North Coast lawmakers announced this afternoon that they have prevented — or at least postponed — a months-long closure of the Eureka Department of Motor Vehicles office that was slated to begin in August.

State Sen. Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Jim Wood sent out a joint press release saying they were informed of the DMV’s plans just yesterday but the DMV has since reconsidered, agreeing to postpone the closure and develop a new plan.

“This was a short-sighted proposal that never should have been advanced by the DMV,” McGuire said in a statement. “It is completely unacceptable that the DMV would close an office and ask residents to drive miles upon miles to stand in line for hours to do simple business with the department.”

Wood, meanwhile, referred to the plan as the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” noting that all over the state people are complaining about long DMV wait times. Both lawmakers are pledging to work with the DMV in the coming months to mitigate impacts of any potential closure.

See the full press release copied below:

Senator McGuire & Assemblymember Wood’s Statement on Proposed Closure of Eureka DMV
Sacramento, CA – Yesterday, Senator Mike McGuire, Assemblymember Jim Wood and elected officials in Humboldt County were notified the Eureka DMV office would be closing for nearly four months for renovations starting in mid-August. Bottom line: This was not acceptable.
“This was a short-sighted proposal that never should have been advanced by the DMV,” Senator Mike McGuire said. “It is completely unacceptable that the DMV would close an office and ask residents to drive miles upon miles to stand in lines for hours to do simple business with the Department. Working with Assemblymember Wood and DMV representatives, we are pleased to report the closure will be postponed and the DMV will be developing a new plan in the months to come."
“All across the state people are complaining about the long wait times at DMV, and letting us know that the Eureka office was going to close for renovations for four months was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa). “I appreciate Senator McGuire taking the lead as we work with DMV to come up with an alternative plan so that the community remains served.”
During conversations with representatives from the Department of Motor Vehicles today, the DMV has committed to not closing its Eureka office as previously planned. Senator McGuire and Assemblymember Wood will continue conversations with DMV representatives to ensure North Coast residents have all of the services they need in this critical time of Real ID Driver’s License transition.