Salem, OR – Today, Governor Tina Kotek and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced the first wave of layoffs of state workers who deliver basic services to Oregonians. The agency initiated 483 of an estimated 600 to 700 total layoffs today. A second wave of layoffs, pending any unpredictable winter weather, is currently planned for early 2026 absent legislative action to preserve Oregon’s transportation services. Both waves would constitute the largest layoff in the history of Oregon state government.
Following the adjournment of the 2025 legislative session which concluded without passage of sufficient resources to fund ODOT’s budget, the Governor directed the state’s Chief Operating Officer, DAS Director Betsy Imholt, and the Chief Financial Officer, Kate Nass, to conduct a detailed review of ODOT’s reduction plan with ODOT Director Kris Strickler. The Governor asked for a plan focused on decreasing the immediate impact to basic services for Oregonians and balancing personnel costs with materials costs and anticipated needs heading into the summer and fall seasons.
The Governor issued the following statement:
“Consequences to essential transportation services are imminent across the state. This is not business as usual. These layoffs constitute an emergency in Oregon’s transportation system that will hurt every part of Oregon. While we sharpened our pencils to temper the pace of layoffs from one wave into two, there will not be enough workers to provide the level of response Oregonians rely on, whether it’s filling a pothole or clearing safe passage for evacuation when a fire strikes.
“This emergency was preventable, and we still have time to intervene. I have not and will not stop fighting for Oregonians who rely on us to keep our roads safe and people and products moving. Come winter, without a shared commitment to solve this crisis from partners and lawmakers, Oregonians will be left out in the cold – literally.”
Among other adjustments, the current reduction plan temporarily mitigates the impact to basic services by vastly reducing purchases of materials like sand and deicer, delaying the replacement of aging vehicles, maintaining senior staff to protect irreplaceable expertise, and closing fewer maintenance stations.
As early as this summer, Oregonians will see noticeable impacts to road maintenance and safety services. With fewer crews and limited resources, ODOT will reduce or delay essential tasks like pothole repairs, pavement maintenance, and road striping. Vegetation management, including brush clearing and fire prevention work, will also be scaled back, increasing wildfire risk and reducing visibility along roads. Roadside litter pickup, striping and signage replacement, and graffiti and camp cleanups will occur less frequently, leading to a visible decline along state highways across the state. Planned and existing transportation and capital projects will be cancelled or delayed.
As winter approaches, Oregonians can expect slower and less frequent snow and ice removal, particularly in rural and mountainous areas where fewer staff will have to cover more miles of roadway. Deicing treatments will be scaled back, increasing the risk of icy roads and dangerous driving conditions. Drivers can expect longer and more frequent road closures. Some roads may close during storms if crews are not able to clear snow. With fewer staff, reopening those roads will take longer.
For the past two biennia, ODOT has been holding hundreds of positions vacant to manage available resources. In addition to the planned layoffs, these vacant positions will also now be permanently eliminated.
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