Principles

Our work is driven by these ethics and principles. If you'd like to share your commitment to these ideals, you can sign our Promise Statement.

Ethics

Objectivity

OnTrackNorthAmerica does not accept financial sponsorships that require prioritizing individual business agendas over shared interests. This pledge to remain impartial, regardless of the source or size of financial support from any individual or entity, has been upheld for thirty years and will continue as our core value to all stakeholders.

Inclusivity

OnTrackNorthAmerica facilitates “level playing field” dialogues inviting representation and perspectives from all involved stakeholder groups. Inclusivity is fundamental to our planning approach, and we welcome all regions and projects of any size.

Nonpartisanship

OnTrackNorthAmerica maintains the autonomy of a politically non-partisan entity.

Sustainability

We believe return-on-investment analyses should account for all environmental and community impacts while acknowledging that some projects generate a degree of unavoidable negative impact. We support investments that advance the transition from the overuse of fossil fuels, petrochemicals, and water, while acknowledging the real-world challenges on the journey to a cleaner economy. We guide our clients and communities to align their planning and investment horizons with the sensible evolution of these markets.

There are four steps to evaluating every project for alignment with these values and goals.

1. We catalog each project’s commodities, activities, and impacts.
2. We conduct thorough research to gain an understanding of all environmental and community impacts.
3. We share our findings with the team and stakeholders to invite all perspectives.
4. Together, we decide how to influence the project’s sustainability properly.

We hold ourselves accountable to future generations by working only on projects that align with a sustainable environment and healthy communities.

Principles for Collaboration

Collaboration and Coordination

OTNA supports thoughtful collaboration and coordination in balance with helpful competition. It is commonly believed that including many stakeholders hinders progress. In fact, incorporating all perspectives leads to smarter solutions, policies, and plans that are more effective, widely adopted, and implemented.

Assume Responsibility

We are responsible for the quality of our relationships. In each conversation, we relate in ways that advance mutual learning by recognizing the strengths and perspectives of others.

Be Accountable

Only make promises you intend to keep. Include a completion time. Initially, we may encounter barriers to accomplishing new tasks. We only encounter challenges because of our commitment, not a lack of commitment. Stay in the game!

Engage in Integrative Dialogue

Integrative dialogue transcends conventional debate, where either/or and right/wrong interactions marginalize many valuable perspectives. We work together to synergize and foster new understandings, especially when seemingly opposing points of view are expressed.

Ask Questions

Asking questions when writing and speaking opens up new thinking and fosters new ideas. While statements tend to portray concerns as intractable problems, asking questions immediately orients us toward solutions.

Thrive at the Edge of Learning

What we are doing is unprecedented and requires us to continually learn and adapt. External change happens when we expand our receptiveness to new ideas. Bring it on!

Embrace Knowledge Sharing

Share rather than withhold information, ideas, and wisdom to create a world that works for everyone. Sharing accelerates productivity. It is time to scale up our collective intelligence.

Celebrate and Energize

Leaning into positivity is vitally important to any concerted effort. We value each other’s participation and communicate our appreciation.

Lead from Community

Initiatives succeed when strong leadership stewards the community’s best interests and stands for results. We advise project developers to interact proactively with community leaders as influential partners.

Embrace Whole-System Thinking

OnTrackNorthAmerica champions programs, policies, and planning that advance system-wide benefits and multimodal transportation.

Step into IntelliSynthesis®

IntelliSynthesis is the logic and intelligence all around us, but so often hidden from view by posturing, positioning, and politicizing. When we engage with others in the community’s best interest, collective intelligence naturally moves us toward solutions that work for everyone.