PNWER Celebrates Launch of Expanded Regional Infrastructure Accelerator Program
Virtual event showcased new projects and expanded impact on Pacific Northwest transportation networks
SEATTLE (May 13, 2024) – Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) is pleased to celebrate the launch of its renewed and expanded Regional Infrastructure Accelerator (RIA) program, a technical assistance initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). The program’s official launch, which was hosted on a Zoom webinar May 9, showcased PNWER’s expanded RIA project portfolio and outlined how the program will assist communities and project sponsors in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington over the next 24 months.
The RIA program, an initiative of the Build America Bureau (Bureau), was established by the 2015 FAST act and funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) of 2021 to enable governments and organizations to accelerate the delivery of critical transportation infrastructure projects. An initial $1.2 million grant from USDOT established PNWER as the nation’s sole multi-state, non-government RIA in 2021. In its first iteration, the PNWER RIA program saw success in its efforts to identify funding for a highway/rail grade separation project in Spokane Valley, WA, and accelerate the decarbonization of port drayage vehicles at the Northwest Seaport Alliance.
Following this impactful work, PNWER was awarded a second, $2 million RIA grant to further its mission of accelerating regionally-significant infrastructure projects through innovative financing and public/private partnerships in its five-state region. Now one of 24 RIA programs in the U.S., the PNWER RIA program remains the only one of its kind, setting a precedent for how multi-state approaches to infrastructure investment can remarkably enhance our region’s diverse transportation network.
“Each [RIA] program is a tool in the toolbox that we have to help our partners at the regional and local levels build capacity and move their projects forward more effectively and cost efficiently,” USDOT Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian said. “PNWER, in what they have achieved and what they plan to do, is one of the Regional Infrastructure Accelerators working at that local level. We are very happy to see the progress, and we’re excited to hear about what’s going to be done in the future.”
Over the course of its second grant cycle, the PNWER RIA program will provide technical assistance and convening support to 15 projects throughout the region that align with the program’s four main areas of focus:
Build Northwest Center of Excellence – The program’s overarching platform for all outreach and community engagement work, offering educational initiatives on innovative financing tools to project sponsors, legislators, and communities.
Critical Connections – Bolstering the upgrade and enhancement of connective infrastructure, such as bridges, ports, airports and ferry systems that provide critical access to communities - especially those in rural and Tribal jurisdictions.
Zero-Emission Commercial Corridors – The PNWER RIA will work with Northwest Tribes, legislators and industry leaders to accelerate systems integration of transportation networks with existing and proposed clean energy facilities for the decarbonization of our region’s commercial transportation sector.
High Performance Rail – Identifying, evaluating and pursuing multiple rail improvement projects that, when bundled, will significantly reduce passenger train delays and improve freight velocity along major northwest rail corridors.
View the full, five-state PNWER RIA project portfolio here: www.RIAnorthwest.org/our-projects
PNWER designated four regionally-based public entities as subrecipients of its second RIA grant. These partners will enhance and amplify the impact of the RIA by serving as vital on-the-ground resources – which are especially important assets in our region’s rural communities.
PNWER RIA program partners and respective projects include:
Alaska Municipal League (AML) | Alaska
A member-based organization composed of Alaska’s 165 cities and boroughs that works to strengthen Alaska’s local governments through the provision of technical assistance, shared services, advocacy and capacity building.
Projects:
Yakutat transportation infrastructure improvement project
Developing a work plan for Alaska’s use of Build America Bureau credit financing
Valley Regional Transit (VRT) | Idaho
VRT is the Treasure Valley’s regional public transportation authority, responsible for the management of public bus transit, specialized van services, paratransit, Park & Ride, and more.
Projects:
College of Western Idaho housing/transit joint development project
Canyon County Transit Center joint development project
Boise Cut-Off innovative financing feasibility analysis
Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) | Idaho
LHTAC connects local highway jurisdictions in Idaho with available resources for maintenance and construction of Idaho’s local highway system in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
Project:
Rural Idaho technical assistance workshop
Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) | Montana
BSPRA is a government authority established to advocate for the reestablishment of safe, reliable, and sustainable passenger rail service across Montana.
Projects:
Small parcel delivery study
Rural rail community outreach
The full list of RIA projects and subrecipients is available here.
“We spent the last two years learning about what our region needs to successfully leverage the opportunities of the BIL to ensure successful project delivery,” PNWER RIA Assistant Director Betz Mayer said. “With this next round of funding, we’re excited to expand this program, help a wider variety of critical projects and put those lessons learned into action.”
Watch the recorded virtual program launch event here.
To learn more about the PNWER RIA program, visit www.RIAnorthwest.org
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ABOUT PNWER
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) is a public/private non-profit organization created by statute in 1991. Member jurisdictions include Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington, and the Canadian provinces and territories of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon. PNWER's mission is to increase the economic well-being and quality of life for all citizens of the region; identify and promote "models of success; and serve as a conduit to exchange information. For more information on PNWER, visit www.pnwer.org.
ABOUT PNWER RIA
Initiated in 2021, the PNWER RIA serves as a convener for transportation projects in the region, specifically multistate and multi-jurisdictional initiatives with multi-modal and region-wide benefits. Funded through U.S. DOT’s Build America Bureau, the PNWER RIA helps identify Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) and federal financing opportunities to accelerate the delivery of transportation projects with region-wide benefits that ease supply chain disruptions, reduce transportation-related pollution, and increase economic and environmental justice, especially for historically underserved communities.
