Arizona Tribal Transportation 

Safety Summit 

Summit Report 

May 14-15, 2008 

Francisco Grande Hotel, Casa Grande, Arizona 

Prepared by Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 

Pub #: FHWA-FLH-10-01
NOTICE 

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The contents of this report reflect the views of the contractor who is responsible for the 

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objective of this document.
Technical Report Documentation Page 

1. Report No. 

FHWA-FLH-10-01

2. Government Accession No. 

 

3. Recipient’s Catalog No. 

 

4. Title and Subtitle 

Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit Report 

5. Report Date 

September 2008 

6. Performing Organization Code 

 

7. Author(s) 

Susan Herbel (Principal Investigator), Ryan Greene-Roesel, 

Bernardo Kleiner 

8. Performing Organization Report No. 

9. Performing Organization Name and Address 

Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 

100 CambridgePark Drive, Suite 400 

Cambridge, MA 02140 

10. Work Unit No. 

 

11. Contract or Grant No. 

DTFH61-61-08-T-02601

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 

Department of Transportation 

Federal Highway Administration 

Office of Federal Lands Highway 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

13. Type of Report and Period Covered 

Meeting Report 

May 14-15, 2008 

14. Sponsoring Agency Code 

 

15. Supplementary Notes 

FHWA: Chimai Ngo and Craig Genzlinger 

16. Abstract 

This report documents the Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit held May 14-15, 2008, in Casa 

Grande, Arizona. The ultimate goal of the Summit was to help reduce crash-related injuries and deaths 

within tribal communities. The Summit pursued that goal by identifying key tribal safety challenges and 

the resources (human, material, and financial) available to address them, and by stimulating multidisciplinary collaboration among safety stakeholders. Specifically, the objectives of the Summit were: 

1. To review Arizona’s priority tribal transportation safety issues and challenges; 

2. To identify safety resources available to Tribes in Arizona; and 

3. To develop and endorse a process for continuing the dialogue among the Federal, State, and Tribal 

transportation communities for discussing safety issues and solutions. 

The following report includes background information, themes discussed by Summit speakers and 

participants, and Summit results. 

17. Key Words 

transportation safety, traffic safety, road safety, 

Native Americans, reservation roads, Arizona 

18. Distribution Statement 

19. Security Classif. (of this report) 

Unclassified 

20. Security Classif. (of this page) 

Unclassified 

21. No of Pages 

24 

22. Price 

 

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

Summit Report 1

Background

 

Traffic safety is a serious problem in Arizona. In 2006, more than 

three people were killed on Arizona roads every day; a total of 

almost 1,300 that year. Over the last several years, as more people 

have moved into the State, the number of fatalities has increased. 

Arizona’s annual fatality crash rate is now more than 40 percent 

higher than the nationwide rate.1

The 22 Tribes in Arizona 

• Ak-Chin Indian Community 

• Cocopah Tribe 

• Colorado River Indian 

Tribes 

• Fort McDowell Yavapai 

Nation 

• Fort Mojave Indian Tribe 

• Fort Yuma – Quechan 

Tribe 

• Gila River Indian 

Community 

• Havasupai Tribe 

• Hopi Tribe 

• Hulapai Tribe 

• Kaibab-Paiute Tribe 

• Navajo Nation 

• Pascua Yaqui Tribe 

• Salt River Pima-Maricopa 

Indian Community 

• San Carlos Apache Tribe 

• San Juan Southern Paiute 

• Tohono O’odham Nation 

• Tonto Apache Tribe 

• White Mountain Apache 

Tribe 

• Yavapai-Apache Nation 

• Yavapai-Prescott Indian 

Tribe 

• Zuni Tribe 

Arizonans have taken steps to deal with the problem. One of the 

most important of these was the development of the State 

Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The plan sets a bold vision for the 

future of traffic safety in the State: “Zero Fatalities on Arizona 

Roads, Your Life Depends on It.” The plan also sets out the idea 

that “everyone counts.” No fatality is acceptable. 

Tribes are a crucial part of the “everyone counts” vision. Tribal 

lands make up a quarter of the land mass of the State, and contain 

about 20 percent of the Arizona State Highway System.2 It is not 

possible for Arizona to reach its fatality reduction goals without 

the commitment of the tribes. 

The Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit held May 14-

15, 2008, was an important step in reducing traffic fatalities and 

injuries among tribal members. This document describes the 

Summit, focusing on the insights gained and lessons learned. 

