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ODOT warns smaller crews and fewer materials would slow repairs, risk safety
Summary
Delivery & Operations leaders told commissioners that reduced crew sizes and cuts to supplies will slow maintenance work, increase the risk of extended closures and could reduce snow‑plow frequency, particularly if deeper tiers are taken.
Tofa Peltz, ODOT delivery and operations division administrator, told the commission that even Tier 1 cuts—largely held vacancies—include roughly $7 million in supplies and services reductions and will reduce service levels on the highway system. "I don't wanna minimize tier 1 and say that we will be able to continue business as usual with tier 1 reductions because it will it represents, like, $7,000,000 or so of, of supplies and services that we won't be able that we won't be able to deliver," Peltz said.
Peltz described how crew sizes would shrink (many crews moving to five or fewer members), limiting what a single crew can safely do without combining resources, which drives longer response times for pavement repair, culvert cleaning and winter operations. Commissioners asked for concrete examples of projects or services that will slow and requested staff provide a list of projects that will see measurable schedule impacts.
