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Director Ness to speak about how transportation affects
economic opportunity at international summit

Director Brian Ness will speak to representatives of five states, three Canadian provinces and two territories next week about the role ITD plays in the state’s economic prosperity. He also will describe how the department supports Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s initiative to grow the state’s gross domestic product to $60 billion annually.

Ness will be among the featured speakers at the 2013 Pacific Northwest Economic Region summit that begins Sunday and continues through Friday in Anchorage, Alaska.

The economic summit draws more than 400 delegates from throughout the northwest to discuss opportunities for stimulating the regional economy.

Economic challenges that are important in Point Barrow, Alaska, aren’t much different than those in Billings, Mont. Or in Bellingham, Wash., or in Boise, Idaho.

Ness will describe ITD’s new emphasis that considers economic and business impacts when planning transportation system investments. Idaho represents a geographically diverse area connected by transportation that has both common needs and unique challenges.

The same can be said for the PNWER that encompasses – on a much larger scale – Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington and Alaska, the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, along with the Yukon and Northwest territories. The region collectively is larger than Europe.

Collaboration is key to brining those areas together as a cohesive region focused on economic development.

“My presentation is designed to accomplish a couple of things,” Ness says. “The first is to show the importance of PNWER’s mission and goals to our region’s economy. The second is to show how Idaho’s approach to improving economic opportunity can serve as a model for the entire Pacific Northwest.

“But how do you accomplish such a wide-ranging and important mission? How do you increase the economic wellbeing of the entire Pacific Northwest? And how do you improve the quality of life for your friends and neighbors?

“The answer is ‘You think BIG,’” he explains. “Its first goal is to promote greater regional collaboration.”

Ness will be part of the Transportation, Tourism and Border joint session Wednesday morning. Idaho State Sen. Curt McKenzie and Bruce Agnew, director of the Cascadia Institute, will serve as co-chairs.