The Summit was carried out through the collaborative efforts of 

the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) (Federal Lands 

Highway and Arizona Division Offices), the Tribal Technical 

Assistance Program (TTAP) at Colorado State University, the 

Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA), the Governor’s Office 

of Highway Safety (GOHS), the Arizona Department of 

Transportation (ADOT), the National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration (NHTSA), and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). 

1

 Arizona’s traffic fatality rate in 2006 was 2.06 fatalities per 100 million 

vehicle miles traveled; the national rate was 1.41 (data from the 

Fatality Analysis Reporting System). 

2

 Statistics from the Arizona Strategic Highway Safety Plan. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

2 Summit Report 

 Purpose of the Summit 

Traffic safety is a problem in every community, but it is particularly severe among the tribes. The table below, excerpted from 

the Arizona SHSP, shows that the motor vehicle crash mortality 

rate was two to three times higher for Native Americans than for 

other members of the Arizona population. 

The graph also shows the Healthy People 20103 objective for the 

State of Arizona, which is to reduce deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes to no more than 16 per 100,000 population. The rate 

for tribal populations exceeded 60 deaths per 100,000 population 

in 2005, well above the limit. The rate is decreasing over time, but 

traffic crashes continue to claim the lives of a disproportionate 

number of tribal members. 

Table 1. Age-Adjusted Mortality Rate among American Indians 

and Other Members of the Arizona Population 

Source: Excerpted from the Arizona Strategic Highway Safety Plan. 

The ultimate goal of the Arizona Tribal Traffic Safety Summit was 

to help reduce these crash-related injuries and deaths within tribal 

communities. The Summit pursued that goal by identifying key 

tribal safety challenges and the resources (human, material, and 

financial) available to address them, and by stimulating multidisciplinary collaboration among safety stakeholders. Specifically, 

the objectives of the Summit were: 

 

3

 See http://www.healthypeople.gov. 

The Summit location: 

Casa Grande, Arizona. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

Summit Report 3

1. To review Arizona’s priority tribal transportation safety issues 

and challenges; 

2. To identify safety resources available to Tribes in Arizona; and 

3. To develop and endorse a process for continuing the dialogue 

among the Federal, State, and Tribal transportation communities for discussing safety issues and solutions. 

 Key Organizations 

Many organizations work on traffic safety issues in Arizona. Two 

of them, ITCA, and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory 

Council (GTSAC), are important to highlight in the context of the 

Tribal Safety Summit. Many Summit attendees were associated 

with one or both organizations. 

ITCA is a private, nonprofit organization focused on improving 

coordination among Arizona tribes; providing technical assistance and training; and identifying resources for tribal members. 

The Tribal Safety Working Group of ITCA focuses more specifically on reducing motor vehicle collision-related injuries and 

fatalities on tribal lands. 

The GTSAC is a partnership of 

18 organizations with a stake in 

traffic safety. Its theme is “safe 

today, safer tomorrow.”

GTSAC is the designated body for leading traffic safety efforts in 

Arizona. Established by executive order in 2004, it is focused on 

developing cost-effective strategies to improve safety within the 

State transportation system. There are 18 members on the council, including ITCA, ADOT, GOHS, FHWA, and many others. 

With support from member organizations, GTSAC’s roles include 

coordinating the development and implementation of Arizona’s 

Strategic Highway Safety Plan. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

4 Summit Report 

Themes

The Summit focused on a series of key themes developed by the 

Summit Planning Committee. This report documents the insights 

provided by speakers and other participants. A detailed Summit 

agenda, listing all speakers and activities, is included in 

Appendix B. 

The Summit focused on a series of key themes developed by the 

Summit Planning Committee. This report documents the insights 

provided by speakers and other participants. A detailed Summit 

agenda, listing all speakers and activities, is included in 

Appendix B. 

The Morning of the 

Summit 

Getting to the Tribal Safety 

Summit was not easy. On the 

morning of the summit, two 

fatal crashes occurred within 

hours of each other on the 

highways leading into Casa 

Grande (I-10 and I-8), where 

the Summit was held. Both 

highways were backed up for 

miles, delaying some 

participants and speakers by 

several hours. The incident 

served as a pointed reminder 

to everyone present of the 

heavy toll due to traffic 

crashes. 

 Resources 

Tribal members mentioned an acute lack of resources in their 

communities. This is manifested in many ways, including poor 

infrastructure conditions (e.g., unpaved, unlit, or unmarked 

roads) and lack of funds to support ongoing enforcement and 

education initiatives (e.g., Driving Under the Influence (DUI) 

checkpoints and media campaigns). 

