Below is a statement from MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey regarding Governor Patrick’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget.
“The Governor’s budget released yesterday included a roughly $15 million reduction in funding for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. It has been misreported in many news outlets today that this cut will result in longer wait times and service reductions at Registry of Motor Vehicle branches. As the Governor, Administration and Finance Secretary Jay Gonzalez and I all said yesterday, we believe we can manage this reduction at MassDOT by generating new revenues.
For example, we are reviewing our real estate portfolio. We believe there may be some opportunities to generate some additional revenue from the sale or lease of these assets. Also, we are exploring new ways to generate advertising revenue, including web-based advertising.
Only if we are unable to generate the entire amount of revenue needed to absorb the cut will we look to reduce services at the RMV.
The RMV, like many other agencies across state government, is changing the way it does business. In this age, it no longer makes sense for many people to go to an RMV branch to conduct the same transactions they can do in minutes from their home computers. We acknowledge that online won’t be an option for everyone. That’s why we not only have the RMV branches open and operational, but we have also begun a partnership with AAA, which allows AAA customers at six different branches in Massachusetts to conduct some of their more simple transactions.
Last year, nearly 3 million transactions were conducted online. The RMV will continue to promote online transactions, which simplify customers’ lives and reduce wait times at branches Commonwealth-wide.”
