Oregon lawmakers have closed a $297 million budget gap at the state Department of Transportation (ODOT), averting mass layoffs and service cuts. The agency had been so deep in the red that it was worried they would not have funds for basic road maintenance and had planned significant workforce reductions. Two pieces of legislation are stabilizing the budget, one bill calling for $80 million in cuts and another redirects approximately $218 million from programs like Safe Routes to School. As part of these cuts, over 130 positions will be left unfilled. However, ODOT maintains that they can still hire for essential safety, maintenance, and DMV roles.