M -

Structurally Deficient Bridges $40.5M 47% $40M $0.5M

TOTAL $86.5M 100% $86M $0.5M

Table 14. Estimated cost and projected funds available to address a safety focus

1 The number of actual projects for all needs in this table would be determined by how they are packaged for delivery.
May 2021 35

 Long Range Transportation Plan

High Use Recreation Focus

As demand for recreational access continues to increase throughout

the western United States, demand for enhanced access to Reclamation

managed lands is also on the rise. This option looks at the cost associated

with a more robust investment in enhanced access and diversified visitor

experience at sites designated as having high use. It is likely that some

of Reclamation’s best leveraging opportunities could be at these highuse sites because sustained high levels of use create more commercial

opportunities for prospective managing partners. This option may also be

the best position for leveraging, as many funding programs have emphasis

related to improving access and high use is one of the main criteria for 

selecting FLAP projects. 

Table 15 estimates the cost to address all the projects in this investment

area alone. The Percent of Total Need column then apportions the

comparative amount of need in each category in relation to the total 

amount of need identified in the table. Based on how much funding is

estimated to be available in FLTP, the percentages are then applied to the

assumed amount of FLTP funding. Lastly, the Leveraging Target column

looks at how much additional funding in leveraging would be needed in

each category to meet all the need. 

High Use Recreation Focus Project Type Estimated Cost 

with Inflation

Percent of 

Total Need

Projected Funds Available Over 10 Years

Estimated Portion 

Covered by FLTP

Leveraging Target

Needs at Sites Designated High-Use by 

Regions1

$106M 82% $71M $35M

Committed Trail Maintenance Budget $22.5M 18% $15M $7.5M

TOTAL $128.5M 100% $86M $42.5M

Table 15. Estimated cost and projected funds available to address needs related to a high use recreation focus

1 The number of actual projects for all needs in this table would be determined by how they are packaged for delivery.
May 2021 36

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Leveraging Funds Focus

As previously discussed, leveraging will be crucial to Reclamation being

able to address more need over the next 10 years. Reclamation’s needs

at sites with managing partners will be best positioned to compete for

funds that can be leveraged with FLTP. In instances where Reclamation’s

managing partner is another federal agency, there may also be

opportunities to combine FLTP from multiple agencies.

Table 16 estimates the cost to address all the projects in this investment

area alone. The Percent of Total Need column then apportions the

comparative amount of need in each category in relation to the total 

amount of need identified in the table. Based on how much funding is

estimated to be available in FLTP, the percentages are then applied to the

assumed amount of FLTP funding. Lastly, the Leveraging Target column

looks at how much additional funding in leveraging would be needed in

each category to meet all the need.

Table 16. Estimated cost and projected funds available to address needs related to a leveraging funds focus

Leveraging Funds Focus Project Type Estimated Cost 

with Inflation

Percent of 

Total Need

Projected Funds Available Over 10 Years

Estimated Portion 

Covered by FLTP

Leveraging Target

Needs on Facilities Owned by Reclamation & 

Maintained by Non-Federal Entities

$172M 77% $66M $106M

Needs on Facilities Owned & Maintained by 

Non-Federal Entities

$48M 21.5% $18.5M $29.5M

Needs on Facilities Owned by Reclamation & 

Maintained by Other Federal Entities

$2.7M 1.5% $1.5M $1.2M

TOTAL $222.7M 100% $86M $136.7M
May 2021 37

 Long Range Transportation Plan

All Areas Focus

Now that funding has been looked at from a narrower focus on specific

investment categories, it is important to evaluate a broader strategy that

balances investments across all of Reclamation’s priority investment

categories: (1) High Priority Projects and System Preservation, (2)

Safety, (3) High-Use Recreation Sites, and (4) Leveraging Funds. Table

17 represents $250.1 million of prioritized need across these four

categories, out of the total identified 10-year need of $608 million. Since

this scenario combines investment focus areas, overlap in projects is

removed. For example, in completing region-designated high priority

projects, inevitably some projects that are also at high-use sites or have a

high safety risk will be addressed, thus lowering the remaining number of

projects left in these categories. 

