By David Woodfill / ADOT Communications

What do lines at the MVD, international commerce and freeway lighting have in common?

They're all areas where Arizona Department of Transportation's commitment to continuous improvement has spurred innovation and savings of time and-or taxpayer money.

When Governor Doug Ducey took office, he challenged state agencies to look for ways to solve problems while eliminating wasteful processes. This commitment to continuous improvement is lived out at ADOT through the Arizona Management System.

The video above shows how the Arizona Management System has every ADOT employee, everywhere, solving problems every day.

The Motor Vehicle Division has introduced myriad ways to get people out of line and safely on the road. Wait times have been dramatically reduced through steps including opening many offices an hour earlier and making sure those in line have their documents in order before reaching a customer service window.

ADOT's Border Liaison Unit has cut delays at commercial ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border while improving safety by sending trainers to Mexico to show commercial drivers how to prepare for safety inspections – the first time any state DOT has done so. By freeing inspectors to focus more on vehicles that present a higher risk, they've found more violations while conducting fewer inspections.

ADOT workers found a way to save money by developing a retrofit kit to upgrade rather than replace older freeway message boards that provide travel times, warn motorists of delays and closures, and provide safety information.

All of these solutions came from employees across ADOT who are catalysts for change. And these stories are just part of ADOT's continuous improvement journey.

We've established a website so you can share the journey with us. Visit azdot.gov/AMS to learn about many other continuous improvement successes at ADOT.

By Doug Nick / ADOT Communications

Most of us probably have a favorite restaurant.

Maybe it’s the longtime favorite Mexican food hangout or a trendy new craft beer and Angus burger joint. Or is that craft burger and Angus beer? It’s getting confusing.

But I digress.

What I’m really talking about is the wait. Ah yes, the dreaded moment when you and your companions reach the hostess and she hands you a pager and asks you to wait 45 minutes and take a seat if you like. It’s pretty deflating, and it makes you hungrier, which is probably some nefarious plot.

A much better alternative is to be asked to wait just a moment while they get a table ready. Sweet victory! You can almost taste the craft Mexican burger, or whatever.

It’s just a more satisfying experience, and the good folks at the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division know that. It’s one reason we try to get you out of line and safely on the road with as little wait time as possible.

For about a year and a half, MVD has changed up the way customers are served at the busiest offices. Instead of having you walk up, get a number and be told to sit down and wait for the number to be called, we have a real, live human being help you.

This knowledgeable human being will greet you at the entrance, ask you what service you need and then make sure you have everything in order to get that service provided. If there’s a problem, we figure it out before you get served by one of our customer service representatives.

Fixing problems as soon as possible and directing people to the best line for the service they need has helped shorten the amount of time it takes for people to visit an MVD office. In 2015, it was an average of 52 minutes. Now it’s about 22 minutes.

So what does this have to do with waiting in chairs? Everything. With customers getting in and out much more quickly, there just isn’t demand for as many chairs as we used to have.

That doesn’t mean we got rid of them all; there are plenty for anyone who needs one. With more people zipping in and out in a matter of minutes, there’s almost no time to sit down anyway, which means you can beat the crowd to that new Italian joint with the amazing lasagna.

By Dani Weber / ADOT Communications

The many process improvements that Motor Vehicle Division offices have adopted have resulted in drastically reduced wait times.

Instead of a computerized voice calling customers to open windows, MVD customer service representatives work the lines to make sure everyone is prepared with all the necessary forms and identification necessary for their transactions.

The changes are having a big impact and people all across Arizona are starting to notice.

In our video above, people who visited MVD locations talk about the changes. And with additional services offered online at ServiceArizona.com and at ServiceArizona kiosks in select locations, customers are able to do many of the most common transactions much faster and at their leisure.

“One hundred percent better now,” noted one customer."

“This used to be a long wait and it isn’t anymore,” said another customer.

By Doug Nick / ADOT Communications

Fifteen years and six months.

Ask any parent and they will tell you that’s exactly the amount of time it takes for them to get gray hair, because that’s how old your kid has to be in order to get a learners’ permit.

This is a modern phenomenon, of course. Back in the day, parents didn’t have to think about this.

