ODOT faces a maintenance funding gap. Lawmakers want to know how Oregonians prefer to pay for it

[@Thaumazzar]

I'd rather pay no road taxes and have gravel roads.

[@jeramiahdaley6561]

So is that why the moment you step out of Portland the road condition almost immediately improve. It's ridiculous, you do realize that it's coming to light that a lot of people abused inflation ODOT's a bit late to the party on that front.

[@MrBearcatjew]

Drive south on 82nd as soon as you hit calackamos it’s smooth roads

[@yettimannettii2039]

Maybe ODOT could not spend so much on fixing what does not need fixing.

[@Krobra91]

like what?

[@TheCriminalViolin]

Tell me about it. Washington County Roads decided to repave and "fix" Elam Young Parkway, while Hall, Walker, 99, and really most of our other major roads are in a horrible state of disrepair. When that happened, I was ranting aloud to myself while walking from the MAX to the park down 53rd. I still make comments every so often when I am there. It makes zero sense.

[@MarvinThiessen]

DMV fees are high enough already. ODOT needs to get more creative, streamline personnel, cut administrative fat, consider using the Kicker rebate. Oregonians are overtaxed, and it's still not enough. It's easy to waste other people's money when taxpayers are seen as an endless source of revenue.

[@Krobra91]

streamline personnel in what areas? cut back on bus routes? cut back on street maintenance crews? cut back on repairing streets? o

[@jgcelliott1]

Hands off the kicker Californian. .

[@mihir89]

How much are they spending compared to other states ?

[@RamsLee]

With all that $100,000,000.00 dollars on top of over charging $200,000,000.00 ! WHERE IS THE MONEY AT !!!!!?

[@PNWJEEPER01]

There is no "maintenance funding gap". There is a misalignment of priorities with the reality of necessity due to excessive pipe dreaming at the taxpayer's expense. ODOT's budget priorities should begin with maintenance of existing infrastructure and end with new projects. What ODOT likes to do is earmark nearly all of their future operating revenue for pie in the sky future projects and then claim that they're broke now and we all need to pony up more before the entire state just crumbles to dust beneath our tires. The fact is that they have plenty of operating revenue to take care of the state's bridges, roads and highways today if they would just use it for current operating costs instead of stuffing it away for things like billion dollar covered highways and multi-billion dollar 10 mile long bridge replacements.

[@wilsonlincoln280]

Exactly. And the freeway cover and the 10 mile bridge project that mostly doesn't pay for a new bridge but for light rail that Vancouver doesn't want and which will demolish multiple houses and will create LA style interchanges in downtown Vancouver--All to save maybe 5 minutes of travel time and which will still be severely congested--will not solve any problems and in the case if the new bridge it will create a giant, steep and loud hunk of concrete blocking views of the George, Larch Mountain and Mt Hood. Cancel those projects and odot covers it's maintenance gap!

[@stevenjsummerville9743]

“1993 Camry”….. and proceeds to show a 2001 Camry🙃 Come on ODOT, Google is right there

[@ShellyZoske]

Maybe all the fees and money that goes to the DMV department driver motor vehicle to stop going to the legislation and go to roads and infrastructure instead Governor kotex has 20 ways to get money DMV to go to roads and infrastructure not to legislation

[@mickmontemurro7174]

Where's the Infrastructure funding?

[@ShellyZoske]

At the legislation bank

[@TheCommunicationCoach]

You notice how they word it: Not IF you 'prefer' paying or not, just how. WA ferry system does the same thing, if we don't mark their fee box on our registrations, they charge it anyway and give it to the the office issuing the paperwork...which we already pay for ten times over as it is. No wonder people hate government.

[@josephbradshaw5353]

More grifting for money because of mismanagement of funds, thousands just to renew your registration leads to less ppl living here.

[@SweetPotata10]

Tax payers want to know where they’ve been spending money on that they keep running out of it?

[@marmac7619]

I still don't understand, WHY this massive investment in these, what are they called -extended curbs? whatever? those cement extensions from the sidewalks out into half the driving lane, which just shoves cyclists back in closer to the traffic & puts them even MORE, at risk! I never even see any particular markings for warnings that you are coming up upon them?! Seems these things are causing more injuries & deaths, not fewer?!!! In fact, just about a month ago, i came upon one of these where NE Sandy leaves to Broadway, where i could have sworn USED 2B 2 full lanes, but is now more like 1.5? All i know, is, as dark approached, i ran right on up over it & nearly dropped my entire Undercarriage. I will soon need atleast one new tire!

[@frederickbooth7970]

We have been told by a Hillsboro city planner that the bulb outs are to slow traffic down by providing the sense of a narrower road which it is. Does not bother me with my compact trucks at all. I just always go the speed of 25 which is the limit in the residential area of Grant street anyway.

[@marmac7619]

@@frederickbooth7970 - well, my major problem with those, is that they force cyclists back in closer to the cars in the next lane, instead of allowing them to get as far to the right as possible, especially if all they want to do, is to make a right hand turn.

