- Introduction
- Step 1. Make freight transportation a cause the entire state can get behind
- Step 2. Reconnect shippers, planners, and policymakers to the value of rail transportation
- Step 3. Alter or reverse the marketplace forces that are damaging transportation efficiency
- Step 4. Measure and compare the total costs and impacts of each transport mode, and of the entire system as a whole
- Step 5. Establish a set of land use codes specifically for commercial development and freight transportation
- Step 6. Stimulate the rail, trucking, and waterway industries to establish a comprehensive and coordinated business plan for growth
- Step 7. Employ new and innovative methods of applying public- and private-sector funding for transportation system improvements
- Step 8. Institute a new, permanent stakeholder think tank to ensure ongoing collaboration between the public and private sectors in the implementation of this business plan
- Conclusion

Step 1. Make freight transportation a cause the entire state can get behind
Efficient freight transportation that makes best use of each transport mode for both commercial gain and social benefit is a cause that most stakeholders, including the public, will support. To raise widespread awareness of freight issues to a more appropriate level, OnTrackPennsylvania as a “brand” will serve as the public relations campaign for optimal freight transportation.
OnTrackPennsylvania will facilitate summits across the state, starting in Harrisburg, convening stakeholder representatives and the public to shed light on our most pressing freight-related issues. With each successive summit, new points of view will be added to an ongoing dialogue with the goal of informing public opinion and including the public in the policymaking process. These summits will put into practice cutting-edge research in civic and large-group engagement conducted at Penn State University.
As a complement to these in-person summits, the OnTrackPennsylvania website will serve as a portal for ongoing multi-stakeholder input. All participating stakeholders and interested observers will be able to follow this evolving process. It will also serve as a platform for compiling and cataloguing relevant studies, reports and events.

