Rose Quarter Boondoggle: A Case Study in Why Oregon Taxpayers Are Fed Up
Before Raising Taxes, Let’s Talk About Accountability
Before Oregon legislators even consider raising taxes or fees to fund transportation, we need to take a hard look at how our current tax dollars are being spent. Oregonians are already paying plenty—and they deserve a transportation system that reflects fiscal responsibility, core priorities, and common sense.
Unfortunately, the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project offers a textbook case of misplaced priorities, scope creep, and political appeasement that have led to soaring costs and diluted outcomes. What began in 2017 as a straightforward highway safety and congestion relief effort has morphed into a multi-billion-dollar urban redevelopment scheme with questionable benefits to mobility or safety.
Before asking families and small businesses to dig deeper into their pockets, the Governor, legislators, and ODOT leadership must answer this: Are we getting what we paid for? Because when transportation dollars are diverted to vanity projects and ideological agendas, the roads Oregonians rely on every day fall further into disrepair.
The Rose Quarter project is more than just a budgetary boondoggle—it’s a cautionary tale. And it should be the starting point for a broader, bipartisan call for reform.
The I-5 Rose Quarter: From Fix-It to Fantasy
The Rose Quarter project was supposed to be a targeted investment in congestion relief and safety. Instead, it’s become a symbol of why so many Oregonians have lost faith in how infrastructure dollars are spent.
In 2017, the plan was clear: fix a known traffic chokepoint, enhance freight mobility, and improve driver safety. The price tag? About $450 million.
By 2025, the cost has ballooned to $1.9 billion, and the scope now includes urban development features that were never part of the original plan.
Rose Quarter Improvement Project as envisioned in 2017
Rose Quarter Improvement Project as currently planned in 2025
A Cap in Name Only
Originally envisioned as a functional freeway cover to reconnect surface streets, the current “Hybrid 3” design includes an 8-acre cap — not just for transportation use, but for development, open space, and so-called “climate justice” initiatives.
Yes, reconnecting the Albina neighborhood is a noble goal. But this project was sold to taxpayers as a transportation investment, not a social justice redevelopment scheme.
Who's Driving the Scope Creep?
The blame lies with a combination of ODOT engineers, design consultants, and Portland-area politicians who have layered new agendas onto what was supposed to be a traffic fix. Terms like equity, climate resiliency, and multimodal connectivity have replaced the project’s original justifications: safety and mobility.
This scope bloat drives costs up—and real impact down.
Meanwhile, ODOT’s project management track record is shaky at best, with cost overruns and finger-pointing becoming the norm.
The Real-World Consequences
While funds pour into the Rose Quarter project, the basics are being neglected:
Rural roads are deteriorating
Maintenance crews are being laid off
Bridges and highways remain underfunded
ODOT faces a $350 million shortfall just to maintain operations
Yet somehow, there's always money for renderings, consultants, and ideologically driven expansions.
Back to Basics
It’s time for a reset. Oregon’s transportation focus must return to its core mission:
Safe, reliable roads
Efficient movement of people and goods
Infrastructure that works—for everyone
No more climate experiments. No more legacy-building projects. Just the basics—done well, on time, and on budget.
Taxpayers are not petulant children. They’re hard-working people who are tired of being taken for granted. It’s time the state started treating them with the respect they deserve.
A Call for Reform
The Rose Quarter project should be the canary in the coal mine—a signal that we’ve lost our way. Before demanding more from Oregon families and businesses, let’s demand better from the agencies entrusted with their money.
Let’s rein in the cost, restore the mission, and remember why this project was proposed in the first place.