January 31, 2008
D.C. Gas Stations Could Perform Vehicle Inspections
The Examiner reports on some interesting news this morning for anyone familiar with the soul-crushing experience of trekking down to 1001 Half St. SW to wait in line at the city's vehicle inspection facility: Mayor Fenty is working on a plan that would allow gas stations to perform vehicle inspections.
The plan is still in its preliminary stages, but the basic idea is to decentralize emissions inspections, allow private gas stations to begin performing them for $45 a pop all over the city, and eventually shut down the city-run inspection station. The Half St. facility is expected to run a $1 million deficit in fiscal 2008.
Now, there's a lot of skepticism expressed in the Examiner story. Would that many gas stations actually be able to afford to buy the equipment needed to perform the inspections? Would the District's air quality suffer in the face of potentially less reliable emissions testing results? Are people willing to pay $45 instead of $25 for the convenience of being able to get a vehicle inspection at a nearby location? It's hard to say exactly how well such a program would work in the District, especially since the number of service stations within the city has actually been declining in recent years. But I can tell you that this sort of decentralized emissions testing has worked beautifully for ten years in California. It literally works like this:
1) You get a notice in the mail that you need a new emissions test.
2) You put the notice in your car and forget about it for a few days.
3) You stop to purchase gas at a nearby service station, remember the notice, check to see if the sign above is on display, and pull your car around back to grab a quick emissions test.
4) You leave the gas station 15 minutes later with your emissions certification in hand.
Obviously, there are many details yet to be worked out, but a proposal like this, with the potential for saving the city money and at the same time making annoying tasks like vehicle inspections easier, is most definitely worth serious consideration.
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Virginia and New York both do this. Seriously, how hard can this possibly be?
Now, there has indeed been a reduction in gas stations, but also a conversion of a good number of stations from having car repair bays into simply having gas pumps and a convenience store. That will be an issue to have these sorts of inspection stations at all gas stations.
But for those stations that do maintain repair bays - and who are under significant competitive pressure from those that do not - this would seem to be a good way to make some extra profits, even it in involves the initial cost outlay of new machinery and training.
I am all for it. The lines for the Half Street inspection station are horrible. And with all the stadium-related development going on around there, there's likely better uses for that real estate than for the inspection station.
That's the way it's done in Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
It's a pretty sweet deal, especially if you're buddies with the mechanic, because then he'll just sell you a sticker without actually having to get the car inspected.
Although my initial thought was "yay!", after thinking about the lines that already exist just to get gas as many DC stations, it seems like this may cause more hassle than there already is. If you get to Half Street relatively early, there is no wait. You just can't go at lunchtime and expect to be first in line. Of course, I work from home and can go at any time, so I admit I am a tad spoiled.
This is a great idea. I would gladly pay for this service at a gas station.
The first time I drove to the inspection station, I drove up to the front, thinking that the cars wrapped around the block were parked and not idleing waiting to get inspected. That was a fun waste of an afternoon.
Woo-hoo! When I tell people from other places that there is ONE place to get your car inspected in DC they are flabbergasted and horrified. Getting to Half street early is no guarantee of anything, I've seen lines several blocks long when that joint opens in the morning.
$20 is a small price to pay to not have to wait in line for an inspection.
You have to applaud Fenty for at least considering this.
The obvious question is how will they monitor it to make sure gas station owners aren't just passing out vehicle inspection stickers for a small 'love offering'. And will it include taxi inspections. I guarantee you that if it does then taxi operators will quickly identify the garage(s) that will let their rolling death traps continue their crazy-ass death thrill ride through our fair town for decades to come.
This is a horrible idea. The only thing that seems to escape DC's history of corruption is the DMV inspection station.
Anyone who's had the displeasure of having a car inspected at a Maryland auto shop will know what I mean. They will always find something wrong with the car and would be happy to fix it for you for $$$.
At least I know I won't be ripped off at the half street station.
Better yet - allow garages to have liquor licenses.
I can see the gay porno scene now (even though I'm trying hard not to... DC has some ugly-ass mechanics).....
Oh, give me a break. The DC system sounds great in theory (as all centralized ideas do), but given that I had a man at the DC inspection say, "well, you could offer me something, and I could let this through," (he even suggested I run to the ATM down the street to get some cash) I don't see how allowing private gas stations to do this will make it any worse.
