Code of Federal Regulations Title 23. Highways § 23.973.204 Management systems requirements

(a) The BIA, in consultation with the tribes, shall develop, establish and implement nationwide pavement, bridge, and safety management systems for federally and tribally owned IRRs. The BIA may tailor the nationwide management systems to meet the agency's goals, policies, and needs, after considering the input from the tribes, and using professional engineering and planning judgment to determine the required nature and extent of systems coverage consistent with the intent and requirements of this rule.

(b) The BIA and the FHWA, in consultation with the tribes, shall develop an implementation plan for each of the nationwide management systems. These plans will include, but are not limited to, the following:  Overall goals and policies concerning the nationwide management systems, each agency's responsibilities for developing and implementing the nationwide management systems, implementation schedule, data sources, including the need to accommodate State and local data, and cost estimate.

(c) Indian tribes may develop, establish, and implement tribal management systems under a self-determination contract or self-governance annual funding agreement. The tribe may tailor the management systems to meet its goals, policies, and needs, using professional engineering and planning judgment to determine the required nature and extent of systems coverage consistent with the intent and requirements of this rule.

(d) The BIA, in consultation with the tribes, shall develop criteria for cases in which tribal management systems are not appropriate.

(e) The BIA, in consultation with the tribes, or the tribes under a self-determination contract or self-governance annual funding agreement, may incorporate data provided by States and local governments into the nationwide or tribal management systems, as appropriate, for State and locally owned IRRs.

(f) The BIA, in consultation with the tribes, shall develop and implement procedures for the development, establishment, implementation and operation of nationwide management systems. If a tribe develops tribal management systems, the tribe shall develop and implement procedures for the development, establishment, implementation and operation of tribal management systems. The procedures shall include:

(g) All management systems shall use databases with a common or coordinated reference system that can be used to geolocate all database information.

(h) Existing data sources may be used by the BIA and the tribes to the maximum extent possible to meet the management system requirements.

(i) A nationwide congestion management system is not required. The BIA and the FHWA, in consultation with the tribes, shall develop criteria for determining when congestion management systems are required for BIA or tribal transportation facilities providing access to and within the Indian reservations. Either the tribes or the BIA, in consultation with the tribes, shall develop, establish and implement congestion management systems for the transportation facilities that meet the criteria.

(j) The BIA shall develop an appropriate means to evaluate the effectiveness of the nationwide management systems in enhancing transportation investment decisions and improving the overall efficiency of the affected transportation systems and facilities. This evaluation is to be conducted periodically, preferably as part of the BIA planning process to assist the FHWA in evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the management systems as a component of the IRR program, and may include consultation with the tribes, as appropriate.

(k) The management systems shall be operated so investment decisions based on management system outputs can be accomplished at the BIA region and tribal level and can be utilized throughout the transportation planning process.