Cars remain abandoned along I-84 in Portland

ODOT said they've called in crews from Central Oregon to help clean up the abandoned cars. They were cleared out by Thursday afternoon, though vehicles remained stalled on I-205 over the Glenn Jackson Bridge.
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[@AnterosLive]

Of the 90 jobs posted on the ODOT website Highway Maintenance Specialist (Seasonal) is the lowest paid of all of them, and its only seasonal (Rent is due year round). I am just guessing, but would suspect this is why there is no one to plow the roads.

[@AnterosLive]

And its on Page 3

[@Jay-eh5wp]

Could have something to do with it. Also, the green weenies do not like to salt the roads here. To much administrative overhead. This state is shit when it comes to land and hwy management. The drivers suck, even in good weather too. Beautiful state , but the disease of a certain irrational party has been killing it for nearly four decades.

[@jeremywilson7164]

Whats the pay? Where I live, plow drivers get paid $35 an hour and collect unemployment insurance during the summer. They do pretty good.

[@Senor_spielbergo]

Or its that Portland doesn’t have no more people worth a damn to actually go out and work that doesn’t involve doing drugs or complaining about proper pronouns.

[@messagesystem333]

They could contract it out?

[@BrigitofBergental]

This is why BUSINESSES need to have snowdays when schools do. If you don't work in emergency response, a medical facility, a group home, or something else directly responsible for the health and safety of others, you shouldn't HAVE TO go out in such stuff. Walmart can close, factories can close, insurance offices can close.

[@Nick84525]

Corporate America doesn't care about that

[@flight2k5]

Those evil evil corporations. We need communism 😂

[@knine8154]

Howabout a responsible gooberment that isnt solely focused on woke virtuous do nothing crap🤡

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

It will never happen. The billionaires are not willing to lose the revenue. As far as they are concerned, if the worker slaves do not show up, fire them and get others who are desperate for a job, any job.

[@JamesG1126]

That's between the businesses and its employees.

[@Brandon-wo2tz]

Oh Portland, you never cease to amaze me.

[@SolzeyeJewels]

What a storm. Utah is a mess too, but we're used to tons of snow. Hang in there!

[@denjhill]

This is ridiculous. The state dropped the ball and I find it hard to make excuses for them. ODT has one job: roads. Keep them open and safe. Major fail.

[@irisjanemay1903]

I'm in Colorado and we have a state highway house down the hill from us. We always know when it's snowing on the mountain because those men come in all times day and night to keep the roads clear. It's comforting to know their out there doing a tough job. All states should keep road repairs and maintenance a major priority because it really is life or death out there if the roads aren't good.

[@JETZcorp]

I can't even describe now neglectfully Portland handled this. I live in central WA so I'm not really afraid of snow, but I had to go through Portland the day after it fell. Bright and sunny, 12 hours after the snow stopped, you'd think at least the freeways would be passable. Nope, Portland closed off all of them, forcing all the semi trucks into the suburbs! Not a single road showed evidence of plowing, spraying, or gritting. All of them inches deep in shiny solid ice since it'd had time to partly melt and re-freeze. Later that night I had to come back through. They'd opened up the freeways but they were also still completely untreated! 24 hours after the storm and I-205 was covered in solid ice, bashed and smashed into 6-inch ice boulders. It is just outrageous that they treat their citizens this way, not to mention blocking the entirety of West Coast commerce for days.

[@kristin4840]

I’ve lived in Utah and Idaho my whole life. I’ve never owned snow tires or even an all wheel drive. Recently moved to Montana and have been shocked this winter at how neglectful they are at plowing!! Had to get snow tires and an all wheel drive just to get around. I don’t understand a winter state not figuring out how to keep roads clear!!

[@stenyethanmathews945]

We don't have the money funding for this lol. It's all gone to the military industrial complex+ other corporate handouts

[@JETZcorp]

@@stenyethanmathews945 Bullshit, cities all over this country deal with it no problem. The military industrial complex isn't taking all it's funding from Portland but leaving Boise rolling in snowplow money. This is a State and Local level issue. ODOT and PBOT.

[@civlyzed]

@@kristin4840 I'm no expert, but could it have something to do with the fact that Montana is the 4th largest state by area, but only 44th in population? The other two "winter states" you mentioned are also larger than average in area and lower than average in population, so maybe they just have their stuff together more. Idaho is 39th in population and 14th in area, while Utah is 30th in population and 13th in area. Cheers, and drive safely!

[@darkpassenger65]

I just moved here from Hawaii and all I needed was a weather app to help me decide not to go out in that.

[@jerrymartin3965]

Nice for you that you have that choice. Truckers don't have that choice. Don't act all superior, you're not.

[@solomonaieremia9403]

@@jerrymartin3965 🤓

[@jerrymartin3965]

@@robyn2344 you don't know anything about trucking. Dispatchers and customers decide schedules not drivers. Anyone who knows anything about trucking would know that.