Tribal members mentioned an acute lack of resources in their 

communities. This is manifested in many ways, including poor 

infrastructure conditions (e.g., unpaved, unlit, or unmarked 

roads) and lack of funds to support ongoing enforcement and 

education initiatives (e.g., Driving Under the Influence (DUI) 

checkpoints and media campaigns). 

While there is no easy solution to the resource problem, a number 

of creative responses were shared at the Summit. 

• Free and low-cost communication strategies. The White 

Mountain Apache Tribe is using simple, low-cost communication techniques to get important safety messages across to 

community members. For example, they distribute paper 

placemats bearing safety messages to local eateries. The 

Tohono O’odham Nation distributes child safety seat instructional flyers to mothers through the Women, Infant, and 

Children (WIC) program, and uses local basketball tournaments as an opportunity to promote safety. 

• Free and low-cost communication strategies. The White 

Mountain Apache Tribe is using simple, low-cost communication techniques to get important safety messages across to 

community members. For example, they distribute paper 

placemats bearing safety messages to local eateries. The 

Tohono O’odham Nation distributes child safety seat instructional flyers to mothers through the Women, Infant, and 

Children (WIC) program, and uses local basketball tournaments as an opportunity to promote safety. 

• Low manpower enforcement strategies. DUI checkpoints 

typically are manned by multiple police officers. The San 

Carlos Apache Tribe Police Department, however, staffs its 

checkpoints with just one individual, which allows it to significantly reduce enforcement costs and expand coverage 

with limited staff. Increased DUI enforcement has resulted in 

a substantial decrease in the number of crashes on the 

reservation. 

• Low manpower enforcement strategies. DUI checkpoints 

typically are manned by multiple police officers. The San 

Carlos Apache Tribe Police Department, however, staffs its 

checkpoints with just one individual, which allows it to significantly reduce enforcement costs and expand coverage 

with limited staff. Increased DUI enforcement has resulted in 

a substantial decrease in the number of crashes on the 

reservation. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

Summit Report 5

• Nonprofit organizations. The San Carlos Apache Police 

Department motivates police officers to increase DUI arrests 

by providing home-cooked meals with assistance from the 

nonprofit group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). 

Other nonprofit organizations also provide direct grant funds 

to support safety projects. For example, the Bikes Belong 

Coalition and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provide 

grant funds to support bicycle and pedestrian mobility and 

safety-related projects. 

• Federal and state grant programs. Many grant programs are 

available from the Federal and Arizona governments to help 

tribes address traffic safety issues. ITCA created a comprehensive guide to these funding sources titled, the Tribal 

Traffic Safety Funding Guide.4 Specific grant programs 

highlighted during the Summit include: Safe Routes to 

School, Transportation Enhancements, Planning Assistance, 

Weed and Seed, and Hazard Elimination.5 In addition, several initiatives presented at the Summit were funded through 

the Centers for Disease Control Injury Prevention Program. 

Arizona’s Strategic Highway 

Safety Plan set a goal of “Zero 

Fatalities – Everyone Counts.”

 Coordination and Trust 

Lack of funding is related to another theme discussed at the 

Summit: the importance of coordination and trust. 

Coordination is an effective strategy for overcoming resource 

limitations, since it allows pooling of resources among groups 

with common goals. 

Coordination and trust also are necessary to allow formal transfers of resources (such as grant monies) between groups. In many 

cases, grant applications require safety issues be documented 

with data. Some Federal grants, for example, require any proposed solution to a safety problem be supported with a benefitcost ratio. At times, however, lack of trust prevents tribal members from sharing crash data. 

 

4

 http://www.aztribaltransportation.com/FAQ/faq.asp 

5

 John Dickson at the Arizona Department of Transportation is the 

contact for the Hazard Elimination Program. His contact information 

is in Appendix A. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

6 Summit Report 

While trust may not always come easily, it is furthered by numerous collaborative safety initiatives involving tribes and nontribal 

members. These initiatives allow tribal and nontribal members to 

better understand one another’s needs and concerns. Tribal 

members at the Summit spoke in particular of the need for others 

to understand the diversity in their communities. Each of the 22 

tribes in Arizona has unique traffic safety challenges, and no “one 

size fits all” solution works for every tribe. Solutions must be 

appropriate to the tribe’s culture, geographic location, level of 

infrastructure, etc. Some communities, for example, are very 

rural and lack Internet and cell phone access, while others indicate their teens are always on the Internet. 

