From Coast to Capitol: PNWER RIA on the Road
From state capitals to Washington, D.C., the PNWER Regional Infrastructure Accelerator (RIA) team has spent the past two months on the move and meeting with key decision makers, sharing updates on our work and exploring opportunities for future collaboration. Also on the agenda – participating in the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians winter convention, connecting with leaders at Portland Union Station and presenting to the Washington State Transportation Commission and Oregon Legislature Joint Committee on Transportation. Along the way, we engaged with policymakers, industry leaders and project partners to advance the vision of Build Northwest and promote the critical role of joint investment in our region’s transportation network. Each stop brought new insights and opportunities to advance our work – here’s a look at where we went and what we learned.
Build Northwest in Action
The PNWER RIA’s Build Northwest Center of Excellence (Build Northwest) serves as the long-term sustainability model for the program, coordinating technical assistance, project bundling and multi-jurisdictional communication between the region’s public and private sectors. The mission of Build Northwest is centered on facilitating the development of infrastructure projects by empowering communities across the Pacific Northwest to identify, understand and navigate innovative financing tools to ultimately bring more projects across the finish line.
Led by an Advisory Council of private sector engineering, finance, transportation and energy leaders, in partnership with executive branch leadership, state DOTs and legislative transportation committee members of the five northwest states, Build Northwest is designed to serve as a resource for communities as they identify project needs and explore innovative financing solutions. This education effort helps to ensure that critical infrastructure projects necessary for community growth, economic development and regional resilience can move forward and be completed.
Engaging with state and federal decision makers is a critical component of providing project-specific updates and exploring potential opportunities for Build Northwest to support future infrastructure projects. As an informal regional “field office” for the Build America Bureau, the PNWER RIA communicates on-the-ground lessons from the Pacific Northwest back to Washington, D.C. The team meets several times a year with members of state legislatures and the region’s bipartisan Congressional delegation. These meetings are essential in driving ongoing policy and investments that support enhanced transportation infrastructure, improve connectivity and foster economic growth across the region.
Building State and Federal Connections
Olympia, WA | January 21-22
Our first capital visit stop was in Olympia, Washington, where our team engaged in exciting discussions with the governor's staff, Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck and over 14 state policymakers about our work in Washington state and beyond.
Highlights of these discussions included:
Exploring hydrogen fueling infrastructure integration in our region’s supply chains and aviation hubs to further promote innovative transportation technologies
Enhancing freight and passenger rail capacity – especially along the Amtrak Cascades – ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.
Strengthening bi-state support for the replacement of the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge, a vital connection for supply chains and passenger mobility for Oregon and Washington
Committee Presentation Highlight
On January 21, our team presented to the Senate Transportation Committee about our position as a Pacific Northwest “field office” for the Build America Bureau – a portal for our projects to other USDOT mode administrations, including highways, rail, transit, maritime, aviation and Amtrak. PNWER RIA Director Bruce Agnew shared updates on our efforts to accelerate transportation projects along our region’s interstate corridors and international port gateways, and invited committee members to participate in the Build Northwest Public Sector Council to learn more about international trade, supply chains and logistics hubs.
Rail Program Manager Tom Lang briefed the committee on our newly-formed Cascade Gateway Rail Group, a joint effort with Washington State Department of Transportation and Canadian partners to prepare the Amtrak Cascades and associated stations for an influx of riders during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Watch the presentation here.
Boise, ID | January 23-24
Our next stop was Boise, Idaho, where we met with key decision makers and joined the convening of the Idaho PNWER state council. The council comprises public and private sector representatives and is responsible for providing leadership regarding Idaho’s priorities, participation and relations with neighboring PNWER jurisdictions. Our team shared updates around our Idaho projects with the council, and highlighted our partnership with Valley Regional Transit and Local Highway Technical Assistance Council – two organizations that help us build stronger local connections and drive greater progress for projects in Idaho.
In meetings with Idaho Governor Brad Little, Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke, Speaker of the House Mike Moyle, Senate Pro Tempore Kelly Arthur Anthon, and others, we promoted our transit and supply chain partnerships that drive economic growth in Idaho. Notably, we showcased the Greater Northwest Rail Summit in Spokane, where representatives from Idaho Transportation Department and Savage Co. shared exemplary models of infrastructure improvement projects along Idaho’s supply chain networks.