[@BrigitofBergental]

A lot of people I am sure didn't have a choice because their 100% in-person job didn't close. It is smart to stay home if you can (especially for people not used to driving in it), but some folks can't risk losing their job by calling out.

[@Tina-mt9cl]

Wait a minute, someone actually moved here? I thought people were only leaving. You need to take a good look around and get your head checked...

[@dennisfuentesoc]

I lived in PDX for a couple of years, relocated from Chicago (moved back to Chitown over a year ago). I never got to experience a crippling PDX snowstorm. What happened here is very reminiscent of the big snowstorm that hit Chicago on 2 February 2011. A fast moving snow storm dumped way more snow than was forecasted causing massive traffic jams and causing people to abandon their cars on Lake Shore Drive. Since then, the Illinois Department of Transportation got into a mindset of over-preparing for snow falls. I think ODOT would be wise to take from the playbook that Chicago has...

[@louisliu5638]

Chicago being right on Lake Michigan and WINDY......."THE WINDY CITY"....is a real surprise. Portland is inland, though the Columbia brings freighters right into town.

[@deanfirnatine7814]

They should have learned that lesson years ago, this is FAR from the only time this has happened, they never learn, no one here ever loses their job or gets voted out of office when they screw up over and over, that is the root of the problem, no consequences.

[@roxiefern]

I remember that storm well, I had to reschedule my final postop visit. We knew in Elgin that we were getting a huge amount of snow up to 3pm the next day. I remember the forecast was bleak, the problem was everyone tried to get home at the height of the storm. I left work at that time and encountered snow drifts in the parking lot. I got home and couldn't get in my driveway, the neighbor plowed it out.

[@peterbelanger4094]

A crippling PDX snowstorm = a normal winter day in Buffalo. The problem is the complete lack of snow removal resources, not the intensity of the storm. I grew up in Buffalo. This about of snow would not have stopped any great lakes city for a second. But Oregon is in complete denial of snow happening in this state and does not have enough equipment for Portland. And, PS, salt is not as bad as people think. It's a lifesaver in the snow. Why they do not use salt, I will never know.

[@mikecronin4968]

@@louisliu5638 Its called windy city because our politicians are anyway the wind blows. Look them up, they're all in jail.

[@arlitabeard7693]

Born and raised in Portland till 1989 we got snow in the 50s 60s and 70s then ice storms in the70s and 80s people just need to stay home

[@phatnum17]

The storm hit during rush hour not exactly sure how people are supposed to stay home when they’re trying to get home

[@scomo532]

I lived in NE fir 60 wintahs, they plow and SALT the roads so you can get where the heel you’re going even though the temps are in the teens and it’s snowing and blowing. I know, I know, salt hurts the salmon and rusts your cah. So, don’t use salt and crash your cah which will do more damage than the salt corrosion and let’s keep the salmon fat and happy for the sea lions to eat. Oregon is stupid, and I know, I’ve been heah for 15 years.

[@treetoppa8388]

I was also born and raised in Portland and left in 89. Interesting. I lived in NE Portland. Grant HS district. I remember what we called a silver thaw. Why they called it that I have no idea. Ice would accumulate on power lines and tree limbs causing a lot of damage. 😊

[@evegreenification]

Why is ODOT understaffed? Oregonlive reported in Sept of 21 that ODOT workers were protesting mandates by calling in sick. Then KGW8 reported in November of that year that many workers were retiring and that openings paying up to $7k /mo were going unfilled.

[@AnterosLive]

Because they are not paying a living wage equal to the labor conducted, its not complicated to understand.

[@charlesritter6640]

@@AnterosLive 7k a month is not a living wage?

[@roymartin3002]

@@AnterosLive what is your definition of a living wage? Because 7k a month is pretty stout.

[@Jarl_Thidrandi]

I don't know if they still require it, but alot of ODOT quit when they pushed the Vaccine mandate, and good for them.

[@arthurhamilton5222]

Now they are complaining. Didn't they vote democrat and for criminal rights? The smart people have already left that woke area.

[@JR-lb4ng]

That is the typical thing that happens in Oregon specifically Portland. With their “We will not use salt on our roads” is the real reason that even a mild snowstorm cripples Portland. I feel for the people in Portland and Oregon for their inept DOT response and laws. I remember back in 2017 you folks had a good snow come through and basically crippled roads down there. The state of Oregon asked Washington state if they would come help, and in a nut shell , Washington said Nope you created your problem not fix it yourself.

[@messagesystem333]

Experienced that in January 2004. From La Grande all the way to Portland was a mess, no salt or sand just plowed down to a sheet of ice.

[@frankblangeard8865]

I grew up in Massachusetts and they used salt on the roads (I don't know if they still do). Life expectancy of cars was ten years maximum because the car body would rot.