Similar to the previous tables, Table 17 uses the comparative percentages

for each investment focus area to allocate the available base funding.

Those percentages are then applied to the estimated funds assumed to be

available from FLTP only and determines the amount of leveraging

Reclamation would need to target. Even with a successful leveraging

program, it is anticipated that Reclamation may fall short of being able

to fully fund all the projects associated with meeting the highest needs in

each investment focus area. 

The $250.1 million in Table 17 represents a prioritized subset of the total

need identified in Chapter 4 ($608 million). This would require about 41

percent more in leveraging than the business as usual outlook projection

($178 million). However, it is reasonable to set these anticipated system

improvements as an achievable goal over the next 10 years. To this end,

it is important to emphasize that the actual focus of investment and

number of projects delivered and improvements made by Reclamation

over the next 10 years will depend on how much funding becomes

available through the reauthorization of FLTP, how much supplemental

funding can be leveraged through partnering, and the actual design and

construction costs at the time when projects are delivered.

Table 17. Estimated cost and projected funds available to address all focus areas

Types of Projects for All Area Focus Estimated Cost 

with Inflation

Percent of 

Total Need

Projected Funds Available Over 10 Years

Estimated Portion 

Covered by FLTP

Leveraging Target

Complete All Projects Considered High Priority 

Projects and Highest Functional Class 1 Needs

$146M 58% $50M $96M

Complete All Projects with High Turn Back Risk $8.6M 4% $3.5M $5.1M

Complete All Projects at High-Use Sites (At/OverCapacity)$45M 18% $15M $30M

Complete All Projects with High Safety Risk $10M 4% $3.5M $6.5M

Structurally Deficient Bridges $40.5M 16% $14M $26.5M

TOTAL $250.1M 100% $86M $164.1M
May 2021 38

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Table 18 estimates the approximate range of projects and facility

improvements that would be completed if Reclamation could address

all the needs in Table 17. This is a rough estimate based on the

limited information provided in the 2018-2019 Transportation Needs

Assessment. The actual number of projects will depend on how needs

in the assessment are packaged for delivery. If a need becomes a project,

then it would be further scoped and its scope would determine the actual

number of miles or facilities to be improved.

In conclusion, this 10-year implementation strategy focuses on analyzing

the implications of considering different mid-range funding strategies

based on competing need categories and varying levels of funding. It

has been important to first break down costs and available funding in

specific categories of need. This approach shows the tradeoffs and

options that would result if Reclamation were to decide to concentrate

funding in specific areas. It also shows how much additional funding

would be needed on top of base FLTP funding to meet all the needs

in each category. After looking more narrowly at putting greater

emphasis in certain areas over others, the final strategy presents a more

comprehensive investment strategy that seeks to balance investment

across all priority investment focus areas. 

Table 18. Estimated range of improvements if investment is made across all focus areas

Project Types for All Investment Focus 

Areas Option

Estimated Number 

of Projects to be 

Completed

Miles of Roadway 

Improved/

Maintained

Estimated Bridges 

Repaired

Estimated Parking 

Lots and Boat 

Ramps Repaired

High Priority Projects1 50

850 30 40

Projects at Sites with High Turn Back Risk 6

Projects at Sites Designated High-Use by Regions 30-45

Projects at Sites with High Safety Risks 10-15

Structurally Deficient Bridges 25

1 The number of actual projects for all needs in this table would be determined by how they are packaged for delivery.
May 2021 39

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Programmatic Implementation Strategies 

The section above focuses on a discrete look at how best to meet project

needs over the next 10 years via a bottom-up look at project needs. This

section will take a top-down look at Reclamation’s need from a strategic

programming level. The implementation strategies presented are meant 

to guide Reclamation’s Transportation Program in achieving the LRTP

goals and objectives based on a broad set of strategies tied to their longterm goals and objectives. Final programming and funding decisions will

be informed by programmatic implementation strategies Reclamation

undertakes to assist in further identifying the need.

