What is the Inland Pacific Hub (IPH)?
The Inland Pacific Hub is a public private partnership established by and comprised of public and private sector representatives from Idaho and Washington. The Washington Department of Transportation is acting as the contract administrator and consultant manager for Phase 1 of the project. The goal of the Inland Pacific Hub is to examine the feasibility of establishing the Inland Pacific region as a multi-modal global gateway to increase domestic and international commerce.

The overall project will be completed in two phases:Phase 1 Transportation Study and Phase 2 Transportation Investment and Project Priority Blueprint.

What is the Phase 1 Transportation Study?
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) in partnership with the Inland Pacific Hub Advisory Board completed an economic development and regional freight movement analysis referred to as the Inland Pacific Hub Transportation Study.

The study was a planning effort to optimize future transportation improvements to move shipments with maximum safety and efficiency and obtain the most economic-development benefit from the improvements. The idea behind the study was to examine the potential of integrating transportation and technology systems with an over-arching economic development effort.

Phase I included an outreach effort aimed at getting regional businesses to provide information about freight activity levels, supply chain structures, and opinions on transportation services in the Inland Pacific Hub region. The Phase 1 Transportation Study was completed in 2010.

What is Phase 2 of the IPH project?
Phase 2 involves the development of a Transportation Investment and Project Priority Blueprint. This task involves developing a list of potential transportation investments designed to support the economic opportunities identified in Phase 1.  Based on the findings and recommendations derived from the results of the Phase 1 study, a Priority Blueprint will be completed. This deliverable will provide a strategic implementation plan that will address current funding and identify funding gaps. The Priority Blueprint will also provide a phased implementation plan that incorporates potential funding options including federal, state, local, international, and private sectors. Phase 2 began in March 2011 and will be completed in early 2012.

What is the Inland Pacific Hub region?
The area included in the analysis region encompasses ten counties in Eastern Washington and nine counties in Northern Idaho.
Eastern Washington: Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, Whitman, Garfield, Asotin, and Columbia.
Northern Idaho: Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Benewah, Shoshone, Latah, Clearwater, Nez Perce, and Lewis.