EASTHAMPTON — A full-service Registry of Motor Vehicles will make a return to Hampshire County next month, the city announced, with the Easthampton RMV slated to reopen by appointment only on Aug. 2.
The Easthampton RMV Service Center, which has been closed throughout the pandemic, is one of three full-service RMVs in the Pioneer Valley, and the only one of these centers that has yet to reopen. The Springfield location has been open since March 2020, and Greenfield reopened in October.
Area legislators, including state Rep. Dan Carey, D-Easthampton, have urged the state to reopen more RMVs in western Massachusetts, noting that closures have created longer wait times and commutes for Hampshire and Franklin County residents. The closures particularly impacted Franklin County residents, who needed to travel to Springfield or Pittsfield to reach their closes service centers.
“It’s been an inconvenience for folks to have to go to Franklin County or Hampden County,” Carey said, adding that the RMV draws people from beyond Easthampton into the community.
“We know people visit the RMV from all over western Massachusetts,” he said, “so when people get back, driving through town, walking through town will be good for the businesses nearby as well.”
State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton, also said that the reopening will be a welcome addition for constituents in her neighboring district.
Many constituents appreciate the expanded online services, Sabadosa said, but some residents, including many seniors, may find in-person options easier.
Reopening the Greenfield location in October increased access to in-person services for western Massachusetts residents, Sabadosa said, but led to “more waits and more frustration” at the Springfield location without Easthampton as an option. The location will continue to offer some services online or by phone, such as suspension hearings and permit tests, and senior citizen hours on Wednesdays.
The RMV will require unvaccinated customers to wear a face covering inside the building, while everyone in a road test vehicle must wear a mask.
Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com.