System Preservation Strategies

The System Preservation goal includes two objectives. The first objective

focuses on maintaining good conditions on assets that provide access to 

all critical features. The second objective focuses on ensuring that access

is multi-modal and maintained at varying condition levels depending

on type of use. Over the next 10 years, Reclamation will focus on

programmatic implementation strategies to help address current and 

future system preservation needs, as described below.

• In conjunction with the safety strategies, prioritize the rehabilitation

of all structurally deficient bridges to be delivered over the next 10

years. 

• Once RIP is complete, Reclamation will develop a PPP. Based on the

recommended surface treatments that come from RIP, a PPP will

help Reclamation transition from a worst-first investment strategy

to a preservation strategy that prioritizes keeping good sections of

pavement in good condition before investing in more expensive

rehabilitation treatments on fair and poor sections of pavement. As

surface preservation treatments are applied over the years, the 20-year

life cycle of the preserved sections will be extended to 30–40 years,

thus freeing up more program funds over time to rehabilitate high

priority sections in fair and poor condition.

• In addition to investing in a PPP, Reclamation will work on developing

a shelf of out-year backup projects. Having a good project shelf

strategy will better position Reclamation to take advantage of

unanticipated increases in program funding. In years when the

construction costs come in less than the Engineer’s Estimate, for

example, having a set of shelved projects ready to put out for bid

would give Reclamation the ability to deliver a larger program. 

Additionally, having a good project shelf would better position

Reclamation to take advantage of discretionary grant opportunities that

require projects that are “shovel ready.” 

Safety Strategies

The Safety goal includes two objectives. The first objective is focused on

identifying safety issues and the second objective deals with developing

countermeasures to address the safety issues identified. Reclamation will

pursue the following implementation strategies over the next 10 years to

work toward improving safety to and within Reclamation lands.

• Use the results of the 2018-2019 Transportation Needs Assessment,

SMIS, and FARS data to develop a priority safety project list for each

region.

• Once the safety project lists have been compiled, a Reclamation-wide

safety study will be conducted to better define the locations, scope,

costs, and tentative schedule for implementing the highest priority safety

projects over the next 5 years.

• As part of the safety study, Reclamation will determine which projects

are better suited to be funded out of FLTP and which ones are best to 

pursue with partners to fund through FLAP or another funding source.

• For all the low-cost safety countermeasures that would be FLTP eligible,

Reclamation may consider a small safety program set-aside annually

from FLTP to implement a bundle of these projects each year. 

• For higher cost safety improvements, look for opportunities to bundle 

those needs with high priority road or bridge rehabilitation projects that

will also be considered over the next 10 years.
May 2021 40

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Economic Generation Strategies 

Reclamation’s Economic Development goal correlates at the objective

level with the System Preservation goal. Similar to the System

Preservation objective of maintaining multi-modal access scaled

appropriately to the type of use, both of the Economic Development

objectives are focused on accommodating multiple types of use and

scaling the transportation system to meet the needs of managing 

water delivery systems and hydropower generation while also allowing

for visitor access. Economic Development implementation strategies

Reclamation will pursue over the next 10 years are described below.

• Invest in high priority planning studies at high-use recreation sites. 

As the population in most western states continues to rise so does

the demand for outdoor recreation. Reclamation is faced with the

challenge of accommodating increased demand from the recreating 

public that wants enhanced access to Reclamation lands. Studying

current and future visitation trends will help Reclamation determine

where it may need to invest more of its transportation funds in the

future to expand current capacity or diversify mobility options. 

• In conjunction with Reclamation’s Partnering goal, Reclamation

will develop a strategic outreach plan that identifies opportunities

to partner in regions that have high concentrations of federal lands 

and are also experiencing problems with chronic overcrowding and

congestion. In these areas, there could be opportunities to leverage

funds or generate new revenue streams through multi-agency

coordination and regionally scaled transportation solutions focused 

on spreading recreational travel demand more evenly across the 

landscape. 

