Vote For License Plate Design

[sevfiv]

Want to give the Texas license plate an extreme makeover?

Starting today at noon, when the Texas Department of Transportation will ask residents to vote on the next license plate.

Residents will be able to select from five choices for the state's next general issue license plate. Four will be new designs. If you like the current plate, you may vote for it.

To vote, go to www.txdot.gov .

''We're trying to listen to what our customers are saying,'' said Rebecca Davio, TxDOT's director of Vehicles, Title and Registration. "In case Texans really like the existing plate, they can choose that."

Why change the plate at all, you may ask? Well, it's a matter of math.

The current cowboy-space shuttle-moon design was introduced in 2000. Since then, TxDOT has manufactured about 31.5 million sets of those plates.

The plate is fine. But as the state grows in population, so does the demand for license plates and TxDOT is about to run out of possible number and letter combinations using the six-digit sequencing system, Davio said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/5511338.html

[Vertigo58]

We will get used to it. Change is good.

I had to crack up at the funny comments others made on that chron article.

[ricco67]

Yeah, those guys generally remind me of hicks considering their simplistic view of some things.

Edit: I voted for the "Lone Star Texas" plate. I think its nicer looking, but I'm not overly fond of the designs offered.

Edited February 4, 2008 by ricco67

[sevfiv]

Here's the link to the poll:

http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/services/vehic.../vote_plate.htm

I like the traditional plate the best, but none are amazing - looks like Lone Star Texas is winning so far with 1528 votes.

Edit - all the sites are off and on it seems - must be an overload of traffic for them.

[gwilson]

I like the fact that they are moving to seven digits. More choices for vanity plates now. Though I'm not sure I'd get one unless I could have it day "GUN RUNR".

[RedScare]

Looks like TxDOT runs their website just like their highways....can't handle the traffic.

[MidtownCoog]

I voted for "My Texas". The Space Shuttle ties Houston in nicely.

My #2 is "Traditional Texas".

All after that are terrible, especially "New Texas" and "Lone Star Texas". Those look like they were designed by the Midwest meth-addict.

[Subdude]

I voted for "Traditional Texas". Compared to that the other choices seemed a bit overwrought.

[VelvetJ]

My Texas!

I can't seem to make out any Houston buildings on the 'New Texas' plate.

[sevfiv]

^Yeah, odd.

[KinkaidAlum]

It's pretty clearly San Antonio (Tower of Americas), then Dallas (4 distinct Dallas towers), randome shapes, and then Austin's skyline before the Frost was built.

You'd think at least ONE of Bank of America, Transco, Pennzoil, Heritage Plaza, Astrodome, Esperson, old Gulf, etc... would have made the cut.

[MidtownCoog]

That {New Texas} is pretty damn weak!

[Highway6]

You can vote twice per computer.

I voted for My Texas and Lone Star Texas though i'm not too thrilled about any.

New Texas is a disappointment.. a fake skyline conglomeration is pointless... I had read about it yesterday, had hopes for it.. but ugh.. really hope it doesn't win.

[RedScare]

New Texas looks like a silhouette of the Baghdad skyline with all those minerettes. I went all Natural, because the rest suck and I am tired of depictions of West Texas (Lone Star).

[dbigtex56]

IMO, doesn't go far enough.

The current size of licence plate may have been adequate back in the early 20th century, when cars seldom exceeded 30 miles per hour. One might have had a fighting chance of actually reading the plate on a passing car, especially one with fewer characters.

Maybe my eyes aren't the best in the world, but I'm hard pressed to get more than the first three or four characters on a passing car, even one travelling at the speed limit. Licence plates should be several times their current size, and designed not for vanity, but legibility (as is the case in many European countries.)

[jesuishouston]

Why can't they just keep the old one? I hope they don't actually issue those "Lone Star State" plates. They're winning, but it's horrible.

[citykid09]

I don't really like any of them, but I like new Texas the best.

[travelguy_73]

Natural Texas is my choice, though I'm not really thrilled with it. I think that New Texas is meant to be a variation on the popular State of the Arts plate. But I think it is a bit too 'new' and, much like NM's yellow plates, only looks good with select color cars.

Edited February 4, 2008 by travelguy_73

[webdude]

Kind of like the new texas, modernish. The worst was that cut and paste of icons all over.

[crunchtastic]

I'm a gardener, with roots in Central and South Texas.

It's easy, Natural Texas!

[Mark F. Barnes]

Just my take of what I see, right or wrong makes no difference, would have liked to see the dome out there where that hill is. And make the Williams (Transco) Tower the true beacon of hope it is.

What I would like to see is these changes, makes more of a signature for these great landmarks

Updated Plate now on DOT site

Edited February 5, 2008 by Mark F. Barnes

[musicman]

Just my take of what I see, right or wrong makes no difference, would have liked to see the dome out there where that hill is. And make the Williams (Transco) Tower the true beacon of hope it is.

i like how you have the laser turret pointing at the dallas bldgs.

[sevfiv]

I looked at the designs again - they are all hokey and i hate the fonts.

Except for the traditional plate. And it is in third place.

[Vertigo58]

I looked at the designs again - they are all hokey and i hate the fonts.

All true.

Less is better in most cases. All are over the top.

Maybe we all need to go to Europe and observe for a week or two to get the real feel.

[houstonmacbro]

I voted, but to be honest, I wasn't bowled over by any of the designs.

[Futureman]

Looks like they updated the plate with the skyline... You can now clearly make out Houston buildings in the plate...

From the voting website it says:

"* - This image was updated at 5:30 p.m., February 4. Though the composite skyline is similar, we inadvertently posted the wrong image."

[Mark F. Barnes]

Definately updated some, must have got some flack for the last one

[sevfiv]

Are they reading the forum?

[ssullivan]

Not a big fan of any of the new choices. I voted for My Texas. I like it better than any of the new designs. The others are way too gimmicky.

[lockmat]

The winner w/ 456,685 votes

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5531488.html

Edited February 11, 2008 by lockmat