I like this idea. One of the few things that I liked about living in Virginia (which was many years ago, but I don't think anything has changed) was being able to drop my car off at the garage to get inspected in the morning, and then picking it up on my way home from work.
No need to wait around and waste my time.
Every time an inspection thread is posted, it's worded like inspection is hellish. And every time, people like me post and say they were able to get inspected in 5 minutes.
For large states it makes sense, but I really don't see the need for DC to use decentralized testing. I've always felt that decentralized testing leads to cars that should flunk passing inspection (due to the buddy system described above), and cars that should pass inspection being flunked (due to scammy repair shops). But I've always lived in centralized testing states, so I don't have any real experience with it.. it's just gut feeling.
I'm skeptical of the economics here, too. If a central testing facility runs a deficit, and they serve 300,000 vehicles, how the hell are 5 or 10 decentralized gas stations supposed to make money? I dunno if an extra $20 a pop doesn't cut it.. as the article states, we're talking about a capital cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Also note per the Examiner piece, safety inspections would be mostly eliminated. I understand that cabs already seem to skate through the system, but what would happen to them under private testing? It could only get worse, imo.
DC would have to redo their inventory and would have to make up for the extra emissions elsewhere in the SIP. Since DC is a small jurisdiction with few big sources, it would be difficult to make up these differences. I'm not familiar with DC's current control measures, but my guess is that any new control measures would fall disproportionately on consumers compared to other states where industry can be easily targeted. Likely measures would be limits on consumer products (paint, adhesives, aerosols, etc), limits on small engines (lawnmowers, etc). However I'm seeing now that most of these control measures are already credited in the SIP. As I understand, simply planting trees is not an acceptable control measure for ozone. You have to establish a tree canopy to reduce the heat island effect, and in some cases, trees can actually increase VOC emissions. Based on a brief search, I don't think much credit is being taken on inventories for tree planting, so I'm skeptical of the effects that could be claimed by DC.
About time! My first inspection experience in DC was similar to ces12's. Once I finally found what I thought was the end of the line, I got cursed out by a scary guy who leapt out of his car to threaten and scream at me for cutting the line (it was a cab driver, unsurprisingly). The line snaked all the way back to M Street, and it seemed dangerous to sit idling on a semi-busy street, so I gave up and came back early on a weekday (it helps that I only live a couple blocks away).
I agree that the potential for "love offerings" exists with the Fenty proposal. Simply way to deal with it: conduct regular "mystery shopper" testing and have the penalty for any offerings be the revocation of the gas station's business license. That would pretty much guarantee compliance with ethics.
It seems like the threat of bribery exists whether it's centralized or decentralized. That doesnt seem like a valid argument either way.
It seems like an painfully obvious solution to help cut some of the start-up costs would be to combine efforts with the surround VA and MD counties to test cars for emissions. The equipment is already in place
If a central testing facility runs a deficit, and they serve 300,000 vehicles, how the hell are 5 or 10 decentralized gas stations supposed to make money?
Seems like this problem has to exist in many other less-dense states. There has to be places like this through the states of Wyoming and Montana for people to have their cars inspected.
I will say as a former Maryland resident, the emissions testing is standardized as part of the VEIP thing the MVA does in the state. But the safety inspections when you sell your car or transfer your title is done by local gas stations. I've had it done on two different cars while I lived there...the mechanic would take it out for a road test and then pull it into the shop to test a couple of things out on it in the garage... it seemed to work fine. So some sort of hybrid model where you can get some testing done locally in your neighborhood would be nice, but I can see the benefits of having a centralized place too...especially for something as technical as emissions. Any mechanic should be able to tell you your seat belt won't lock or your brakes are crap...but can all of them tell you your gas cap is leaking fumes??
"Seems like this problem has to exist in many other less-dense states. There has to be places like this through the states of Wyoming and Montana for people to have their cars inspected."
Those states are not located in ozone nonattainment areas, and do not have emissions testing, just safety inspections.. actually looking at their websites, both of those states don't appear to do safety inspections, you just certify that you meet the requirements.
I've never had a problem with lines at Half Street. The secret is to show up about half an hour before they close: no lines at all.
Doh - thanks for correcting me politburo
The solution for a stress-free experience at the Half Street garage: Go on a Wednesday at 2 PM.