[@johndodge9923]

They have started using a little over by La Grande. But the west provinces , I'm sure that Salt would be a Criminal Offense !

[@senyashchukin391]

Why is it ODOT's fault though? They said on the news that there was gonna be a snow storm a couple days prior its not their fault people with FWD cars still hit the road. And the truckers are supposed to have chains. They got a heads up but didn't listen. Plus the PNW is knows have having virtually rust free cars and I think most people want to keep it that way. I'll gladly stay home for a few days rather than have my car rot out on me. But in the end I don't think these mild snow storms are that big of a deal here unlike the east coast of midwest.

[@CRneu]

They used salt before the storm hit. The problem was it was raining and the storm dropped the temps very quickly, plus it started snowing hard. The roads were salted but it was washed away. Then the storm hit during rush hour which meant crews couldn't get through traffic.

[@jessejohnson2229]

Odot has always been giving excuse

[@lovewillwinnn]

S

[@jsimmons7023]

The news was warning us of the timeline for the storm. They were off by 2 hours, and the snow hit early. We all knew it was coming. Should have left work around noon.

[@itsablessingbeinganamerica1401]

Just like the leadership in Portland Oregon. Useless!

[@scomo532]

ODOT is nothing but an excuse

[@peterbelanger4094]

It's a big job for two snow plows.

[@allouttabubblegum1984]

ODOT's excuse was that the previous rains would wash away the de-icer, but this just looks like the typical Portland incompetence as usual.

[@carrow2250]

Yup! Well said.

[@CRneu]

that's exactly what happened. They salted the roads and used de-icer it then washed away and the storm hit during rush hour which meant crews couldn't get through traffic.

[@davidlaroche4537]

For those blaming the city, looks like most of the roads described here are plowed by state, not by the city.

[@davidlaroche4537]

…also noticed a lack of sanders? No sanders in Oregon?

[@GammaRays10]

This wasn't that bad of a storm, quite mild. Problem is Oregon's road policies. Night and day between Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR....WA takes better care of their roads and prepwork. Oregon is absolutely atrocious and denies proper prep to be done before a storm.

[@andrewk8636]

Just look at vancouvers on ramps and free way interchanges. Decades ahead of Portlands

[@johnryman1366]

TYPICALLY LIBERAL, DAY LATE DOLLAR short

[@GammaRays10]

@@johnryman1366 invalid argument

[@photographyisnotacrime7300]

@@johnryman1366 Moohahaha. Here is the right winger hollaring again.

[@thundercron77]

I agree that Oregon is terrible with their roads during a storm. But don't see how you can say almost 11 inches of snow in a single day is "mild."

[@pamyuhnke8143]

I am New Yorker who lives in PDX. Someone pls teach these people to avoid driving in this weather and to not leave your car on the freeway! 🙄

[@swamprat69er]

An abandoned car on the freeway NEEDS to be towed off.

[@alumniduck]

Sorry but you cant teach stupid. This happens every time portland gets a couple of snowflakes. Remember that we are talking about people who absolutely refuses to get snow tires because the government is supposed to hold their hands until they get home.

[@xxspawnxx]

i was in the middle of portland when the storm hit hard i got a ways away and got stuck behind a fiat and couldnt do anything but leave my car , i had to walk 7 miles up hill to get away from the blocked off traffic so i could get picked up. i can easily say this storm hit super fast and hard , about 2 hours in it was 3 inch deep and already ice pack

[@fishmonger6879]

Where did you have to go that was so important?

[@mpetersen6]

Uphill both ways too I suppose. Hope you had your loose leaf folder to fight off the grizzly bears. 🙄 Sorry but 3 inches ain't jack.

[@frafraplanner9277]

​@@mpetersen6 PBOT doesnt have an effective snowplow response for 3 inches of snow. Traffic slowed to 1 mile per hour after it started snowing, meaning it was faster to walk than drive to your destination

[@suzanne529]

@@mpetersen6 It is if it freezes into solid ice.

[@jacobcollier4223]

I can confirm, it hit insanely fast, and last I checked the forecast, hours earlier than it was supposed to. I rode my bike to Yoga class around 5:15, and by the time I left at 7:45, the rodes were already treacherous and I didn't feel safe riding my bike.

[@davidpoole409]

We don’t have enough staff is an acceptable excuse if you are a McDonald’s or a dive Bar but this is a public service that should have 0 excuses hiring staff other then complete and absolute incompetence. If you pay enough someone WILL do the job end of story they just arnt doing the job of properly managing this organization.

[@itsablessingbeinganamerica1401]

Refund American taxpayers- State of Oregon! They were negligence 100%

[@sjoq9031]

They pay so low that no one wants to work for them. That's one of the reasons they are always under staff.

[@mrbear1302]

So how much of your paycheck are you willing to donate monthly, so that they can hire and pay people with they deserve???????

