Temp licenses coming to an email near you
MVD HAS YOUR TEMPORARY DRIVER’S LICENSE: That’s the word from the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division.
Charlie Moore, who handles information for MVD’s parent department, Taxation and Revenue, says in a news release that “most drivers whose licenses have expired since March 11 can now obtain a 90-day temporary license, and some will receive it by email automatically this week.
“MVD has prepared the temporary licenses for 32,353 drivers whose licenses either have expired since March 11 or will expire by May 15.”
If you have ever shared your email with MVD, you’ll be getting your printable temporary license in your inbox automatically. More than 3,000 drivers with licenses that expire in March-May fall into this category.
If you are among the close to 30,000 other drivers in this expiration window who have not given MVD an email address, you can request yours by going to www.mvdonline.com, clicking on the “Online Services” menu near the top of the page, choosing “Eservices” and then “Drivers & Placards.”
The only folks who cannot get a 90-day temporary license are those with “interlock or DWI temporary licenses, those with limited licenses because of suspensions based on points and drivers who hold commercial licenses.”
Meanwhile, if you do not need to get your first Real ID license and you are not in the over-79 age group that has to take an eye test as part of their annual renewals, you can renew your license online.
And drivers can just sit tight until the state determines it is safe to reopen MVD; the governor issued an executive order waiving late fees and penalties on licenses that expire during the closure and has asked law enforcement to not cite drivers for such.
Folks with questions can email them to MVD. closure@state.nm.us. Drivers over age 79 have a separate Q&A email address; send inquiries to MVD.forseniors@state.nm.us. Readers have reported getting answers within hours.
LOOKING FOR U.S. 550 UPDATES: Crews are widening the highway and rebuilding the intersection with N.M. 528. Steve Seltzer emails that “with the continuing work is there a website or some way of getting current and accurate updates on traffic delays between the I-25 and 528?”
Kimberly Gallegos of the state Department of Transportation’s District 3 Office advises that “the best way would be to set up alerts on nmroads.com. The public can go into settings and adjust the area they travel to receive alerts if there are any accidents or delays.”
And those alerts could save a lot of frustration. The website shows that “thru the summer of 2021, U.S. 550 will have continuous daily and nightly lane and shoulder restrictions between the intersection of N.M. 313 and N.M. 528. Project updates and alerts are available at www.keepmoving550. com.”
CLEANUP ON AISLE BIG-I: Last month, C. David Day emailed one was needed in a big way.
“The Big I needs sweeping in a desperate way, on a regular basis, and it hasn’t been done in years. Gravel build-up on shoulders is so bad that I now have three windshield chips from folks veering into shoulders and kicking up pebbles. It used to be kept spotless, and I’m wondering what has changed.”
Gallegos says, “The sweeping crew was out at the Big I (about a week after C. David emailed). I passed along your concern. This crew specifically works nights to sweep and remove litter from the roadways, and they schedule work two weeks in advance. They work on all of our roadways to periodically sweep, but on the interstates specifically from Bernalillo to Rio Bravo on I-25 and Sedillo Hill to Paseo del Volcan on I-40.”