This is exactly why we have a single, centralized inspection station here. D.C. is practically the cradle of corruption.I too got through in less than 5 minutes. It was speedier than a car wash and it's once every 2 years... I don't see how this can be financially tenable for local stations and I wonder if other low desity areas end up subsidizing it to local stations somehow. Offer a tax break for buying the equipment or something? I don't see a need for a change if it means any kind of subsidizing.
And having lived in Arlington for a number of years and NC before that, the wait at our local station could be an hour or more. So I'm not sure what utopia other folks are remembering.
Maybe I'm missing something, but why not allow authorized Maryland and Virginia inspection stations to inspect DC registered vehicles? I can't believe the required safety standards are all that different between the jurisdictions.
The MD and VA stations would appreciate the extra business and would require no additional up-front capital expenditures. The DC government would be rid of an inefficient operation.
Just a thought...
Better yet - allow garages to have liquor licenses.
[ding, dong] Hello? It's the car inspector. I'm here to lube your crank case.
[Bow-chika-chika-bow-wow.]
I can see the gay porno scene now (even though I'm trying hard not to... DC has some ugly-ass mechanics).....
And yet Ron Jeremy remains gainfully employed.
In VA not just gas stations, but car dealerships and other auto repair places do this to.
Around the time my car is due for inspection, it's usually due for an oil change or some other scheduled maintenence too, so I just get it all done at once.
Wow. I'm surprised at how many people are defending the centralized inspection stations.
Just because you had one good experience doesn't make it a good thing.
Centralization, in most instances, breeds inefficiency and corruption much moreso than in a competitive environment. Furthermore, it usually fails to bring about that which it promises.
Some examples: Russia, N. Korea, DC Inspection station.
Opening up inspections to a competitve market is definitely better for the masses.
I agree with those who have already pointed out that in a state as small as DC, there is no economic justification for decentralizing.
Car inspections are something that should be done for societal reasons (safety, environmental). Fenty seems itching to change things but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. He's got enough to do, what with the schools and the cab meters, doesn't he?
My understanding is that having gas stations do it will be more expensive for DC car owners in the long run because they have a mercantilist incentive to find something wrong with your car. I recall that this is why they centralized it in the first place. I have never heard about bribery at the DC inspection center and wonder about the veracity of that story.
The first time I had inspectionin DC, one of my rear brake lights, the third one above the trunk, was broken. The inspector told me I should get it replaced and let it slide, but he didn't ask me for any money to look the other way. i thought it was pretty reasonable.
I've lived in Maryland and Virginia and I prefer DC's centralized approach because I think it's more efficient and trustworthy, and most of all, it is feasible because DC is not a large spread-out state. Gotta go all the way to Half Street? Cry me a river.
The problem with this otherwise OK idea is that the number of full-service gas stations in DC is declining rapidly. It's much more profitable for gas stations to convert their repair bays into convenience stores, than to keep them for repairs and presumably inspections. This town doesn't even have one of those quick-change oil places like Jiffy Lube. The car washes on Connecticut and Georgia Avenues always have long lines. There simply isn't the automotive support system here in DC. Even if they do throw inspections open to private garages, they should keep the centralized, DC-run location.
"Centralization, in most instances, breeds inefficiency and corruption much moreso than in a competitive environment."
A very broad assumption, there. However, it's important to note that the fee will be fixed by regulation, and the service being provided is identical. So you can't compete on price, and you can't compete on features.
And every time, people like me post and say they were able to get inspected in 5 minutes.
I've been driving in DC long enough that I've been on both sides of this fence; there have been times when it was a ten minute thing and other times when it's been an hours long ordeal. I'm still in favor allowing garages to do the inspections because the centralized inspection point obviously isn't keeping smoke-belching death traps off the streets of DC, so it might as well be convenient.
I'll agree with cchan8 here. Centralized makes more sense to me in DC.
My father's philosophy in Nebraska (where the have/had/have/had inspections) was always to take it in to have some other service done *and* an inspection, since the station isn't making any money on the inspection itself. Lowers the incentive to find something wrong.
As far as the "competitive" market, I assume the price will be set (already mentioned at $45), so where is the competition?
And while DC is famous for problems in about every agency, I don't think that bribery at the inspection station would/could be very rampant (not nearly as much as it would be with some decentralized system). Since you are (somewhat) randomly assigned to the various lines, you can't be sure you'll get your buddy. Also, while some of the inspection is manual, things like the emissions are computer recorded, right? A bit harder to overlook.
