The Oregon Department of Transportation finds itself in serious financial trouble, aggravated by an increasing dependence on borrowing. In the last two fiscal years, the agency has added about $700 million in new debt, chiefly
Deeply in debt: ODOT’s profligate borrowing helped lead to layoffs Read Post »
What City Observatory Did This Week Oregon’s transportation agency has driven itself into a fiscal brick wall of its own making. After the Legislature rejected a $14 billion transportation package, ODOT announced hundreds of layoffs
The Week Observed, July 11, 2025 Read Post »
ODOT is still failing to come to grips with the reality that it doesn’t have the funds to proceed with bloated megaprojects. ODOT’s financial problems stem largely from a handful of megaprojects that have exploded
The Oregon Department of Transportation crashes into a financial brick wall Read Post »
In the past week, decisions in Salem and Washington DC have driven a stake through the heart of the $2.1 billion plan to widen a mile-and-a-half stretch of I-5 near downtown Portland. The metaphor for
The Rose Quarter Freeway Widening is Dead Read Post »
HB 2025 doesn’t fix the Oregon Department of Transportation’s financial problem—it makes it even bigger The bill promises more than it pays for, and will lead ODOT to start projects it can’t afford to finish–without
Why Oregon’s legislators should vote “No” on HB 2025 Read Post »
What City Observatory Did This Week HB 2025:Â The Oregon Legislature’s “transportation package” simply doesn’t add up:Â The bill promises more than $5 billion in mega-projects but provides vastly less revenue. It doesn’t add up:Â
The Week Observed, June 20, 2025\ Read Post »