One of the best examples of collaboration discussed at the 

Summit is the GTSAC, which brings together the ITCA, ADOT, 

GOHS, FHWA, and many other transportation organizations 

throughout the State. Other notable examples of collaboration 

discussed during the Summit include: 

• The San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Arizona Department 

of Public Safety (in Phoenix, Safford, Globe, and Payson) 

are partnering to improve DUI enforcement. The 

partnership has been very successful, and has been recently 

expanded. 

• The White Mountain Apache Tribe Injury Prevention 

Program is a partnership project among several tribal agencies, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Roads Department, ITCA, 

and other organizations. The team organized many safetyrelated initiatives, such as a mock motor vehicle crash aimed 

at local teens. Ron Hall of TTAP welcomed 

everyone to the summit. 

• ITCA partnered with the Federal Highway Administration 

to develop a tribal Highway Safety Improvement Program. 

 Safety Problem Identification 

Another theme that emerged during the Summit was the importance of using analytical tools to identify and document safety 

problems. Appropriate analysis not only improves success in the 

grant application process (as described above) but ensures that 

the underlying causes of safety problems are understood. 

Without this analysis, it is possible to misunderstand the problem 

or apply the wrong solution, leading to wasted resources. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

Summit Report 7

There are many tools available to help understand and document 

safety problems, ranging from quantitative techniques such as 

crash data analysis to qualitative techniques such as observation, 

interviews, and focus groups. Some examples discussed at the 

Summit include the following: 

• The Arizona Department of Transportation discussed methods of using crash data to identify safety hotspots (locations 

with high numbers of crashes). Analyzing the number, severity, and types of crashes that occur at a hotspot location as 

well as any information from police reports provides clues to 

the underlying source of the problem. It is important to be 

aware of pitfalls in crash data; for example, there is a tendency to assign all crashes along a stretch of highway to the 

nearest milepost number, which leads to the illusion that 

there is a crash hotspot at every milepost. 

The San Carlos Apache Tribe held 

this candlelight vigil to honor a 

child killed in a traffic crash. 

• The San Carlos Apache Tribe used focus groups and interviews to identify solutions to impaired driving. The focus 

groups revealed a common misunderstanding of the 

“designated driver” concept. Some tribal members believed 

the designated driver should be the least intoxicated individual in a group. By uncovering this misunderstanding, the 

tribe was able to focus its educational efforts on the need for 

a designated driver who does not drink at all. 

• The San Carlos Apache tribe tracked data on the number of 

DUI arrests and crashes over time. The results showed a 

significant decline in crashes associated with expanded DUI 

enforcement efforts, allowing the Police Department to 

demonstrate the success of the program to the tribal council. 

The Tohono O’odham tribe demonstrated the success of its 

primary safety belt law by tracking belt use over time. 

Safety belt use increased by 48 percent just two years after 

the law was passed. 

• The ITCA developed and tested a process for helping tribes 

use data to identify safety problem areas and position 

themselves to access resources from the State and Federal 

government. 

• As part of the ITCA effort, the Tohono O’odham Nation 

identified intersections needing safety improvements using 

Indian Health Services (IHS) crash information and police 

data. Road Safety Audits were conducted at the intersections to determine which improvements were needed to 

address the problem. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

8 Summit Report 

• The Yavapai-Apache Nation solicited a Safe Routes to 

School expert to visit the tribe and help them identify and 

address safety problems faced by school children. 

 Leadership Support for Safety Policies 

Tribal leaders have a central role to play in supporting safety 

initiatives. As one participant commented, “Leadership support 

is needed to keep the fatality and injury numbers moving down.” 

Without this support, a greater risk exists that any new safety 

initiative will not be successful. This is especially true when it 

comes to passing new safety-oriented legislation, such as 

mandatory safety belt laws and lower Blood Alcohol Content 

(BAC) levels. Participants noted cases in which a new law was 

passed, but had little effect because tribal leaders failed to support 

its enforcement. 

The Tohono O’odham Nation 

used this billboard to 

communicate its safety message. 

Summit participants discussed multiple ways of reaching out to 

their leaders. Some specific solutions mentioned in the breakout 

sessions (see Summit Results below) included establishing a 

safety-focused committee in tribal council and using data and 

presentations to persuade tribal leaders. 