MrTinMan is right. Show me three FULL-SERVICE gas stations in DC and I'll show you three long lines that snake around the neighborhood streets.
Show me three FULL-SERVICE gas stations in DC and I'll show you three long lines that snake around the neighborhood streets.
Bollocks! The Exxon at the corner of Mass & 2nd NE and the two gas stations (One is a Hess) on Florida Ave NE between 5th & 6th. I think I've seen lines out into the street at those places once in 10+ years.
Check that, the Hess isn't Full Service, but the other two are.
The value/lost opportunity cost related to that ballpark-proximate land alone (+ it being across the street from a (closed?) school) is enough to justify, at least, moving the station. And, if you do that, where are you gonna put it? Who's gonna want it "in their back yard"?
Add to that lost opportunity cost the additional savings realized by not having to spend a lot of tax dollars on DC gov inspection station salaries and, well, and closing it outright just seems to kinda make sense.
How nice for everyone who lives around the block, or works from home, and can go on a Wednesday at 2 p.m. The rest of us working schlubs like the gas station idea.
In the meantime, would it kill them to put up some signs so everyone doesn't get hopelessly lost trying to find Half Street SW?
Stupid poor reading comprehension. I missed the fixed price thing. Blew my agrument all to hell.
You damn socialists might have won this battle, but I still hold that centralization is generally inefficient and fails to deliver on its promises. MARX IS A PHONY!!!!!!
There I go again ... posting without re-reading what I wrote. The scattered FULL-SERVICE stations in the District will have long lines once the inspections begin.
I went to the inspection station three weeks ago. I had just replaced brakes and wheels (to the tune of $700) and everything was running fine. Got there at 6:10 on a Saturday morning (place opens at 7) and was the 24th car in line. I ended up leaving at 8:30 with a failed inspection. Apparently, my windshield wipers (only 6 months old) weren't good enough and they failed me for safety.
And the cab in front of me with a brake light and 1/2 of a turn signal out passed!
And you get less than 3 weeks to get the car fixed (20 days) before they charge you a late inspection fee of $20 (assessed for every 30 days late) and a $50 re-inspect fee, and your car has to go through the entire inspection again, rather than just what failed the first time.
Too bad for those people with "major" problems who may need more than one paycheck to pay for repairs. $20 later for new wipers and another 15 minute visit (I went when we had the ice storm), and I have 2 years before the next rip off.
Yeah, there's no corruption at the Inspection Station...
Maryland and Virgina both do it that way, and this plan will give people in the city options, which they do not have now. Of course we'll need to ensure standards are met and root out any corruption, etc...but overall this is a very positive thing in my opinion. Every time I go down to half street, I find it amazing that every single car in the District has to go through this every two years...that's just mind boggling.
How anyone could suggest the current system is better than the proposal is beyond me, but it seems to be based on having more trust in a nanny state than in free competition among repair shops. (Besides, how is getting told you need something fixed to pass inspection better at a place that doesn't have the capability to fix it?) If you're concerned about there being too few DC stations/shops to do the work, why couldn't suburban stations be licensed the same way those in the District would be? There's the competition that would keep DC shops honest, right there.
"Besides, how is getting told you need something fixed to pass inspection better at a place that doesn't have the capability to fix it?"
Because then there is little incentive to invent failures, since they won't benefit from it. I guess businesses are always honest in your fantasy free market world.
People are claiming the centralized location is corrupt. If that is the case and it isn't currently being addressed, how are they going to "root out corruption" at decentralized locations where they don't have control over employment, etc? Yes, they could revoke the inspection license. It gets a bit too hypothetical here, but as I said above, I really don't think that many repair shops are going to go for this plan (currently 14 stations do safety reinspections). Close one, and you're likely to create the situation that you have now where people have to drive across town and wait in line. Keep in mind that these repair shops will likely only have one bay, compared to the existing facility which has 4 lanes (though not all may be open at one time).
I suspect there will be strong pressures to not revoke inspection licenses (after all, these places will have invested large amounts of money in equipment, training, etc). The DC government doesn't exactly have a strong regulatory oversight record (not that they have a great record of providing services, either).
I'm not saying the current system is perfect, but I just don't see a great benefit to this plan. The inspection station just installed new equipment in July 07, and you're going to turn around and close it?