[@frederickbooth7970]

@@marmac7619 Agree 100%. As a bicycle rider for short distances myself I cringe. I worry about the safety of fellow cyclists my self with these dumb bulb out designs especially when traveling along Hwy99 in Lafayette Oregon!

[@marmac7619]

@@frederickbooth7970 - hallelujah! I was seriously beginning to think that i was just missing something about those things! Even tho my brother literally took a header on his moped a few years ago, when he just came up on it, no lights or any warning & kabam! He had some injuries but his moped was totaled! They are not only just not particularly "helpful," but are flat out deadly!!

[@marmac7619]

@@frederickbooth7970 - well hey, atleast i finally know what they are 'called.' woohoo! but boohoo for those on 2 wheels & don't even know that they are there!

[@SaltwaterRebellion]

Somehow, we have all managed to shift around our budgets and lifestyles to accommodate a poor working administration currently, pretty sure Oregon can stop doing the same tactics of that government and start combing their budget to find places to cut and reinvest that money into the Odot pot.

[@TheCommunicationCoach]

ROFL! With ALL of the unrepresented-tax gouging they do to SW WA workers, they STILL can't get anything right and they certainly don't help WA. We'd normally be fine with the I5 bridge going down if all of our jobs were over here.

[@frederickbooth7970]

How about using better quality of paving materials! Many of the roads & Hwy.s we have to use have been repaved in the last 2 or 3 years & already have multiple shoulder cracks & pot holes in them from poor quality of asphalt & or poor road base. This requires needless patching & do over paving of roads.Also those people who leave studded tires on their vehicles during good weather should be fined for ruining our roads.With good tires one does not need studs anyways. Mud & snow type tires have always enabled us to make it home even with unexpected ice / snow storms of the past few years. We say no to tolling anywhere ever! That Camry of 1999 should be getting at least 25mpg! Our old 1970 C10 with a 350cid & 350 Auto. gets 17.1 mpg id driven conservatively hauling hay! Our 1989 S10 Blazer attains 22mpg with 4wd & auto. with 4.3 engine. Our old 1984 S10 long bed P/U gets 25 to 27mpg. Yes the gas tax probably needs to be raised but no to indexing of taxes for ever! Our incomes are not indexed to inflation! The key to lowering inflation is for government on the Federal level to stop the terrible deficit spending causing too many $$ chasing too few goods & services.

[@maverick4462]

Well, I guess our " government" will have to stop spending money on needles and crack pipes.

[@OutlawMonstersPerson]

You spent it on sidewalks, bike lanes and median curbs while cars get to run on potholes. Where there isn't potholes, you put in speed bumps.

[@ShellyZoske]

And your solution is

[@OutlawMonstersPerson]

@@ShellyZoske Quit wasting money on bicycle lanes or make the bicycle riders pay for licence plates to use the roads.

[@OutlawMonstersPerson]

Or how about we stop sending all the taxpayers money to foreign countries and put America FIRST!

[@duanedragon2]

Tax the homeless. As an employed homeowner I am taxed enough already.

[@ShellyZoske]

Tax the legislation or tax the shipping companies instead of paying them per unit... What is going on Back to horses and buggies

[@ShellyZoske]

How about creat jobs and then fix the infrastructure as community enhancement and accessibility with safety first

[@777gift]

why the budget NEVER ENOUGH... years after years... always the same thing... NEVER ENOUGH... perhaps they all need to check their own wallet. how it's getting fat years after years

[@dawnanewday9671]

Cut out all these sidewalk replacements. They hardly get used. What customer service?

[@ShellyZoske]

Ummm... By you

[@yettimannettii2039]

Exactly. ODOT putting in these ADA curbs and sidewalks and there no handicapped people to use them. Billions of dollars WASTED.

[@dawnanewday9671]

@@ShellyZoske We already have handicapped curb cut outs.....but those weren't good enough.....so now in our time of financial need we're replacing paths that are usable instead of using the $$ for more dire needs.

[@OutlawMonstersPerson]

On with the schittshow!

[@onegreatstarfish]

his name is Schmitt you knuckle-dragger

[@jgcelliott1]

Forget about "fees", Raise taxes or stop talking, period. .

[@pualanalstyle]

People who drive vehicle should be paying for access to roads. Tolling, taxes, whatever it takes. Public transit riders save the city from being even more congested, how do we get more people to leave their cars at home, and use transit instead? Better and more frequent transit trains/buses. People who commute to and from the city who don't live in Multnomah should be paying Portland access fees. I'd like to see commercial trucks pay their fare share.... however that can happen.

[@frederickbooth7970]

Simple make transit SAFER & easier to use!

[@MrBearcatjew]

Yea let’s charge people money to come into Portland! Not like the city is losing tens of thousands of people

[@wilsonlincoln280]

This is elite. Not everybody can afford this including me. In addition it will hurt the economy.