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Lafayette's BMV Is Getting a Facelift in the Wake of West Lafayette Closure

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana (Ind.) The licensing branch on the West Side has a limited amount of time left, but the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will soon have a larger and more advanced location on the opposite side of the river.

The last day of operation for West Lafayette is Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022.

The Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) announced on Tuesday that the branch located on Navajo Drive would close in the next few weeks despite drivers' protests in West Lafayette.

Three weeks ago, as we've covered, the BMV held a public hearing over the facility's closing. The action is criticized by locals and public officials alike as illogical. They say a traditional storefront is necessary for the city because of its rapidly expanding population.

According to West Lafayette's Mayor John Dennis, "We've got one of the highest global demographics of any university city in the country."... "If you are not familiar with the landscape, navigating that procedure is difficult at best, and at other times it is just plain impossible."

However, the BMV reports that the number of transactions at the premises is decreasing. Instead, the organization plans to install a kiosk in the middle of the neighborhood. Dennis maintains that this is not sufficient.

Dennis points out that one of its negative aspects is that you cannot dispute it in any way. "When individuals grow annoyed with their computers, I've seen them yell at the screen to force it to respond. In addition to that, I constantly tell them, "Let me know whenever they talk back."

According to the BMV, an expanded Lafayette location will be able to manage the increase in customers. The activities of Market Square are relocating to new premises located only a few hundred yards away. According to the building permits, there will be about $900,000 worth of remodeling.

Dennis claims that he has made one last-ditch effort to salvage the branch by contacting members of the state legislature and other officials.