George Washington had a dad, and the father of the Father of our Country didn’t have to worry about his son George falling off his horse at the tender age of 10 or whatever. Nope, li'l Georgie just rode Ol' Paint without any thought of having a permit and instead used his brainpower to invent America.

Julius Caesar, remember him? His mom never gave one thought to Jules taking the chariot for a spin when he was a lad. Instead, she spent her time in the kitchen inventing a great salad…

But today, well, we have paperwork because getting behind the wheel is kind of a big deal. No, it’s actually a REALLY BIG deal, and we want every driver to be well-informed about driving laws and procedures during the learning process that happens before getting an actual Driver License. But we also want to make the process for getting the Learners’ Permit more efficient.

It’s called the Permit Test @ Home, and it will mean one less reason to drive to the MVD to take a written test, which means Junior can take the test in your family room and spend more time doing homework. Yea!

The Permit Test @ Home is available to parents by setting up a free personal AZ MVD Now account, which you find at ServiceArizona.com. The parent or guardian will then register their teen for the Permit Test @ Home and agree to the terms. Parents must certify that they will proctor the exam fairly, which, as you will see in a moment comes with the added motivation of the survival instinct. For teens under the age of 18, the application must be signed by a parent or guardian who is responsible for damage caused by negligence or the willful misconduct of the child. Also, state law requires that any child with a permit may only drive with a licensed driver in the front seat. That’s a pretty strong motivation for the licensed driver, who is usually dear ol’ mom or dad, to ensure the permit holder has faithfully learned enough to pass the test.

Oh, we should also mention that one thing hasn’t changed: to get an actual Driver License at the age of at least 16, potential drivers will still have to take a road skills course. That’s in a car, not a horse… or a chariot. Times change, and so does MVD.

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

Ever think of ADOT as a one-stop shop for Valentine’s Day? You might now.

Last year we told you where to go to celebrate love in Arizona. This year we’re giving you a one-of-a-kind gift idea for your sweetheart.

A specialty license plate is a unique gift and if you get it personalized, it’s a gift that can’t be duplicated. It’s also the gift that keeps on giving. Each year $17 of the specialty plate fee will be directed to the charitable cause or service the plate represents.

Anyone can purchase a plate for someone else, but you do need a little information. If you have the last two digits of the vehicle identification number, the customer’s name and address, and the number of the plate being replaced, you can place an order. Most plates can be ordered online at ServiceArizona.com. The plate will then be mailed to the recipient.

With more than 40 different specialty plates, you can probably find a plate that will make your Valentine swoon.

By Doug Nick / ADOT Communications

It’s late winter (or what passes for winter in Arizona), and that means it’s Vehicle Fee Recap Time!

Yes, it’s the second-most-wonderful time of the year!

Why, who hasn’t spent hours with the family looking over photos from Vehicle Fee Recap celebrations past? And the sales! Every store in town is having a Vehicle Fee Recap sale this time of year.

Certainly there are those doubters who pooh-pooh the idea of the Vehicle Fee Recap. It’s probably because they have no idea what it is.

Of course, we know every hipster understands what we’re talking about, but in the unlikely event you don’t know what the Vehicle Fee Recap is, here’s the skinny:

Every year, ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division helpfully calculates the fees and taxes people paid for their vehicles in the past calendar year. And then the magical day comes – as it has now – when the ServiceArizona.com website makes those figures available to our customers. And there is much rejoicing among the people!

ServiceArizona Website

That’s because with this extremely useful (and did we mention free?) service, you no longer have to trudge out to the garage to gather vehicle registrations, copy them and total up all your taxes and fees to report them on your tax forms.

So why did we give it an unwieldy and completely non-descriptive name (which, like a certain Harry Potter villain, shall not be spoken of again)? Well, the answer is really very simple. So simple, a small child could explain it.

We have no idea.

Therefore, we have changed the name, and it actually makes sense!

So now when you go to ServiceArizona.com, all you need to look for is the button on the home page that says “VEHICLE LICENSE TAX PAID IN 2017”.

“Vehicle License Tax Paid in 2017.” That makes sense. And the best thing is, it takes just a minute or two get this information for your tax forms.

The MVD Vehicle License Tax Paid service. Another great way to get you out of line and safely on the road.

And there was much rejoicing.

