The North/West Passage Corridor encompasses the states along I-90/I-94 from Wisconsin to Washington. The states within the North/West Passage Corridor are predominately rural and face similar transportation issues related to traffic management, traveler information, and commercial vehicle operations. Within the corridor states, there are numerous systems for collecting, processing, and integrating traveler and road maintenance information. At present, this information is not readily shared across state borders. Recognizing the value of coordinated, cross-border collaboration for ITS deployment to address these issues, the states formed the Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF-5(093)) in 2003. The vision of the North/West Passage Corridor is to immediately influence ongoing standards development and utilize effective methods for sharing, coordinating, and integrating traveler information across state borders. While traveler information reflects the initial destiny, coordinated maintenance and operations and planning and programming are long-term visions. The states have completed several projects in the years since their establishment as a pooled fund. Some Work Plan 1 projects involved significant construction or equipment purchases, and the North/West Passage pooled fund served as project initiator. Under Work Plan 2, an ITS Integrated Corridor Strategic Plan was developed to guide future collaboration in the corridor. The plan focuses on center-to-center information sharing opportunities, includes a high-level architecture for the corridor, presents an inventory of existing systems, and identifies a coordinated deployment and operational concept for traveler information systems across state borders. Work Plan 3 projects began building the operational concept introduced in the Strategic Plan. A high-level traveler information web site was developed and launched for the corridor (www.i90i94travelinfo.com) and initial guidance for consistent descriptions of major events was established. Complete details on previous work plans and individual projects are available through the program web site at www.nwpassage.info.

Building on several projects recommended in the ITS Integrated Corridor Strategic Plan for North/West Passage, Work Plan 4 presents a series of projects targeted for completion in 2008-2009. The projects continue to integrate traveler information systems and coordinate maintenance operations across state borders.

$25,000 commited from Wyoming but the funds will be transferred via partnership agreement.