State Representative Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) and Cleveland City Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland (Ward 5) convinced the Ohio Highway Patrol to keep the only state drivers license examination station in Cleveland, located on E. 55^th Street, open.

By JAMES W. WADE III
Staff Reporter

CLEVELAND – State Representative Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) and Cleveland City Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland (Ward 5) convinced the Ohio Highway Patrol to keep the only state drivers license examination station in Cleveland, located on E. 55^th Street, open. The two elected officials met with representatives of the State Department of Public Safety to argue against closing the facility. Director Thomas Charles agreed that the facility will stay open while the agency addresses the issues that led to the decision to close it.

“I commend Director Charles for his actions, and understanding the impact that closing this facility would have of the people who use the exam station and the need of the community to have a local license exam facility,” said Rep. Williams.

The Ohio Highway Patrol, citing cost-cutting, had planned to close the facility on Feb 12. The closure would have left Cleveland residents with no examination stations. The other examination stations are located in Mayfield Heights, Garfield Heights and Parma.

“My office received call after call, it was the people who spoke up,” said Rep. Williams in a phone interview with the Call & Post. “Nearly 34,000 residents depend on the E. 55^th Street examination station each year,” said Councilwoman Cleveland.

“Millions of dollars of reinvestment are flowing in ward 5 and the Main Gate area. We are turning this community around. It is time to stop the flow of services from Cleveland to the suburbs. We have seen businesses and hospitals, among others, opt to close or relocate out of Cleveland. We cannot let our state services do the same,” Councilwoman Cleveland added.

The E. 55^th Street examination station, located next to the Deputy Registrar License Agency at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ Main Gate Shopping Center location, lies in ward 5 of Cleveland. The office was supposed to offer Motorcycle testing also but the State never completed the back parking lot for this to happen.

The office sits along E. 55^th Street, a major thoroughfare, and is the part of a “one stop shop” as resident could easily use the license agency and the examination station without having to travel to a different facility. Directly across the street sits the E Check testing facility that would provide added bonus.

Other locations for testing are at;

• 14000 Broadway Ave., Garfield Heights.

• 12000 Snow Rd., Parma.