A motorist passes a pothole on the way from Bend to Mt. Bachelor ski area. (Bulletin file)

Back in the good old days this winter, before the Legislature’s negotiations on the Oregon Department of Transportation budget went kablooey, before the hundreds of layoffs at the agency, before Oregonians faced the prospect of more potholes, less plowing and basically roads in worse condition than they are now, ODOT released a report on its strategic plans.

Those days were some of the best days, or least bad days, of 2025 for ODOT. That’s right. The agency was looking to improve – its accountability, how it measures up compared to other states, its sharing of information with employees and Oregonians. A key insight was that it was going to look at a shorter window for transportation planning, so by the time a project gets built the cost estimates are not so far off. Oregonians would also get a better understanding of what they could expect when.

ODOT was taking a look at itself and trying to become a better version of ODOT, an ODOT 2.0.

“A year ago, I directed the agency to conduct this strategic review because I believe ODOT is at a critical moment,” ODOT Director Kris Strickler wrote. “Left to its own devices, the agency cannot solve the structural revenue issue it faces. ODOT needs the help of the Oregon Legislature to do so. To deserve that help, ODOT needs to become the best agency it can be.”

Instead, the Legislature was no help at all. And Oregonians will get worse service from a worse agency they rely on every day.