[@davidpoole409]

@@mrbear1302 this is a really naive way of understanding how tax income and agency funding works. Also Oregon collects more tax per then then next 36 states. Incompetence and corruption are the reason for this terrible handling of the weather conditions. Paying more is only complicated because layers of absurd bureaucracy.

[@nonionbeezness]

And the Oregon legislature allocated the funds to buy all those plows and driving trucks and crew even over the past decades exactly? Show me where you voters requested your state legislature to ensure the state was prepared to immediately respond in force to all manner of emergency.

[@sassylady2001]

Portland has 12 snowplows - but they will not use them on I-5 because it is a federal road. Good Lord - what does that really matter in times like this?

[@jeffreyculley8684]

Is it a fact that ODOT has 5000 plus employees??? And WASDOT has 500.. is it a situation where there is way too much administration that is so detached from the front line maintenance crews on winter hours??? Sounds like an audit and Investigation may be warranted...

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

Ssshhhh. The billionaire relatives may hear you complaining about their cushy do nothing positions.

[@samm8697]

I’ve lived in the PNW for many years and whenever they were predicting snow I made sure to stay off the road for this reason. Hopefully everyone made it home safely

[@alumniduck]

I will drive nearly anywhere in the snow and ice but nothing can drag me up to the portland area. People that live there fell out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down.

[@denizalgazi]

The other drivers never got that memo!

[@CivilShepherd]

Weather forecasters are false prophets

[@alumniduck]

@@CivilShepherd They are getting better. I remember one winter when I woke up to 14 inches of "partly cloudy". Even so, When they do project some snow and ice, it is best to take the day off and avoid the hassle. Auto body repair shops will have enough business without you.

[@CivilShepherd]

@@alumniduck Ah man to that

[@js149]

I used to live in Oregon. Pathetic service from ODOT. They still try to use gravel on the roads (use salt people) and very very few plows. No one in Oregon wants to work? That’s because the government loves homeless people.

[@JETZcorp]

Guys, this is shameful. I recently moved from Portland to Yakima, where it snows 10x more, and I was worried about it. No, in a real city, they actually plow the roads, apply de-icer, grit, etc all in a timely manner. The road in front of your house may not get it right away but you can be very sure the freeways will be plowed immediately and continuously as it snows, and major arteries get plowed within hours. There has not been a single day in Yakima when I couldn't get around in my MIATA. What Portland does is let all the snow fall, accumulate fully, partially melt and re-freeze into several inches of solid shiny ice, and THEN they start taking a crack at fixing things. I'm a trucker so I had to go through Portland on Thursday and later that night. There is absolutely no excuse for an interstate freeway, a major thoroughfare for the nation, to be 6 inches deep in ice boulders 24hrs after the snow stopped falling. It is neglect, pure and simple. The road to Timberline freaking Lodge never gets as treacherous as I-205 was on Thursday. After this stuff melts you guys should be marching on ODOT/PBOT's offices and demanding change. It wouldn't surprise me if they were getting paid by auto mechanics and body shops, because their negligence has caused a colossal amount of car damage to the people of this already haggard city.

[@danieldaniels7571]

Yes. As someone who used to live in Casper, Wyoming, a small city with much less resources where it shows 10x as much, this is just laughable. Thanks for keeping the rest of the nation entertained with your ineptitude, Portland!

[@jeffreyculley8684]

Truer words were never spoke..where I live..from Lake of the Woods to Lakeview..from K Falls to Chemult..up 58.these maintenance crews work their ass off...

[@unconventionalideas5683]

Portland does not have much snow, so they probably have little in the way of snow clearing equipment.

[@reptar69]

Yakima 28.27 sq mi Portland 145 sq mi

[@JETZcorp]

@@reptar69 Portland's budget is at least 50x what Yakima's is. When I went through Portland I did not see a single inch of road that was plowed. There's also the point that you could see trails of de-icing fluid on I-84 in the Gorge and I-5 in the valley, but they stopped as soon as you got into Portland. I understand that it's hard to get every single inch of road in the city when it's big. However that's no excuse for doing absolutely nothing. When I went over Satus Pass, which is just a 2-lane nowhere road, they had 2 plows cruising echelon formation getting it cleared. That's all it would have taken to open up 2 lanes of I-5 from Vancouver to Wilsonville, a similar distance. If Portland's taxes aren't high enough to sustain 2 plows per direction for the 3 major freeways, cut it down to 1 and you'll get one lane working. They didn't even do that until more than 24 hours later. But really, I suspect their biggest problem was something else. Portland has taken a trendy position that traffic cannot be solved by road expansions, which has resulted in absolutely crippling traffic for it's size. The city is totally impassable for 4 hours in the afternoon. They figure that drives people to use transit, but it also blocks commercial through-traffic, emergency response vehicles... and snow plows. This snow storm hit during the rush hourS, meaning even if the city had a world-class standing army of snowplows, they would have been unable to get anywhere unless they had the foresight to mix them into the traffic many hours earlier. I have no doubt that the only lesson City Council has taken from all this was, "Yeah cars are bad actually, maybe these mouth-beathers will learn to take the MAX next time."