Several tribes have been successful at passing new safety-related 

policies backed by tribal leaders. Examples presented at the 

Summit include: 

• The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation adopted a position of 

zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs. Government employees are tested every quarter. They also implemented a 

primary safety belt law and lowered the legal BAC from .10 

to .08. 

• The Tohono O’odham nation passed a primary restraint use 

law in 2005. The first offense is $50 and the second offense 

is $100. The law has made an enormous change in levels of 

safety belt use. 

• The San Carlos Apache tribal council unanimously passed 

resolutions to lower the legal BAC level and to institute a 

primary restraint law in 2007. These changes were made in 

part in response to the success of the tribe’s DUI enforcement work. 

• The Hualapai Nation updated its tribal code to strengthen 

its occupant protection. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

Summit Report 9

 Tribal Education and Training 

A final theme discussed at the Summit was the need for training 

and education. Education is crucial to raise awareness of safety 

issues among tribal members, including young children, teens, 

parents, tribal leaders, and many others. 

Educational and training strategies highlighted at the Summit 

included the following: 

• Community outreach – The Tohono O’odham Nation has 

used community events such as rodeos and fairs to raise 

safety awareness. 

The White Mountain Apache 

Tribe held this mock motor 

vehicle crash at a high school to 

educate teens about the dangers 

of drunk driving. • Special events – The White Mountain Apache Tribe 

conducted a mock motor vehicle crash targeting high school 

teens just before prom and graduation. The event made a 

large impact on the teens. The San Carlos Apache Tribe 

conducted a candlelight vigil to honor a four-year old child 

killed in a traffic crash. 

• Marketing and media campaigns – The Tohono O’odham 

tribe has used billboards and public service announcements 

on the tribal radio station (KOHN) to get the word out about 

safety. The radio series highlights crash survivors who were 

restrained, and provides information about the new primary 

safety belt law. 

• Training courses – The Tohono O’odham Nation has 

instituted a two-hour Safe Native American Passengers 

(SNAP) training course for police officers to educate them 

about passenger safety. The White Mountain Apache Tribe 

offers car seat education and parenting skills classes. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

10 Summit Report 

Summit Results

One of the main objectives of the Summit was to identify the most 

important transportation safety issues facing the tribes and to 

define solutions. To achieve this, Summit participants were 

divided into four breakout groups. Each group brainstormed a 

list of problems and potential solutions, and ranked them in priority order. The groups began their discussion with a list of 

issues already developed by ITCA’s Tribal Safety Working 

Group. The list includes education, enforcement, infrastructure, 

and data. 

Education 

Key issues identified by the infrastructure group, ranked in priority order, included: 

1. Teens need to be educated about safety belt use, alcohol and 

drug use, and driving on tribal versus nontribal lands: 

• Mock crashes at high schools; 

• Youth councils; 

• Assemblies and presentations at high schools; 

• Community events (booths at county fairs); and 

• Team sports, e.g., athletes can be subjected to penalties for 

alcohol/drug use. 

2. Young children and parents need to be educated about safety 

belt use, child passenger safety, and drug use: 

• Integrate safety into existing fire departments programs at 

schools; 

• Integrate a safety message into the head start curriculum; 

• Distribute safety handouts, e.g., showing how to use child 

safety seats to mothers who use WIC service. Example: 

The Tohono O’odham Nation has developed a one-page 

handout on Child Passenger Safety; 

• Encourage nurses and doctors to discuss safety practices 

during medical visits; and 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

Summit Report 11

• Use community leaders, e.g., ministers, to promote safety. 

3. Tribal leaders need to be educated about the importance of safety. 

They need to know they should support and enforce existing laws 

and lead implementation of new laws related to safety: 

• Make presentations to leaders about the importance of 

safety; 

• Initiate special sessions of tribal councils focused on 

safety; and 

• Create a standing committee on safety to continually educate leaders. 

4. Police officers need to be educated about the proper use of 

safety belts and child safety seats: 

• Make safety belt and child safety seat use a standardized 

part of police training; and 

• Utilize GOHS technicians to provide child passenger 

safety training. 

5. Judges need to be educated about the importance of properly 

enforcing the law, and should not be allowed to reduce penalties for their friends and family members: 

• Place independent observers in the courtroom to hold 

judges accountable for their convictions. Mothers Against 

Drunk Driving currently uses this technique in courtrooms throughout the U.S.; and 

• Make judges undergo mandatory training programs. 

