AASHTO Journal - WYDOT Investing $20M in Motorist Services Upgrade

The Wyoming Department of Transportation is investing $20 million to upgrade its Revenue Information System or RIS platform this summer – software that issues driver licenses, compiles driver records, and manages driving privileges following legal actions resulting from commercial driving penalties or convictions for the agency.

[Above image by WYDOT]

WYDOT said it has almost completed work to replace its RIS platform – technology that is nearly 40 years old – that provides services to more than 1,000 people per day, on average. Originally implemented in 1986, the RIS software platform is also used by the local law enforcement and the Wyoming Highway Patrol, along with other state agencies and government programs.

“RIS is outdated, and it’s become almost impossible for our IT [information technology] team to maintain it,” said Misty Zimmerman, WYDOT’s driver services program manager, in a statement. “Our new software, MAX, will be much more efficient for Driver Services employees and for the citizens of Wyoming.”

WYDOT added that upgrading to the MAX package also offers more opportunities for the public to conduct some services without having to step foot in a Driver Services office.

The Wyoming legislature passed House Bill 254 in 2021, authorizing $20 million for WYDOT to pursue a new software system. In August 2023, the project team selected the proposal from Kyndryl, an IT service management company, and AstreaX, to install the new software.

The public-facing arm of MAX, called “oneWYO,” will offer many online self-service options, including renewing a driver license, ordering a driving record, scheduling an appointment for a driving test, and more. The agency expects them both to go live later this summer.

That means shorter lines for those who do have to go into a Driver Services office, and less time away from work, family, and other personal obligations for the public, Zimmerman explained.

“We all know the stereotypes commonly associated with visiting ‘the DMV’,” said Zimmerman. “MAX and oneWYO are our latest tools to fight those stereotypes in Wyoming.”