Madison’s Department of Civil Rights has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation against Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) over the new location for a Department of Motor Vehicles building saying that minorities and people with disabilities may have a harder time getting there.
WisDOT announced this week that the Madison West Department of Motor Vehicles Service Center is moving to the far west side – 8417 Excelsior Drive off Old Sauk Rd. – and will be open for business on Jan. 22. They will be closing the current sites that are closer to downtown on Sheboygan Ave. and Odana Rd. in the coming weeks.
“The decision to consolidate the two westside service centers and to move them to a new location, which is one that is isolated in regards to accessibility, is totally unacceptable to the people of the state of Wisconsin,” Mayor Paul Soglin said during a news conference Thursday where he was joined by officials from the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), League of Women Voters and Madison’s Department of Civil Rights.
Only one Madison Metro direct route, Route 15, serves the Excelsior Drive location. However, Madison Metro does not currently provide service to the area between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. In addition, bus riders will need to walk .3 miles from the closest bus stop to the Excelsior Drive location, which will affect older and disabled individuals seeking services at the DMV.
