Billions Wasted, Freeways Jammed, ODOT Gets Fat While Drivers Suffer – KXL

Oregon’s allegedly “green” energy agenda costs taxpayers a bundle and actually produces more pollution.

Many of you are hearing this while stuck in your cars on the region’s perennially congested freeways.

Tens of billions have been spent over the decades to build dozens of miles of light rail, yet transit ridership isn’t rising—it’s falling.

Before the pandemic and the government’s overreaction disrupted the economy, transit use had already dropped from almost ten percent to about seven and a half. Driving rose from 65% to more than 68% at the same time.

Working from home increased more than 170% in the last five years. Cascade Policy Institute’s numbers show remote work cut commuting by car 6%, but cut transit ridership by almost half.

Diverting billions to rail and then deciding NOT to build roads congested freeways. The wasted fuel from that now totals more than 35 million gallons a year.

Meanwhile, ODOT has grown into a fat bureaucracy of nearly 5,000 workers that constantly pleads poverty and demands we all pay more to get less.

My suggestion: build the roads people need—and pave them with pink slips.

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