Partnering and Outreach Strategies 

Reclamation’s Partnering goal is supported by an objective that promotes

concurrently all the other goal areas. Partnering implementation strategies

that Reclamation will focus on over the next 10 years include:

• Develop a 5-year strategic outreach plan that identifies the site

locations in each region that could benefit the most from improved

interconnectivity with adjacent public lands and the regional

transportation network. This outreach plan would include a schedule

that aligns with the planning cycles in each state, including FLAP

Call for Projects schedules; determines the amount of state and local

planning resources that could be leveraged; and scales the amount of

FLPP funds that would be needed to fit within Reclamation’s planning

budget. 

• Prioritize FLTP projects that are funding a FLAP match on

Reclamation-owned transportation assets maintained by a non-federal

operating entity. 

• Work with managing partners to develop funding plans for

transportation projects utilizing FLTP funds, FLAP funds, managing

partner funds, and Reclamation funds. Discuss the best strategy and

schedule to fund each transportation project involving a managing

partner. 
May 2021 41

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Performance Management and Monitoring 

Performance based management and monitoring is essential to the

success of the LRTP and a requirement for all FLMAs receiving FLTP

funding. Identifying performance measures, linked to the goals of the

LRTP, helps Reclamation track progress toward meeting those goals and

objectives. Reclamation’s performance management areas are derived

from the LRTP goals and the FLTP Performance Management elements.

The initial LRTP performance measures are predominantly programmatic

and in support of developing a better baseline of performance

management information. These initial measures, once achieved, will

guide Reclamation’s development of future measures or targets and assist 

in monitoring progress toward achieving the goals of the LRTP.

System Definition and Preservation: 

This element is defined as the degree to which Reclamation’s system is

adequately defined, including minimum route ID standards; inventories

of road, bridge, and trail conditions; and information about safety

concerns; also, the degree to which Reclamation is able to effectively

maintain its inventory.

LRTP Goal Area: System Preservation

Performance Measures:

• Complete the Cycle 1 Road Inventory.

• Examine creation of a Pavement Preservation Program to assist with

maintenance of Reclamation roads.

• Develop a design shelf of road, bridge, and trail projects that can

be advanced for construction with special influxes of funding from

Congress.

Reduction of Bridge Deficiencies: 

This element is defined as the degree to which Reclamation is reducing

the number of deficient structures in the inventory.

LRTP Goal Areas: Safety and System Preservation

Performance Measures:

• Maintain Reclamation’s Bridge Inventory.

• Identify funding strategies to reduce number of structurally deficient

bridges in the inventory.

Improvement of Safety: 

This element is defined as the degree to which Reclamation is identifying

safety areas of concern and developing ways to address those concerns.

LRTP Goal Area: Safety

Performance Measure:

• Identify a list of sites needing safety assessments or Road Safety 

Audits.

Improving Recreational Access: 

This element is defined as the degree to which Reclamation can address

transportation needs at high-use recreation locations/federal economic

generators and prevent turn back of partner-managed sites.

LRTP Goal Area: Economic Generation 

Performance Measures:

• Identify a list of high-use sites that have a high risk of turn back to

determine if there are transportation improvements needed.

• Provide education/resources to high-use and high-risk sites to develop

transportation funding strategies involving FLTP, FLAP, managing

partner, and Reclamation funds as appropriate.
May 2021 42

 Long Range Transportation Plan

Partnering:

This element is defined as the degree to which Reclamation can

coordinate and leverage funds with partners on projects of mutual need.

LRTP Goal Area: Partnering 

Performance Measures:

• Increase average annual FLAP funds going to Reclamation lands.

• Increase average annual Reclamation and partner funds going to 

transportation projects.

• Engage in state and local outreach as well as long range transportation

planning updates to share Reclamation needs with partners and

identify strategies to jointly fund mutual needs.

Transportation Planning:

This element is defined as the degree to which Reclamation can identify

long-term goals and needs and develop strategies to address those needs.

LRTP Goal Areas: All 

Performance Measures:

• Maintain 5-year update cycle for LRTP.

• Identify a process and timeframe to update Reclamation’s 

Transportation Needs Assessment.

• Track FLTP project investment by the LRTP goal(s) being achieved.

Boysen Dam, Wyoming roadway improvements. (Reclamation)