First of DPS megacenters opens on Tuesday Effort to cut driver's license lines debuts near Austin

The Texas Department of Public Safety gives the public a preview of its new driver's license mega center in Pflugerville on Monday. An employee demonstrates some of the technology designed to reduce wait times. The Texas Department of Public Safety gives the public a preview of its new driver's license mega center in Pflugerville on Monday. An employee demonstrates some of the technology designed to reduce wait times. Photo: HANDOUT Photo: HANDOUT Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close First of DPS megacenters opens on Tuesday 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

PFLUGERVILLE - Motorists will be able to run errands, go to work or hang out at home while awaiting their turn in the driver's license line at a half-dozen new Texas Department of Public Safety mega centers.

The first megacenter opens to the public on Tuesday in Pflugerville, outside Austin, in response to widespread complaints over long waits for driver's licenses around Texas.

Five other such centers are scheduled to open in the Houston, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth areas by the end of January. The Houston megacenters will be in Spring and Rosenberg.

"The single most visible sign of dysfunction in government is the long lines wrapped around the driver's license offices in this state," said Texas Public Safety Commission Chair A. Cynthia Leon, crediting the sentiment to DPS Director Steven McCraw.

"I'm guessing that either you, or someone you know, may have had their own driver's license story to tell," Leon said, as officials previewed and held a ribbon-cutting for the center Monday. "I know I've heard a few. And even myself, I had to wait in line for two hours once, so I feel your pain."

Serve 720 people a day

The first center is nearly 24,000 square feet, with 22 customer service stations and 36 employees. The number of people served by each megacenter will vary but will be at least 720 a day, said Rebecca Davio, assistant DPS director overseeing driver's licenses.

At that rate, the Pflugerville center conservatively will be able to serve 175,000 customers a year, according to DPS.

Approximately 6 million driver's licenses and identification cards are issued annually, although that figure includes online transactions, DPS spokesman Tom Vinger said.

Vinger said he did not have the current average wait time for a license compared to the wait expected at the megacenters.

Wait times vary around the state. Offices have seen waits of hours, while some transactions can take only 30 minutes. One customer last year was reported to have ordered a pizza while in line.

Officials emphasized customer-friendly technology at the new centers including a "queuing system" that will allow people to reserve a spot in line before getting to the office by using their cell phones or the Internet. They also can check in at the facility using self-service kiosks.

The system will enable a customer to find out how much time remains before his turn, meaning one does not have to be at the DPS facility during the entire wait.

The system will generate texts to remind a person as his turn at the counter nears. One can request additional time if he is not ready.

The Texas Legislature allocated $63 million for the megacenters, including money to hire 266 employees and buy equipment and technology.

Rosenberg and Spring

The Houston-area megacenters will be at 28000 Southwest Freeway in Rosenberg, and 4740 Spring Cypress in Spring. The Rosenberg center will have about 50 employees, and the Spring center will have approximately 35.

Pflugerville Mayor Jeff Coleman said the megacenter means jobs and will bring people from outside the area into town. He also said the center will anchor development in that end of town.

"We're going to have a great relationship," Coleman said.

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