Enforcement 

Key issues identified by the enforcement group, ranked in priority order, are listed below. Note that some items have equal 

priority and are listed on the same line. 

1. Data sharing. 

2. Ability to identify offenders with multiple convictions and 

with suspended and revoked licenses. 

3. Need for better information exchange among enforcement 

agencies (tribal, state, etc.). 

4. Need for a statewide criminal justice data sharing network. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

12 Summit Report 

5. Need for a statewide communications program not limited to 

law enforcement but also fire, EMS, etc. The architecture for 

such a system is in place but funding is needed to implement 

it. 

6. Insufficient enforcement capacity, including a lack of sworn 

officers, jail capacity, trained prosecutors, and proper 

equipment. 

7. Inadequate prosecution of nontribal member traffic safety 

offenses on tribal lands. 

8. Inconsistent traffic codes; lack of jurisdictional clarity in police 

enforcement. 

9. Sovereignty. 

10. Extradition issues. 

11. Failure to observe traffic laws. 

12. Speeding. 

13. Violations of pedestrian right-of-way. 

14. School bus stop signs. 

15. Driver distraction. 

16. Safety belt laws and usage. 

17. Alcohol and/or drug impaired driving. 

18. Unsafe speeds of border patrol while in pursuit. 

19. Alcohol prohibition versus legalization: need to study 

prohibition to see if it works. Is the practice of not allowing 

alcohol on the reservation effective, or does it drive drinking 

off the reservation and result in more impaired driving 

crashes? 

Infrastructure 

Key issues identified by the infrastructure group, and ranked in 

priority order, are listed below. Note that some items have equal 

priority and are listed on the same line. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

Summit Report 13

1. Inadequate funding for construction, maintenance, and safety. 

Some sources not being fully used include: Hazard 

Elimination Safety (HES), MADD, CDC, Safe Routes to School 

(SRTS), AAA, the High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRR), 

and GOHS. 

2. Need for warning signage and advance street signing. 

3. Need for better fencing to restrict livestock and wildlife from 

crossing the road and causing crashes, and to assist the border 

patrol in high-speed chases. 

4. Need for bus turnouts, roadway turning lanes, and roadway 

maintenance. 

5. Need for speed limits. 

6. Need for dust control. 

7. Need for rumble strips. 

8. Need for shoulder improvements. 

9. Need for rest areas. 

10. Need for vegetation control. 

11. Lack of warning signs maintenance. 

12. Need for additional sidewalks and pedestrians paths. 

13. Need for better planning and coordination of facilities and 

improvements with the State and county. 

14. Need for improved sight distance. 

15. Need for better striping. 

16. Need for better roadway network mapping. 

Data 

Key issues identified by the data group and ranked in priority 

order are listed below. Note that some items have equal priority 

and are listed on the same line. 

1. Data sharing. 

2. Privacy and the need to work out sovereignty agreements. 

3. Obtaining uniform, complete, and accurate data. 

4. Using Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS) to pinpoint 

crash data; using standardized data fields; obtaining the support of high-level officials; obtaining funds. 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

14 Summit Report 

5. Linking roadway characteristics (inventory data) to crash data. 

6. Developing data clearinghouses. 

Although it was not explicitly ranked, it was agreed that trust and 

confidentiality were among the most important issues. Trust is 

necessary to reach the goal of having uniform, complete, and 

accurate data. One solution is to create a statewide data sharing 

network that includes information from the criminal justice system and information from first responders (EMS). 

 Next Steps 

Participants are expected to take the results and lessons learned 

from the Summit to Tribal Elders and other safety stakeholders in 

their communities to determine future directions with regard to 

transportation safety education, enforcement, infrastructure, and 

data. An important component of those directions should be to 

continue to foster multidisciplinary collaboration in the pursuit of 

safer roadways. 

ITCA, with support from GTSAC, is expected to use the ranked 

priorities listed above to develop a program of solutions and 

projects. This will allow ITCA and the other members of GTSAC 

to focus their work on the most pressing issues affecting Indian 

country in Arizona. 

