SALEM, Ore. (Nov. 15, 2026) — The Oregon Department of Transportation has reached its lowest staffing level in 27 years, with nearly 15% fewer employees than in 1999, as declining revenues and budget constraints leave the agency struggling to maintain services across the state.
ODOT currently has approximately 700 vacant positions despite the Oregon Legislature authorizing the agency to employ more than 4,800 people. The agency says it does not have sufficient ongoing revenue to fill and maintain those positions.
The staffing reductions affect employees responsible for a wide range of transportation services, including clearing snow from highways, repairing bridges, maintaining roads and assisting customers at Department of Motor Vehicles offices.
“ODOT’s ability to manage Oregon’s multimodal transportation system, even with 700 fewer people, is a testament to the agency’s commitment to efficiency,” said Interim Director Chris Warner. “We are starting to see signs that low staffing levels are reducing services for Oregonians, but ODOT will continue to look for efficiencies.”
The agency said it has experienced significant employee departures amid potential layoffs and hiring freezes implemented to keep spending within available funding.
ODOT has secured short-term funding to fill some vacant positions, particularly maintenance jobs ahead of the upcoming winter season.
Earlier this year, the Oregon Legislature redirected funding from transportation projects and programs, including Connect Oregon, Safe Routes to School and bridge preservation, to support the agency’s day-to-day operations.
The funding provides temporary financial stability through 2027, allowing ODOT to maintain critical services while lawmakers consider longer-term funding solutions.
Staffing reductions and service impacts
ODOT said operating with fewer employees is not new for the agency. Since 2019, it has reduced spending by more than $500 million to remain within available funding.
The agency has relied on operational efficiencies and technology to maintain relatively stable service levels on state highways despite having fewer resources.
Those efforts include expanding online and self-service options for drivers and commercial truckers, reducing the need for in-person staffing.
ODOT has also reduced its office footprint by more than 225,000 square feet through partial work-from-home arrangements, saving more than $3 million annually in lease payments. The agency has eliminated management positions, while maintenance crews have also become smaller over time.
However, officials say there are limits to how much staffing can be reduced without affecting public services and employee safety.
DMV offices in smaller towns and rural communities are frequently forced to close because of staffing shortages. Smaller maintenance crews can also make certain operations, including paving and debris cleanup, less safe for road workers and motorists.
Reduced staffing also limits the agency’s ability to respond when emergencies stretch available resources.
This summer’s wildfire season highlighted those challenges. Maintenance crews worked hundreds of hours of overtime to help keep Oregon travelers safe as wildfires spread.
of highways and approximately 2,800 bridges across Oregon, the ninth-largest state in the country.
Warner said the agency is managing those responsibilities with fewer employees while serving a population that has grown substantially since 1999 and faces increasing expectations for transportation options, including walking, biking and public transit.
The agency also provides DMV services to Oregon residents statewide.
“Even with 15% fewer employees, ODOT is up to the challenge,” Warner said. “But if the agency continues to shrink, it will be hard for us to deliver the transportation system and services Oregonians expect and deserve.”
ODOT attributes its financial challenges to a structural revenue problem involving declining gas tax revenues, high inflation and legal restrictions on how certain transportation funds can be spent.
Without legislative action to provide additional funding for maintenance and operations, the agency says it will need to eliminate hundreds of additional positions by the end of 2027 to keep spending within available revenue.
ODOT said longer-term funding solutions will be necessary to maintain transportation services and infrastructure throughout Oregon.
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