At the Oregon Department of Transportation, it seems that every biennium our budget is questioned, and worst-case scenarios fly around like crazy. The maintenance group at ODOT is integrated into almost every part of transportation. My name is Trent Fritz, and I have been on ODOT crews in regions 1 and 5 for over 10 years.

Those of us on maintenance seem to go unnoticed, except when we make people stop for a work zone. I understand the public gets annoyed by delays, but we do it to keep our families safe.

One situation stands out and made me realize we are not as invisible as I thought. During the summer we did a chip seal on Highway 237 between Cove and La Grande, and the decision was made not to put the white fog line back on due to budget constraints.

I thought there might be concerns because this road can be challenging due to blowing snow and poor visibility, but figured no one would notice. I was wrong. Nearly every person on the crew was getting phone calls from friends and family. The public realized these lines on the road were critical for safe travel and without them they were concerned and frustrated.

Due to this outcry and money becoming available, one beautiful December morning, we went striping and replaced the fog line. These simple things are underappreciated, but the community expects them. Without reasonable funding, we are unable to provide this service.

Trent Fritz

Union

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