[@30smsuperstrat]

The biggest thing in this area is how fast it turns to compact snow and ice. This area already has a propensity for ice, due to the Columbia River. Those "chains" on that one truck are typical of an under-budget trucker not having good equipment. All these west coast states charging fuel taxes up the you know what making it difficult for driver's budgets and then ODOT being understaffed due to shot requirements people weren't into.

[@sbrecke1507]

I know they say "don't go out unless you have to" But a lot of people have to go out to work. Bills don't stop just because the weather gets bad

[@patcassidyOutdoors]

Except that this event probably cost people way more that missed time at work.

[@Pipsqwak]

Driving in Portland sucks even in the best of weather. Driving in snow? Fuck no!!

[@jerrymartin3965]

I got stuck a few years ago on the 84 in Troutdale during "Snowmageddon". I made it to the truckstop there because the 84 was closed for 2 days. Portland had no snowplows and had to beg Seattle for help. They are incompetent in Oregon and learned nothing from previous issues.

[@julieb7785]

Totally incompetent, but very busy with pronoun selection and inclusivity lecturing.

[@gregorycyr9272]

@@julieb7785 That was a wonderful statement.

[@Lemmon714_]

Golly, I hope the fentynal is able to get through. Imagine how the street junkies will suffer if their supply isn't able to get to them.

[@alumniduck]

Yeah. They might freeze to death waiting for their next fix.

[@richardgilmore8068]

I was stuck on Hwy26 in a similar snow storm years ago, spending 45 minutes getting from Clay St. to the zoo exit. I had stopped and put on chains just a block before entering the freeway, but 90% of the cars had no chains. I imagine the same thing here. Snow tires were necessary.

[@jacka55six60]

If you've ever been to Portland, this is the least of your worries.

[@Akotski-ys9rr]

Yep I dislike that city. Very weird

[@CivilShepherd]

Pst pst. Hey you wanna buy some snow? It's legit.

[@BurtonHohman]

I was just there before the storm thankfully. I was pleasantly surprised. I had heard horror stories but never had any issues. The homelessness wasn’t any worse than it is in Salt Lake City as far as I saw.

[@CivilShepherd]

@@BurtonHohman Tent camps have temporally cleared until winter is over again. They really have to live like nomads.

[@albertatundra]

It couldn't have happened to a more deserving people. Enjoy!

[@garricray7025]

Just keep in mind everyone - that ODOT will be adding tolls to all the major bridges in our area starting next year.

[@Ryukomytoy]

What's the issue with that?

[@allouttabubblegum1984]

@@Ryukomytoy Were being overly taxed without adequate services rendered.

[@Ryukomytoy]

@@allouttabubblegum1984 true that homie

[@sassylady2001]

Oh goody - more ways to pay more taxes. Democraps will always find a way to your wallet.

[@Ryukomytoy]

@@sassylady2001 I'm not a libtard, bitch.

[@donwyates]

I don't know how those drivers can say they were caught off guard. There was plenty of warning about this storm. There's even an app (or 20) for that. How 'bout those folks stay home? Or for the truckers, stay at a truck stop, rest area, or whatever - trying to drive through is just ignorant and dangerous.

[@MrJamesLuz]

Exactly! Easier to blame ODOT than admit you made a bad decision driving in the worst winter storm in Portland history.

[@USisTHEbest121]

​@@MrJamesLuz ODOT is a public service that routinely is under prepared for bad weather. Oregon is a tax heavy state and public services are failing us... If you don't think that is a problem then you are just ignorant.

[@CRneu]

Up until about an hour before the storm hit the forecast was calling for 1-2 inches of snow. Not 11+. ODOT and PDOT were in constant contact with forecasters and were told this wasn't going to be a huge event. I was on my forecasting app as well and it definitely didn't forecast anything like this. Y'all are making crap up.

[@kmoecub]

Having lived in several places, including Portland-Metro, I have to say that there is nowhere where snow doesn't cause problems. Most issues mainly come down to drivers (of all sorts) who don't plan ahead and pay attention to changing conditions. In over 30 years of driving (including professional driving), I've never had to abandon a vehicle for any reason. This nation NEEDS to do a better job with training drivers and testing when it's time to renew licenses.

[@kirby-hm4mb]

There is no test for common sense

[@mixedupmenopausaladhd3999]

It was a weird storm. I’ve never experienced anything like it. The rapid onset, the plummeting temps that went from upper 30s/rain to 32/sticking snow in like an hour… usually there’s more time before everything starts sticking and freezing in that scenario.

[@CivilShepherd]

Weather manipulation happens a lot these days. It has to do with what they spray in the chemtrails in the sky.

