The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) relocated its Iowa City DMV to Coralville, a move it said was needed to accommodate a growing volume of customers.
The move came less than a week after IDOT made the announcement on its website July 21 to relocate from the Iowa City location, 1700 S 1st Ave suite 6, to 2303 Jones Blvd., Coralville.
“The new location, between Theisen’s and Costco, was chosen after an extensive search for a space that could better accommodate the volume of customers in this area. It will offer customers a larger, more spacious and modern facility to do business,” IDOT said in a statement July 21. “We will offer the same services, just at a new location.”
Darcy Doty, IDOT’s customer services bureau director, said the move was prompted by the lease ending at the eastdale Plaza location, the need for additional square footage, and the desire to move out of a mall location.
The idea to move locations began percolating during the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to buildings was limited. Iowa operates 18 DOT driver’s license service centers across the state, some of which function within malls. When the malls closed, the DMVs could not continue with services, unless the mall had a direct customer entrance.
“Service interruption is pretty significant,” Ms. Doty said.
The search begins
A request to move was proposed in March 2021, with the original intent to stay in the Iowa City area. The Department of Administrative Services, which led the search process and negotiated prices, found few possibilities–the prices in Iowa City were either too steep or the buildings did not meet the necessary requirements. The desired real estate needed to be ADA compliant with fiber optic connectivity, enough parking space for staff and customers, and at least 5,500 square feet. IDOT also wanted a building that had a clear view of the parking lot for security purposes.
IDOT also looked into constructing a new building, but the estimates were ultimately too high–which is when it began expanding its search to surrounding areas, landing on the current location in Coralville. Once the lease was negotiated, IDOT notified public transit, since reroute bussing takes time.
Transportation a concern
The Coralville location is currently not directly served by a fixed route public transit system, which has been a cause of concern for some residents, but Johnson county has offered alternative means of transportation.
“Eligible residents can use Same-Day On-Demand service operated by Johnson County SEATS to ride to and from the DMV office in Coralville. The cost is $5 (cash only) for each one-way trip,” declared a statement from Coralville’s website .
This new service, operated by Johnson County SEATS, offers same-day accessible rides anywhere in Johnson County to those without access to an alternative form of transportation. It operates Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m – 4:30 p.m., except holidays. The DMV is not responsible for public transportation, but “we are working the best we can to make sure we are accessible,” said Ms. Doty.
Short notice?
Transportation issues aside, some wondered why there was little notice between the announcement on IDOT’s website and the actual move.
Ms. Doty said there were a few reasons for the public short notice, one of them being that the DMV operates on an appointment basis and they were able to reach out to those customers ahead of time. Announcements were also posted on both the old and new site; and in the past, there was a tendency for customers to show up to new locations the day they were announced.
There has been good feedback from the public overall. “Folks who have come to the new facility have said that it’s wonderful,” said Ms. Doty.
