DMV In Providence?

[runawayjim]

See, I don't have a car, but I still need a license. So I have to take the bus to Pawtucket or Warwick. And since the bus takes so long, I can't just dash out on my lunchbreak. Which means taking a day off, or going on Saturday (when Pawt. is closed and the RI Mall has lines around the block). I'm super pissed that I just got my license replaced because I lost it, and now I have to go back this month because my license expires this month. Why couldn't they have made it expire X years from when I got my replacement? Plus, why oh why do they expire on your birthday? Just what I want to do with my birthday, hang out at the Registry!

you can actually go well after your birthday and not have a penalty or get re-tested. i've done it. just don't try to rent a car. although you can get on a plane...

i've never been to the pawt dmv, but i have been to both the RI mall and the w warwick ones. the mall sucks, it's just annoying to try to do anything there. and the w warwick one is a pain to get to from providence (but an easy drive if you're at the mall and the lines are long).

[Cotuit]

So the Governor's plan to close all but the Pawtucket (soon to be Cranston) branch of the DMV is being sold as, "you can go to the main branch, or AAA." That's all well and good, but I was just looking to see if I could go to AAA to get my license renewed, and the DMV website says, "Many DMV services can now be handled at your local AAA branch with AAA membership. For more information, please check out the links below."

So I visited the AAA website to see what a membership costs... "Primary Basic Membership* $48 *(Plus addt'l one-time $11 enrollment fee)"

So I pay $59 to join AAA (even though I don't need AAA membership because I don't have a car), then I pay the registry fees. Or I wait in line in Pawtucket/Cranston with the rest of the serfs who don't have an extra $59 hanging around.

Not to mention the fact that AAA is not the only autoclub, the state is entering an exclusive agreement with them?

[runawayjim]

So the Governor's plan to close all but the Pawtucket (soon to be Cranston) branch of the DMV is being sold as, "you can go to the main branch, or AAA." That's all well and good, but I was just looking to see if I could go to AAA to get my license renewed, and the DMV website says, "Many DMV services can now be handled at your local AAA branch with AAA membership. For more information, please check out the links below."

So I visited the AAA website to see what a membership costs... "Primary Basic Membership* $48 *(Plus addt'l one-time $11 enrollment fee)"

So I pay $59 to join AAA (even though I don't need AAA membership because I don't have a car), then I pay the registry fees. Or I wait in line in Pawtucket/Cranston with the rest of the serfs who don't have an extra $59 hanging around.

Not to mention the fact that AAA is not the only autoclub, the state is entering an exclusive agreement with them?

i know CT does the AAA thing, but i wanna say you can do it even if you aren't a AAA member. AAA is by far the largest and most widely known auto club.

it is really stupid to close all the branches except 1. you can't get everything done at AAA. as it stands, the lines are long at every DMV branch. they drop the number down to 1 and what was a 2 hour visit becomes an all day affair and you can already do most things at AAA. this is the most idiotic plan i have ever heard of.

[Recchia]

Where the hell did this ludicrous proposal come from? Close all but one? Is he outta his mind?

[runawayjim]

Where the hell did this ludicrous proposal come from? Close all but one? Is he outta his mind?

i have a feeling it's a money saving plan... but that would only work if he plans on laying off most of the employees...

[Cotuit]

i have a feeling it's a money saving plan... but that would only work if he plans on laying off most of the employees...

I keep reading that this will result in a savings of $1.3million. Which seems very very small. It seems like the building leases should add up to more than that. Speaking of leases, I'm assuming we would be breaking some, I wonder what the penalties are.

I would be all for closing most or all but one branches, if there was any indication that service would improve. From what I've heard Michigan has a really good setup with lots of functions able to be performed online and at kiosks. You've got to imagine that all the states that are bigger than us are doing more with relatively fewer branches. I mean our entire state isn't much bigger than metro LA or Jacksonville city in area. I don't imagine those places have as many registries per square mile as we do. New York City has 9 locations for 8 million people, we have 8 for around 1 million.