[@wonderboy13579]

@@CivilShepherd lolol

[@ProdicalMan]

Global warming 🤡

[@CivilShepherd]

@@wonderboy13579 It's called science

[@CivilShepherd]

@@ProdicalMan They had to stop calling it Global Warming and start calling it Climate Change because the planet is cooling not warming. All climates change. That's what climates do. Fear mongering will never end.

[@matthewheinze1231]

Other than the truck drivers what are these people doing out? No matter how hard the DOT tries when the freeway is backed up like that you can not get trucks in to clear the ice and snow no matter how many you have.

[@Pipsqwak]

People trying to get to their essential jobs, like healthcare workers! Not everyone can just stay home when the weather sucks.

[@chrisa3249]

I like how people say we wasn't prepared. After everybody like the weather people the police and the governor said it will be more snow then ever.

[@billybarger5949]

Typical case of people not taking responsibility for their actions, there is always someone else to blame.

[@deaconsonnycarr]

I hope you all get your cars and trucks back safe God Bless you all , I’m praying for you all.

[@Timur4593]

They should close some weigh stations and direct the funds towards hiring more staff that are needed for scenarios like these. Instead of harassing hard working truckers with a weigh station every 70 miles each direction.

[@nia6849]

True

[@timmcleod9663]

If you truck you know ! those tickets generate a lot of cash for the state, they just spend it inappropriately

[@chriswelcome967]

When I was wee Lad my our family was traveling to Portland OR in the winter from back east. Dad was stationed in VA. The blizzard was so bad snow plows where stuck . We had had to get off the interstate on an on ramp. Circa somethime in the 60"s

[@CouveOne]

To be fair, the NWS and forecasters all said maybe a half inch of snow. If you’re short staff and see a half inch of snow, you don’t panic. 10 inches or more was not something anyone was told to be ready for.

[@lifelong5425]

Years ago....exactly the same...could not move for hours, lost our hotel reservation, 1 mile from it...Portland is a kid on place for traffic nightmares that they never are prepared for....Identical to Vancouver Canada...people stuck for hours berfore Christmas..same issue...Oh, we didn't expect it...

[@ronaldbertin9455]

How's all those ELECTRIC CARS DOING. LOL

[@bobwiley6221]

Beware the car thieves! I was watching another news show covering cars left on a freeway I84 I think, and a Chrysler 300 has all wheels stolen and a window busted out. Crazy crime in the Roasted City.

[@sirkat344]

OMG- your ODOT came to Tulsa for ideas! (Rather than our silly city Gov. going there as they did SO MANY times) 😂 My wife grew up in PDX, I spent a short time there. Here in my 'native' Tulsa, the city loves to wait until it's all over to do anything. Ugh. Sorry to the locals there, we know your pain.

[@Notmyrealname2007]

Odot is never ready...13 years in the Vancouver/Portland area and its the same everytime it snows... they're never ready. Compared to where i live now, it's pathetic how ODOT responds. I'm glad I don't live there anymore

[@jpkral]

This sucks to see. I'm from Colorado and we see these conditions all the time, but as said in terms of response, we have a good plow highway team that does their tough job of clearing everything up to prevent something like this...

[@alumniduck]

You also have people that know how to drive in such conditions. Portland drivers can barely get from point A to point B when the roads are clear.

[@jpkral]

@@alumniduck Yeah I was just speaking with somebody from the Portland area and he immediately predicted that shit was going to hit the fan ':)

[@alexthemtaandr211weatherfa2]

There aren't supposed to be winter weather-related fatalities on the interstate highway system and president Eisenhowereadmin stated that what the heck is the extremely lazy dots doing in certain states?

[@eddiefniii]

Stay home. Unless your job is going to replace your vehicle STAY HOME!

[@carolcohen1790]

But they are able to keep hwy 26 open for skiers and snow boarders on my hood.

[@patriciaanderson3938]

The storm was so bad they doing the best they can People they told y'all stay home y'all did not listen y'all make it so hard on them to do their Jobs stay Home People

[@Dovietail]

When this happens, It means a lot of people were not watching the weather and ready to heed warnings. STAY HOME IN WINTER STORMS!

[@503punxoioioi9]

That's 1429 SW 14th AVE. It's listed as the correspondance address on the back of the classic 1980 Portland punk 7" record by Sado-Nation that Greg Sage of Wipers put out.

[@ETT64]

Learn to drive, equip your vehicles properly for the season; such as snow tires for Winter; and you would not need to rely on the nanny state to clear the roads.

[@Goldwelp]

"The City that Works"

[@Carvin0]

Badly.

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

It's fascinating that Oregon folks are looking for a systemic issue. Here in the Chicago area, we know enough to FOLLOW THE MONEY. Who does ODOT contract with? How much are those contracts? How are those contracts chosen? Who's making what salary? How many of their relatives work for ODOT? These are the questions you need to ask. Someone is getting rich by NOT clearing the roads. Name NAMES. It's not like they are some mysterious organization. Demand answers.

