COLUMN | Keep Oregon Moving: ODOT crews are ready for the winter

Published 2:20 pm Friday, December 20, 2024

ODOT has maintenance stations in 88 communities across Oregon, and our employees live in the communities they serve.

Their friends and families travel the roads they maintain. As winter storms approach and our crews gear up for difficult conditions and long shifts, they know the work is worth it.

Last fall, I worried that ODOT would lack the funding it needed to respond to winter weather. Our budget problems were getting worse, and it looked like we’d have to scale back our winter maintenance quickly.

Instead, Gov. Kotek and legislative leaders stepped in and provided emergency funding to keep our winter maintenance service levels stable through last winter and this one.

This one-time infusion of funds helped us maintain service levels and avoid the cuts we’d feared. We’ve been able to fix more potholes, stripe fog lines on lower-volume roads, and replace a few of our aging maintenance vehicles that are needed to plow snow.

However, this funding only carries us through June 2025. It doesn’t address the structural revenue issue facing transportation agencies.

Three main causes drive that issue: declining gas tax revenue as Oregonians drive increasingly fuel-efficient vehicles and switch to electric vehicles at a high rate; high inflation, which has made maintaining the transportation system more expensive; and, lastly, restrictions on available funding that prevent ODOT from maintaining the state’s transportation system and running the agency.

Last spring, the Oregon Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation held a series of public meetings in communities around the state, discussing the need for sufficient and sustainable transportation funding with the public and community leaders. The meetings ended in September. Committee members are now discussing how to put together legislation that will stabilize Oregon’s transportation system.

ODOT needs a financial structure that makes sure we can keep the roads clear and safe year-round. One that allows us to respond more quickly to safety concerns. A structure that will enable us to clean up graffiti and litter and prevent unsafe camping along high-speed roads. We need long-term stability so we can better adapt to new concerns as they arise.

On Dec. 2, Governor Kotek released her proposed budget for the 2025-27 biennium. It recommends the Oregon Legislature provide significant additional funding for ODOT in the upcoming biennium. If approved by the legislature, this funding would prevent deep cuts to the services the agency provides to Oregonians. It would help us improve service through additional investments in maintenance, the DMV, and other critical work and allow the agency to invest in preserving and improving the transportation system.

We look forward to working with Gov. Kotek and our partners in the Oregon Legislature to ensure Oregonians have the safe, accessible and reliable transportation system they deserve, and we are optimistic and excited for our collective future.

In the meantime, you can help our crews and each other by traveling safely this winter.

In Oregon, it’s illegal to pass a snowplow on the right on state highways. That’s for a good reason. Many snowplows have wing plows that stick out more than eight feet from the right front edge of the truck.

I’d also think twice before passing a snowplow on the left: the road ahead hasn’t been plowed as recently as the one you’re on. Ruts in the snow can grab tires, and icy conditions make it difficult to control any vehicle at higher speeds. Please be patient — those snowplow drivers and road crews are making the road safer for you.

If you need to drive in the snow, be sure to watch out for people walking and biking. It can be harder to see them when the weather gets bad, so drive slower, leave plenty of space and turn on your headlights.

Lastly, check the road conditions on your route before you go at TripCheck.com. If conditions are questionable and you can wait it out, please do so.

Together, we can help keep each other safe this winter.