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

The #FridayFive is taking you from the sun to the moon to a Broadway show. Keep reading and it will all make sense! Don’t forget to follow the hashtag #FridayFive on social media to see what others are sharing from their week.

1. We’re kicking off this week’s #FridayFive with the photo above featuring work on South Mountain Freeway set against the backdrop of Arizona’s amazing skyline. The Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is already more than 35 percent complete, but construction will ramp up even more this year. The latest updates are available on the project’s Facebook page and at SouthMountainFreeway.com.

2. While our cameras usually only see traffic, we occasionally spot animals or great sunsets on our cameras. If you weren’t up early enough on Wednesday morning to catch the Super Blue Blood Moon, our high-definition traffic cameras captured it and we shared it on our social media pages.

3. The MVD is testing expanded hours in 11 communities across the state and will open at 7:30 a.m. We took a Facebook poll and most of you were in favor of the expanded hours. For those of you who aren’t early risers, many MVD transactions can be conducted online at ServiceArizona.com.

4. We hope you’ve marked your calendar and will join us next week in Tucson for a public meeting on the Interstate 10 and Houghton Road interchange. The meeting will focus on the proposed replacement of this traffic interchange. It begins at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, at Empire High School.

5. “Hamilton,” the hit Broadway musical, debuted at ASU Gammage earlier this week. You might be wondering what a Broadway show has to do with transportation. We used this opportunity to tie transportation safety to a local event and remind drivers to be safe on the roads. The signs spawned the hashtag #ADOTaMusical on Twitter and even caught the attention of the Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

The Friday Five is a blog about everything happening at ADOT this week. Make sure you follow the hashtag #FridayFive to see other's lists for the week.

1. On Monday, many state offices were closed for Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day. Even though it was a holiday, ADOT crews were still ready to roll in case there was a crash that needed their attention. A recent blog post has more on our ALERT teams.

2. We recently marked a milestone at the MVD – our best month ever. We’re not counting up the number of transactions but counting how little time you spent at the MVD. We know no one likes to wait in line, so we’ve been working to reduce wait times. For November and December, door-to-door customer time averaged slightly over 22 minutes in urban offices and approximately 18 minutes in rural locations. In the same period just one year ago, average times were just over 30 minutes in both rural and urban regions. Two years ago, that number was 52 minutes.

3. Several times a week, we challenge you with Arizona trivia questions on our social media channels. This week we asked about the first territorial capital and information about when states were admitted to the union. Make sure you follow us on Twitter for more challenges!

4. On Wednesday, we announced upcoming traffic restrictions for West Valley drivers as Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway interchange construction continues at the Interstate 10 junction. Our press release has the details.

5. Last week we shared three new specialty license plates that are available. As you can see, someone already has the Barrett-Jackson plate on their vehicle at the auction! An Arizona Science Center plate and a Luke Air Force Base plate are also available. Visit our website to see the plates and learn more about the charities that will benefit from the purchase of these plates.

By Doug Nick / ADOT Communications

Ever hear the admittedly tacky joke about the guy whose doctor gave him a week to live so he spent it at the motor vehicle department to make it seem longer?

Yeah, we’ve heard them all.

And, yes, we have a sense of humor. We’re a barrel of laughs over here at ADOT. Why, just the other day someone started a joke with, “A snowplow driver, an engineer and a raccoon walk into a bar…”

Well, we thought it was funny. But the truth is, the jokes about taking all day at what we in Arizona call the Motor Vehicle Division just don’t ring true.

In fact, when it comes to the amount of time it takes to do business at one of our MVD offices, we just had our best month ever.

Our goal is to get you in and out of the office – on average – in fewer than 30 minutes. In November, door-to-door customer time averaged slightly over 22 minutes in urban offices and just under 19 minutes in rural locations. In the same period just one year ago, average times were just over 30 minutes in both rural and urban regions. Two years ago, that number was 52 minutes.

How is this happening?

MVD is empowering employees to find ways to do things to better serve Arizonans. That means more efficient service methods in offices, opening urban locations earlier and offering more options to do business online. Every day we’re exploring new ways to get better, and exciting new innovations are on the way to fulfill the MVD vision to get Arizona out of line and safely on the road.

And even though we have nice, honest faces here at ADOT, you don’t have to take our word for it. Take a look.