I know I’ve been harsh on ODOT in the past, but now I applaud them.
A few weeks ago I posted something about a couple riding a tandem that had slipped on wet paint laid down by ODOT road crews. The paint had just been applied and no signs or cones were placed to warn of the slippery substance.
After contacting ODOT, the riders were told they could receive compensation for their injuries and that ODOT has no policy for warning people of the wet paint because it “usually dries in 10 minutes”. The riders didn’t care about the money, they just wanted this policy changed so this wouldn’t happen again..
I’m happy to report that I just got an email and comment from Michael Ronkin, ODOT’s bike and pedestrian planner.
“This was brought to the attention of the head of ODOT maintenance for the Portland area, and she turned around and brought it to the regional manager’s attention right away. I’ve been cc’d on their email exchanges; it looks like they are planning to change their procedures.”
This is great news (if they follow through) and I applaud ODOT for listening to concerned cyclists and taking action to improve this policy.