Salem, OR | February 3-5
What better way to get from Seattle to Salem than via the Amtrak Cascades? Our team took the scenic route south to Oregon for another series of meetings with policymakers, the Oregon Department of Transportation rail department and Prosper Portland leadership.
Our team had the pleasure of joining an hour-long work session with the Oregon Joint Committee on Transportation, where we shared updates on our Oregon projects and invited members to participate in the Build Northwest Public Sector Council. This session was the setting of our first “Trains and Tracks 101” information session, which is designed to educate policymakers in the five-state region on how the blended freight and passenger rail system functions, and opportunities to target public and private investments to realize a more efficient, equitable and sustainable rail system for the Pacific Northwest.
To address passenger train delays and mainline congestion, we showcased a concept we call High Performance Rail – joint public and private investments in grade separations, short line railroads, intermodal and transload facilities, and passenger rail infrastructure. Taken together, High Performance Rail prioritizes the interests of host railroads by reducing bottlenecks and moving freight faster, while simultaneously expanding passenger rail service for communities and reducing on-road emissions.
While in Oregon, the team engaged with leaders at Prosper Portland to learn more about opportunities to revitalize Portland Union Station. The 130-year-old historic landmark train station serves 10 daily passenger trains but has not seen major renovation since 1930. The PNWER RIA team is currently working with the station’s owner, Prosper Portland, to explore opportunities for innovative financing to support station revitalization.
Join us in Portland!
SAVE THE DATE: Join policymakers, rail industry leaders and transportation experts at the Pacific Northwest Rail Summit in Portland, Oregon, October 15-17.
Washington, D.C. | February 17-20
In late February, PNWER RIA Director Bruce Agnew visited Washington, D.C. to engage with the Pacific Northwest Congressional delegation and explore opportunities for future funding. Congressional visits provide a valuable platform to keep federal leaders informed about regional priorities, share updates on work within their jurisdictions and communicate the value of the RIA program in accelerating project delivery.
Presentations & Events
Washington State Transportation Commission
In mid January, the PNWER RIA team organized four information-packed sessions at the Washington State Transportation Commission meeting that highlighted key projects and opportunities for Washington’s freight network.
Session highlights include:
A showcase of our supply chain and freight network efforts in Washington and the greater region
An update on Washington State Department of Transportation’s activities and preparations for the Amtrak Cascades ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Games in Seattle and Vancouver, BC
A Green Farms to Green Ports showcase from Stephanie Bowman, Washington Department of Commerce; Beth Swanson, Tri Cities Intermodal; and Diahann Howard, Port of Benton. The session emphasized Washington’s position as the nation’s most trade-driven state, and highlighted the importance of rail and intermodal facilities in maximizing efficiency along the state’s logistics networks
An update from Seattle Department of Transportation on efforts to enhance freight mobility and integrate dedicated freight lanes on Seattle roads
Watch the full session here.
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Winter Convention
In late January, our team strengthened connections with regional Tribal nations at the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Winter Convention in Portland. As part of this event, we presented to the ATNI transportation, economic development and energy committees on opportunities to collaborate with Tribal nations on expanded freight and passenger rail service and heavy duty truck parking and refueling facilities on Tribal land.
Testifying for SB5649
On January 25, PNWER RIA Director Bruce Agnew testified in support of Senate Bill 5649, which seeks to create a Washington state supply chain competitiveness infrastructure program. The Bipartisan Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act passed in early February underscores the importance of strengthening American supply chains, supporting new public-private partnerships and reducing delays. Agnew emphasized that SB5649 would serve as a regional companion to the federal bill and enable Washington state to take on a leading role in prioritizing resilient supply chains.
Watch the testimony here.
What’s Next?
Looking ahead, our team is excited to build on this momentum and continue to strengthen partnerships across state lines. We’ll be working closely with our project partners, subrecipients and regional leaders to continue these important conversations and advance more critical infrastructure projects across the region. We have some exciting events coming up, so be sure to check our events page for updates and opportunities to get involved.
Register Today: Annual Summit in Bellevue
Join over 600 policymakers and business leaders from the U.S. and Canada in Bellevue, Washington, July 20-24 to discuss a range of regionally-significant topics, including transportation infrastructure, supply chains, policy and systems integration. You won’t want to miss this – learn more and register today: www.pnwer.org/2025-summit