White Mountain Apache Tribe 

safety partnership team.
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

Summit Report 15

Appendix A: Participants

First Name Affiliation E-mail Phone 

Michael Allison Arizona Department of Health Services allisom@azdhs.gov (602) 364-1041 

Janet Apkaw-Williams Ak-Chin Indian Community japkaw-williams@ak-chin.nsn.us (520) 586-1063 

Gregg Bacome Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community gregg.bacome@srpmic-nsn.gov (480) 850-8309 

Nathan Banks Federal Highway Administration nathan.banks@fhwa.dot.gov (602) 382-8960 

John Baxter Federal Highway Administration john.baxter@dot.gov (202) 366-9494 

Bowman Beatty White Mountain Apache Tribe egloshay@wmat.us (928) 338-4346 

Virginia Begay Western Navajo Agency virginia.begay@gric.nsn.us (520) 562-5100 

Michael Blankenship Arizona Department of Transportation mblankenship@azdot.gov (602) 712-7601 

Francis Bradley Hualapai Nation Police Department febradley1capt@yahoo.com (928) 769-1025 

Jennifer Brown Federal Highway Administration jennifer.brown@fhwa.dot.gov (602) 382-8961 

Colbert Burnette White Mountain Apache tribe cburnette@wmat.us (928) 338-4346 

Doris Butler Hualapai Tribe butlerd@hualapaitribe.org (928) 769-2207 

Matt Carpenter Arizona Department of Transportation mcarpenter@azdot.gov (602) 712-6790 

Michia Casebier M.G. Tech-Writing, L.L.C. mgtechwriting@yahoo.com (928) 369-8241 

Calvin Castillo Bureau of Indian Affairs-DOT dorothy.fucetola@colostate.edu (928) 729-7222 

Darcel Collins Federal Lands Highway darcel.collins@fhwa.dot.gov (202) 366-4558 

Esther Corbett Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona esther.corbett@itcaonline.com (602) 258-4822 

Percy Deal Navajo County lorinda.brown@navajocountyaz.gov (928) 524-4163 

Jesse Delmar Fort McDowell Police Department jdelmar@ftmcdowell.org (480) 789-7511 

John Dickson Arizona Department of Transportation dorothy.fucetola@colostate.edu (520) 388-4200 

Archie Duwahoyeoma The Hopi Tribe ptalayumptewa@hopi.nsn.us (928) 734-3132 

Viola Gala Hualapai Tribe – (928) 769-2207 

Jimmy Garcia Gila River Department of Transportation jimmy.garcia@gric.nsn.us (520) 562-0950 

Russell Garcia Federal Highway Administration russell.garcia@dot.gov (202) 366-9815 

Craig Genzlinger Federal Highway Administration craig.genzlinger@fhwa.dot.gov (406) 449-5302 

Sandra N. Gilbert Arizona Department of Transportation sgilbert@azdot.gov (602) 712-6407 

Kateri Goseyun White Mountain Apache Tribe kguseyun@wmat.us (928) 338-4311 

Ryan Greene-Roesel Cambridge Systematics, Inc. rgreeneroesel@camsys.com (510) 873-8700 

Steven Guderian National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. steven.guderian@dot.gov (415) 744-3089 

Edward Hall Bureau of Indian Affairs ehh3d@verizon.net (202) 513-7713 

Ron Hall Tribal Technical Assistance Program ronald.hall@colostate.edu (970) 491-8653 

Bill Harmon Arizona Department of Transportation bharmon@azdot.gov (928) 431-4917 

Michael Hegarty Governor’s Office of Highway Safety mph@azgohs.gov (602) 255-3216 

Reed Henry Arizona Department of Transportation rhenry@azdot.gov (602) 712-7374 

Susan Herbel Cambridge Systematics, Inc. sherbel@camsys.com (202) 494-5539 

Marnie Hodahkwen Governor’s Office schismark@az.gov (602) 542-1340 

Bob Hollis Federal Highway Administration dorothy.fucetola@colostate.edu (202) 366-0660 

Kingston Honahni The Hopi Tribe ptalayumptewa@hopi.nsn.us (928) 734-3132 

Chuck Howe Arizona Department of Transportation – (928) 779-7591 

Duane Larson James Gila River Department of Transportation jimmy.garcia@gric.nsn.us (520) 562-0950 

Larry Joe Nevada Department of Transportation ljoe@navajodot.org (505) 368-1552 

Jack Johnson Arizona Department of Public Safety jrjohnsonjr@azdps.gov (800) 458-7032 
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

16 Summit Report 

First Name Affiliation E-mail Phone 

Steven Johnson Gila River Department of Transportation steven.johnson@gric.nsn.us (520) 562-0950 

La Retta Lehan Governor’s Office of Highway Safety llehan@azgohs.gov (602) 255-3216 