[@TDC5]

i've only been living in this area for about 7 years but i can't remember a single time where ODOT actually dealt with a storm. being from the Northeast it's mindboggling how little effort is put into snow plowing or sanding here. i realize it's more of an anomaly out here to get that type of weather but to just be non-existent is hard to understand. i haven't seen a single plow or sander in the past 72 hrs. not one.

[@denizalgazi]

They need to take lessons from Chicago and New York because elections there have consequences following poor snow removal!

[@matt815]

Seeing this feels like watching a zombie movie but during winter.

[@portlandgirlx0x096]

This was a surprise snow storm! Earlier in the day apps & news radio meteorologist said up to 3 inches of snow throughout the Portland area,maybe! Not so! About 2:00pm it started snowing hard w/ heavy winds to add! Total disaster!Ended up 2b 10.8' of snow! It took me 4 hrs to get home. I was never so happy 2b home! 🌨❄️

[@Jarl_Thidrandi]

This is 100% ODOT, I have been driving through Oregon for years, and they have always been a reactive agency, rather than proactive. He is right about being understaffed, but they are known to drop the ball on winter storms, and usually will wait them out before they even try tackling the road conditions. I have been driving from Tacoma to Boise on line haul for 5 years now, and I did Tacoma to Portland to Wenatchee for years before that. I've fought snoqualmie, blewett, satus, manastash, umtanum, cabbage, meecham, ladd canyon, 3 mile, and the howling winds of the gorge on I-84, and it's always the ODOT sections that get sloppy, and usually get closed. It really doesn't help matters that Oregon has ridiculous chain up laws for rigs pulling doubles. They will make you put $1000 worth of chains on, on bare pavement at the bottom of a hill, only to have the chains disintegrate by the time you reach the snow, and if you aren't carrying 5 tons worth of chains you can run out fast in this stupid state, and they love to hit you with that $880 chain fine. Fuck the ODOT, they have stood by year after year and watched people die or get injured every time it gets cold.

[@deanfirnatine7814]

100% correct

[@johnyates5061]

Lawyer up... Class action

[@CRneu]

No this was on the drivers who didn't stay home. Everywhere was clogged with traffic. There was absolutely nothin ODOT/PDOT could have done because they couldn't drive on the roads. It's also on the forecasting service for having a really bad forecast. They were calling for 1-3 inches of snow, not 11+. The snow came out of nowhere and there were simply too many people on the roads. Add in that Google Maps was sending everywhere to the same roads and it created gridlock everywhere.

[@Freeshavacado]

Wow. I’m so glad I’m not in Portland right now and missed this storm.

[@turisolo9489]

Me too

[@claynton]

No matter what...freeways must be cleared first then maintained

[@bradmiller9993]

Ouch. I didn't know ODOT was run by the Portland City Council.

[@tristramshandy4063]

Nah looking at those roads there wasn't even an attempt to prepare them for what was coming

[@notright7]

This is 100% the flaut of ODOT. They should have closed down the roads if this was going to be an issue. It would have given time for the plow crews to keep up with the snow removal. Other states' DOT will shut the interstate system down in their state when it becomes apearent that the plows will not be albe to keep up with the snow. People will grumble, but you will not have this problem.

[@Rich-yj4ub]

Not at FULL STAFF is not TAX payers problem. That's ODOT'S problem. Fire him & anyone else in charge of staffing!

[@gobbletegook]

Don't they consider clearing the ON RAMPS, station officers and squad cars, and carefully reverse the traffic flow to at least get the off of the freeway? At least that way you could make a hole in the line and start with plows and sanders/salters. Better than letting people die (or worse yet all of them run out of gas and snarl traffic even more) for 7 hours.

[@dan8753]

So...my gasoline tax dollars move faster out of my wallet than O.D.O.T in the snow?

[@williamlockard8191]

Welcome to Portland.

[@fixitladynow]

Sounds like ODOT needed to close entrance to the freeway when they knew the weather condition .forecast

[@mandarue5104]

Another reminder to keep extra food, water, blankets, and winter clothes handy in your car. Never know when you might be sitting there for hours on end.

[@cautiousoptimist1926]

I've been an Oregon resident for 28 years now. Oregonians cannot drive in the snow, and they won't stay home. They also complain endlessly whenever they are inconvenienced in any way.

[@claudechase1648]

Under staffed, did you fire those who refused the clot shots ?

[@turbod1]

I was looking for work last moth and the city of Portland didn't have any o-dot job listings...

[@karenhargis9824]

ODOT is to blame. Really??? It’s called no preparation before anything happens. 😮

[@Boris-iz6wd]

Total ball drop in Portland as usual

[@pamelahawk6330]

Hope everyone was safe and able to get their cars back.

[@james-sb3ot]

Excuses excuses... blame it on mother nature...ODOT is full of it...Oregon has the 3rd highest tax in the nation...where is all that money going to...

