Harrington Breaks Ground on New Model Agency in Freehold
First MVC Model Agency to be built on state-owned land
 
(FREEHOLD) – As the organization continues to improve its facilities statewide in order to better serve the motoring public, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) Chief Administrator Sharon A. Harrington today broke ground on a new Model Agency in Freehold Township, Monmouth County. Joined by state and local officials, Harrington revealed that the new facility in Freehold will be the first Model Agency built on state-owned land. The Freehold Agency will also serve to consolidate services by providing both agency services and an inspection station on the state-owned site.

“We are making every effort to modernize our facilities statewide to better serve MVC customers. Building a larger agency in Freehold is another step in accomplishing this task,” Harrington said. “Through careful planning, the MVC has wisely invested in customer service, technology and security for its facilities. This investment allows us to continue down the path of becoming a model for excellence in motor vehicle services.”

Funding for renovations and construction of Model Agencies was established through a bond included in the Motor Vehicle Security & Customer Service Act in 2003. These monies continue to be used to enhance existing facilities and build new Model Agencies to better serve New Jersey residents.

The Model Agency concept was established following a 2004 comprehensive MVC Siting Study, performed by Standard and Poor’s Corporate Value Consulting. The study analyzed all aspects of MVC facilities, including locations, service times, transit access, population growth trends and transaction volume projections over a five-year period. The Model Agency is what the MVC considers a proper agency setup that provides the necessary means to effectively serve customers, including a minimum of 6,000 square feet of space, with ample counter workstations and improved public areas that allow a customer to be better served without standing in line for extended periods of time.

Presently, the MVC has 13 facilities that meet Model Agency standards. The two most recent Model Agencies to open for business are located in Bayonne, Hudson County, and Newton, Sussex County.

The new, much larger agency, which will be built on the same site as the Freehold Inspection Station at 801 Okerson Road, will replace the existing Freehold Agency, located at 32 Thoreau Drive. Gingerelli Brothers Construction Company of Toms River is the vendor that will oversee that project, which is expected to take approximately one year to complete.    
                       
Harrington encouraged MVC customers to avoid the end- and beginning-of-the-month rush at MVC agencies by planning to visit mid-week and mid-month. Additionally, a number of transactions may also be completed online at www.njmvc.gov.