Mayor Charlie Hales today announced that Toby Widmer will come out of retirement to serve as interim director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation, beginning Tuesday, Jan. 22, and serving for six months.

Widmer formerly served as the Director of the city’s Bureau of Maintenance, which was part of the former Portland Office of Transportation.

“Toby came up through the ranks,” Hales said. “He was driving trucks and laying asphalt. He understands that street maintenance is his first priority.”

Tom Miller, the current transportation director, has announced his resignation as of Feb. 4. A national search for a permanent director will commence for the bureau, now called PBOT, later this year after bureaus are re-assigned to commissioners.

John “Toby” Widmer, 61, is a 1969 graduate ofRooseveltHigh Schooland 1974 graduate ofPortlandStateUniversity. He retired from the city ofPortlandin June 2002 after approximately 28 years in service.

“Toby is exactly who we need in the interim,” Hales said. “He’s a PBOT director who could start up every piece of equipment in the maintenance yard and run it.”