[@steveanimatrix3887]

druggies and homeless, like we voted for

[@terrybane6206]

Into DIMocrat's pockets.......where else?

[@autowaagh99]

Dang it’s like 90 in Florida

[@darkpassenger65]

Deliverance trucker needs to fire his dentist.

[@bootchop88]

he is the trucker that brings in the daily meth delivery to portland.

[@Jazzyisabelrodriguez]

Rodney Hill is to blame. He said it wasn't going to be this bad, and here we are.

[@nurseadrianern]

Just like back in 2003 -it was a disaster then and Portland only had 1 snowplow. Freeways and airport closed

[@johnranney1708]

Just coming thru an ice storm and blizzard here in north central Iowa, I can't think of a better place to have this kind of weather, which to us here in the plains is nothing more than entertainment to watch. The wind field towers have been shut down going on two days for the ice.

[@heatherwilkins7228]

Utah Rocks in clearing, updates, and hardworking Udots employees. Our state does have accidents, but we are used to harsh winters. But we team up and know how to handle our weather and our snow.

[@Look_What_I_Did]

Why do we call you Utards then?

[@Senor_spielbergo]

lol I thought we had crappy snow and ice response in Texas. Its ultimately on you to be prepared for all sorts of weather.

[@bonniepoole1095]

If dangerous conditions ARE DEVELOPING and you lack the staff to mitigate the problems, CLOSE THE ROAD! he road will be closed anyway by conditions like this. Proactive caution becomes reasonable even if folks complain.

[@gregorycyr9272]

Working with some people from Oregon here in Raleigh NC at the state fairgrounds for an event this weekend.They are glad to be in Raleigh.🧤🧦🤧

[@westmax8491]

I live in GA, and I love Raleigh and NC overall after a summer internship there. except state troopers in NC and VA are quite too picky on speed limit, and traffic sucks in about every town/city due to every one is moving there. Among the top states where everyone is relocating to.

[@karencahill4798]

Hello from Eugene Oregon- yep snow here too- thank God nothing really stuck. More fun to look at. Sorry for you folks up north. ❄️ ❄️ Oregon may not seriously consider us a ‘Snow State.’

[@scomo532]

Yup, it’s more like a snow job state. Idiot lib voters are mushrooms, they’re kept in the dark and fed BS

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

"God" sent the snow, so why are you thanking him?

[@scomo532]

@@princeofcupspoc9073 So, who are you to question the motivations of The Almighty? He’s punishing Portland for its sins as well he should.

[@jamesmana5247]

Why aren't they blaming global warming or even Russia

[@chrisowens7470]

When did it become a thing to just get out of your car and walk away. And make it somebody else's problem?

[@jasonlarsen3515]

Liberals

[@Newishrevolution1]

They aren’t understaffed, they didn’t do anything because it’s a waste of time and money. What would make more sense is having cops out there keeping speeds below 20 and not forgiving people with warnings.

[@JVR-gd7zw]

Oh no the state didn't take care of me. Plenty of people have no problem driving in that. Lots of places in oregon worse roads then that.

[@Michael-um5pd]

Used to plow for the state of Oregon, hwy 35 between Hood River and Government Camp, some beautiful country.

[@deanfirnatine7814]

Is he implying the Oregon government is not coordinated or competent, lol, ya you could say that.

[@lindaward3156]

as a many decades old MA resident this seems quite weird to me. it doesn't even look like much snow for it to have caused such troubles but I guess we have more experience? I thought Oregon was a 4-season state? pay taxes, still get nothing.

[@CRneu]

11+ inches isn't much snow? What world do you live in? It snowed like 6 inches in about 2 hours and downtown portland is very hilly. The roads were an absolute mess. There are a ton of very ignorant comments in here.

[@lindaward3156]

@@CRneu you missed the part that if you're accustomed to it it's just doesn't make parking lots of highways. if you're experiencing an intense amount in a short span of time you stay home'/holed up or pull off and find a safe spot to wait. that kind of thing comes naturally to us. we have snowfalls of 11" (and much more) at any random time, it's snowing right now. you're such a Chad! it was an observation from a different perspective, not some kind of condemnation. you're projecting "ignorant comments" my friend

[@LOGIBEAR01]

That amount of snow is really nothing. It's amazing how s little snow messes things up this bad.

[@U.s-epa]

Extra fines for idiots that abandon their cars blocking the road. Absolutely unacceptable.

[@samellis4054]

Its not hard yo look at a weather report

[@nolansworld1616]

Ridiculous.. they knew this since last week.

[@AngelLuisEspada1970]

That what I was thinking...all to sabotage the economy.

[@vallee7966]

That is HILARIOUS!! 😆😂🤣 actually, it happened to me too yrs ago in Seattle. The stop n go on a hill shoe-horned me into the curb & I hadda walk home! 😅😂