Ron Loar Arizona Department of Transportation rloar@azdot.gov (602) 712-4041 

Michael Lomayaktewa Fort Apache Agency BIA suneagle@frontier.net (928) 338-5381 

Mary J. Lopez Tohono O’odham Nation mary.lopez@tonation-nsn.gov (520) 383-5260 

Priscilla Lopez Tohono O’odham Nation – (520) 383-6200 

Robert Maxwell Bureau of Indian Affairs -WRO DOT bmaxwelljr@msn.com (602) 379-6782 

Daisy Medina Tohono O’odham daisy.medina@ton.nsn.com (520) 383-6165 

Jeff Mercado Gila River EMS jmmercado@grhc.org (520) 562-5164 

Ed Miguel Tohono O’odham daisy.medina@ton.nsn.com (520) 383-6165 

Carlton Nez Nevada Department of Transportation cnez@navajodot.org (928) 871-6498 

Chimai Ngo Federal Highway Administration chimai.ngo@dot.gov (202) 366-1231 

William E. Noline San Carlos Apache Tribe scattrm@scatcom.net (928) 475-2227 

Davis Pecusa The Hopi Tribe dfpecusa@hopitelcom.net (928) 734-2231 

Bill Pederson Arizona Department of Transportation bpederson@azdot.gov (602) 712-8069 

Richard Powers Jacobs rlpowers@cableone.net (928) 607-1122 

Phillip Quochytewa Sr. The Hopi Tribe ptalayumptewa@hopi.nsn.us (928) 734-3132 

Christine Reede San Carlos Tribal Police Department creedescpd@yahoo.com (928) 475-2338 

Stan Robbins Apache County District One srobbins@co.apache.az.us (928) 674-5664 

Tony Rodriguez Gila River Department of Transportation jimmy.garcia@gric.nsn.us (520) 562-0950 

Thelma Rope San Carlos Tribal Police Department creedescpd@yahoo.com (928) 475-2338 

Sasha Saliego Gila River Indian Community sasha.pachito@gric.nsn.us (520) 562-6306 

Joe Salt Nevada Department of Transportation jsalt@navajodot.org (928) 871-6498 

Lavina Sanchez Yavapai-Apache Nation lsanchez@yan-tribe.org (928) 649-7127 

Manuel E. Sánchez Federal Highway Administration manuel.sanchez@dot.gov (602) 382-8975 

Fred Shupla The Hopi Tribe ptalayumptewa@hopi.nsn.us (928) 734-3132 

David Silversmith Nevada Department of Transportation dsilversmith@navajodot.org (928) 871-6368 

Don Sneed Arizona Department of Transportation dsneed@azdot.gov (602) 712-8140 

Fred Stevens Tohono O’odham fredwhatgis@yahoo.com (520) 383-5546 

Ed Stillings Federal Highway Administration ed.stillings@fhwa.dot.gov (602) 382-8966 

Ricardo Suarez Central Federal Lands Division ricardo.suarez@fhwa.dot.fhwa (720) 963-3448 

Jeff Swan Swan Consulting, LLC jswan@npgcable.com (928) 853-2794 

Elliott Talgo Mt. Turnbull Sanitation Service etalgo32@yahoo.com (928) 475-6877 

Larry Talley Arizona Department of Transportation ltalley@azdot.gov (602) 712-7029 

Arnold Taylor The Hopi Tribe ptalayumptewa@hopi.nsn.us (928) 734-3132 

Jesse Thompson Navajo County ncbos@navajocountyaz.gov (928) 524-4153 

Stanley Trott Salt River Police Department stanley.trott@srpmic-nsn.gov (480) 850-8200 

Marcus Tulley Nevada Department of Transportation mtulley@navajodot.org (928) 871-7984 

Roger Vanderpool Arizona Department of Public Safety rvanderpool@azdps.gov (602) 223-2359 

John Villanueva Cocopah Indian Community – (928) 627-2102 

Debbie Wathogoma Yavapai-Apache Nation dwathogoma@yan-tribe.org (928) 649-7127 

Siona Willie Navajo Area Indian Health Service siona.willie@ihs.gov (928) 871-1335 

Kee Yazzie Arizona Department of Transportation kyazzie@azdot.gov (928) 524-5406 

Wallace Youvella Arizona Department of Transportation ptalayumptewa@hopi.nsn.us (928) 734-3132 
Arizona Tribal Safety Summit 

17

Appendix B: Agenda
Arizona Tribal Transportation Safety Summit 

18 Summit Report