In the ODOT Office of Equity and Civil Rights (OECR), we process requests related to Oregon's state transportation system and ODOT's services. People reach out to us to ask for help resolving concerns. They also contact us to submit complaints.
Concerns:
At ODOT, we use the word concerns for civil rights related comments, questions, concerns, and requests (CQCRs). ODOT works directly with the person who submits the concern to find information and seek resolution. Concerns don't require investigation by agencies outside ODOT.
Most of our customers prefer to submit concerns because we can respond promptly and partner directly with them to resolve issues.
A customer who submits a concern can later convert it to a complaint as long as they do so within 180 calendar days from the date of the original issue or incident. ODOT staff will also convert concerns to complaints when required by policy. See Complaints below for details.
- To submit a concern to ODOT, see the Submit a civil rights concern to ODOT section further down this page.
Complaints:
At ODOT, we use the word complaint for civil rights related complaints and grievances. If you want to submit a complaint for investigation, you can do so within 180 calendar days from the date of the issue or incident.
ODOT is often required to forward complaints promptly to another federal or state agency for oversight. This means investigating complaints can take longer than resolving concerns.
The most common oversight agencies we work with are Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and Oregon Department of Justice. Please note, ODOT staff can not manage other agencies' response times or investigation processes.
- To submit a complaint to ODOT, see the Submit a civil rights complaint to ODOT section further down this page.