Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Respectfully urges Motor Vehicle Commission to reopen office in Elizabeth New Jersey.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution respectfully urging the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to reopen its office in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Whereas, The city of Elizabeth is the fourth-largest municipality in New Jersey, with a diverse population consisting of almost 129,000 people; and
Whereas, The average medium household income in Elizabeth is $43,831, almost $30,000 dollars less than the New Jersey State average of $73,702; and
Whereas, With an average per capita income in Elizabeth of $18,686, almost $20,000 lower than the New Jersey State average of $37,538, 19 percent of Elizabeth residents are living in poverty, almost double the State average; and
Whereas, The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) office in Elizabeth was conveniently located near a number of public transit access points, offering a convenient location for low income Elizabeth residents relying on public transportation; and
Whereas, The Elizabeth MVC office was closed at the end of 2010 forcing those Elizabeth residents that rely on public transportation to travel to the Newark or Rahway MVC offices, which are not as easily accessible for the residents of Elizabeth; and
Whereas, Due to increased volume at other MVC locations, Elizabeth residents have routinely experienced up to four hour wait times at these other locations, increasing the burden caused by the closure of the Elizabeth MVC office; and
Whereas, The president of the Communications Workers of America Local 1037, which represents roughly 800 MVC employees, opposed the closure of the Elizabeth MVC office, claiming that it would result in diminished services for customers, a prediction that has come to pass; and
Whereas, Due to the burden placed upon residents of Elizabeth, it is appropriate for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to reopen its office in Elizabeth, New Jersey; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Senate of the State of New Jersey respectfully urges the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to reopen its office in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
2. Copies of this
resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the
Secretary of the Senate to the Governor and to the Chief Administrator of the
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
STATEMENT
This resolution respectfully urges the New Jersey Motor Vehicle commission to reopen an office in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Elizabeth is the fourth-largest municipality in New Jersey, with a diverse population nearing 129,000. A large portion of Elizabeth residents currently living below the poverty line previously benefitted from the convenience of having an MVC office located within the municipality. The Elizabeth MVC office was conveniently located near a number of public transit access points which provided easy access for the residents of Elizabeth.
Since the closing of the Elizabeth office, residents of Elizabeth have been forced to travel to Newark and Rahway MVC locations. These further locations are not as easily accessible for the residents of Elizabeth. Furthermore, due to the increase in customer volume, customers of nearby MVC locations have experienced significant and inconvenient wait times. Therefore, the Elizabeth MVC office should be reopened to provide the necessary motor vehicle services to the residents of Elizabeth, New Jersey.