Madison Area Transportation Planning Board A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) November 15, 2017 Mr. Dave Ross Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Hill Farms State Transportation Building 4802 Sheboygan Avenue Madison, WI 53705 Dear Secretary Ross: I am writing on behalf of the Madison Area Transportation Planning Board (MATPB), the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MP0) for the Madison Urban Area. At the most recent meeting of the MATPB, the members voted to authorize me, as chair, to write you regarding the plans of the Department of Transportation to move the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) service center from Sheboygan Avenue to a location on Excelsior Drive. The move would coincide with the opening of DOT's new headquarters building off Sheboygan Avenue. The new headquarters building would appear to have enough space to include essential functions. It is unclear why the DMV service center would be moved from this location. At its current location, the DMV service center is accessible to a large number of individuals who live in apartment buildings on Sheboygan Avenue. In addition, it is easily accessible by transit, being on a number of major bus lines. Students attending the University of Wisconsin (UW) have access to a student bus pass that provides them with unlimited pre-paid service on the Madison Metro bus system. The current location makes this a relatively easy ride from locations on or nearthe UW Madison campus. The Excelsior Drive location, in contrast, is relatively inaccessible by transit. Only one route - Madison Metro Route 15 directly serves Excelsior Drive. Route 15 does not serve the location between 9:30 am. and 3:30 pm. The location is also indirectly served by Route 73 operating from the West Transfer Point once per hour, but this requires a 0.3 mile walk from the nearest bus stop. Many first time drivers do not yet have an automobile. One needs a driver's license before one can drive, so it stands to reason that the acquisition of a driver's license precedes the acquisition of an automobile. For these citizens, a great hardship is created by the substitution of a location that is not well served by transit and requires long (45 minutes or more) travel times for many west side residents for one which currently exists with excellent transit service. In addition, this change coincides with voter ID requirements imposed by the State of Wisconsin. The move of the DMV service center to a location that many individuals will find difficult to get to exacerbates the problems created by the voter ID law. It has been suggested by some that the voter ID law is intended to make it more difficult for people to vote - in particular lower income people. Making it more difficult for people who get around by transit to obtain a voter ID or driver's license is consistent with this theory. 121 S. Pinckney St., Suite 400, Madison, WI 53703 608-266-4336 fax 608-261-9967 Mr. Dave Ross November 15, 2017 Page 2 For these reasons, the Madison Area Transportation Planning Board urges you to reverse the decision to relocate the DMV service center, and to instead find room in the new headquarters building to provide this service. Sincerely, ?A/l/Jw Alf ed Matano Chair, Madison Area Transportation Planning Board Cc: Kristina Boardman, Administrator, DMV,