Texans have chance to choose new license plate, now with seven digits

[sirkingwilliam]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5508732.html

Texans have a license to choose new plates

Vote for your favorite design online Monday

By TERRI LANGFORD
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle


When it comes to colorful history and bold tall tales, few states can compete with Texas. But when it comes to license plate designs, some might say that the Lone Star State has been a tad on the shy side.

For most of the 20th century, Texas stuck with black and white plates, which gave way in the 1970s to blue and white and then, in 1986, to red, white and blue.

However, except for the occasional appearance of a small Texas flag on plates in the 1990s and today's space shuttle, cowboy and crescent moon, there's been little in the way of splashy graphics.

Until now.

On Monday, the Texas Department of Transportation officials will unveil four possible designs for next year's general-issue Texas license plates.

And for the first time, Texans will help choose the plate design by voting for their favorite on the Internet.

Texans will have one week — beginning noon Monday — to go to www.txdot.gov and vote for one of the four new designs or for the existing plate.

If Texans pick the current design, it will be modified to show seven digits rather than six.

"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."

Five choices, four new

Although the agency would not release photos of the designs, it did grant a quick sneak peek.

All the plates feature the state's name on top and "The Lone Star State" on the bottom.

The four new options are:

• New Texas: This red, white and blue plate features a composite of skylines from several Texas cities at the bottom and the word "Texas" in black script.
• Traditional Texas: This plate features blue highlights and a stark, white background with a gold Texas star at the bottom and a bold, red "Texas" in capital letters.
• Lone Star Texas: A white star stands out in the top left-hand corner of the plate along with wide brushes of red and blue against a Texas sky. Along the bottom of the plate is a low-lying mountain range.
• Natural Texas: The entire plate is covered with a picture of wildflowers.
For the purposes of the vote, TxDOT named the current plate "My Texas."

By law, the Texas Transportation Commission must officially approve the state's general-issue plate.

TxDOT officials believe that commissioners will pick a plate that the majority of Texans endorse.

Running out of numbers

Why they want to change the plate at all is a matter of math.

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

As the state has grown in population, so has the demand for license plates. Davio said TxDOT is about to run out of possible number and letter combinations under the six-digit sequencing system.

The new plate will sport a seventh digit.

Population growth isn't the only reason TxDOT is running out of numbers.

Some plate numbers have to be reserved for certain types of vehicles, limiting sequencing pattern possibilities.

Also, TxDOT does not use vowels on its standard plates, reducing the sequencing possibilities even more.

By year's end, a seventh digit will be necessary, or the numbering patterns will repeat those already in use.

"We're just running out of those patterns, and the patterns need to be unique," Davio said.

[KevinFromTexas]

• New Texas: This red, white and blue plate features a composite of skylines from several Texas cities at the bottom and the word "Texas" in black script.

Gee, I wonder which one we'll choose. :rolleyes: :haha:

[sirkingwilliam]

Actually, depending on how exactly it looked, I'd choose the Natural Texas design. By that I mean, I'd want something that isn't "in your face Texas" or better yet, stereotypical Texas.

[Dragonfire]

Gee, I wonder which one we'll choose. :rolleyes: :haha:

As long as the Austin skyline is in there I'm all for this option. :haha: (Although, by the time the plate comes out it'll already be outdated with all of the new buildings)

[Complex01]

I want to see the actual designs already... Come on Noon...

:yes:

[CTroyMathis]

Go vote:
http://www.txdot.gov/services/vehicle_titles_and_registration/vote_plate.htm

"Lone Star Texas" is in the lead (unofficially) at this time.

[sirkingwilliam]

I think the site crashed. lol

[verbl]

How come you cannot get spurs license plates? In Indiana you can get Pacers plates and Colts plates as well as all of the universities here as well, what's up with no spurs plates?

[sirkingwilliam]

I just saw them all. Where's the "none of the above" option?

[Complex01]

:haha:

It is down, I want to vote, I am all excitied (I am really bored at work today)...

:wizard:

[Jdawgboy]

Yea it is down, I just tried and the site wont come up.

[sirkingwilliam]

http://images.mysanantonio.com/news/plates/Lone%20Star%20Texas.jpg

http://images.mysanantonio.com/news/plates/Modern%20Texas.jpg

http://images.mysanantonio.com/news/plates/Natural%20Texas.jpg

http://images.mysanantonio.com/news/plates/Traditional%20Texas.jpg

http://images.mysanantonio.com/news/plates/My%20Texas.jpg

After reexamining them, I think the number two option would be much better if the bottom portion (mountain and skyline) were removed as well as the red white and blue Texas symbol and the star were placed in the center. Something like that, I'd vote for.

[Complex01]

Here we go. Honestly i am not impressed. I vote to keep it the same... The one with the "Skyline" is a joke, i expected a lot more out of it...

[Jdawgboy]

Im going for Number two definatly.

[ydoc14]

Looks like Houston was left out of the skyline one...strange...but...I would like to drive around with Tower of the Americas on my license plate so I'm voting for the skyline one :)

[Complex01]

:previous:

That is exactly what i thought, it looks like they left out Houston. It looks like it goes from San Antonio - Dallas - something in the middle - Austin.

Where is Houston... :shrug:

[Shasta]

Houston was definitely left out.

You'd think they could have thrown in the Pennzoil, Bank of America, Heritage Plaza, Transco, or heck, even the Astrodome, but apparently none of those were worthy of making the cut...

[ydoc14]

They claim our current license plate has Texas icons on it...yet I've never been able to figure out why the Alamo wasn't put on it?????????????????
Thusly, I've never liked the current one and hope it doesn't win.

[sirkingwilliam]

Again, where is the "none of the above" option.

[Bailey]

Houston was definitely left out.

You'd think they could have thrown in the Pennzoil, Bank of America, Heritage Plaza, Transco, or heck, even the Astrodome, but apparently none of those were worthy of making the cut...

That's what I was thinking.....If WE can't make out a single Houston building then how is the regular population? I guess I won't be voting for the San Antonio/ Dallas/ Austin skyline medley.

They should have had 5 options with skylines from.....

-Houston
-Dallas/ Ft. Worth
-San Antonio
-Austin
-El Paso

......and they let you select which city's skyline you want on your plates. Either that or I hope they consider a redesign of the 'Texas Skyline' in this one.

[Wattleigh]

I'm keeping my Maine plates for now. I'm just a long-term visitor to TX for the moment... :haha:

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/MEPlate.gif

Also, I agree that #2 is a disapointment. I mean... that version of Austin is on there, but nothing from Houston? Wow. Beaten by a motherfreaking mountain too!

[ydoc14]

That's what I was thinking.....If WE can't make out a single Houston building then how is the regular population? I guess I won't be voting for the San Antonio/ Dallas/ Austin skyline medley.

They should have had 5 options with skylines from.....

-Houston
-Dallas/ Ft. Worth
-San Antonio
-Austin
-El Paso

......and they let you select which city's skyline you want on your plates. Either that or I hope they consider a redesign of the 'Texas Skyline' in this one.

The problem is, you have someone designing a skyline license plate that probably couldn't tell you one thing about any of the skylines in Texas. Had we designed it, then it would have been a different story.

I was also kinda shocked that Frost Bank Tower didn't make it in for Austin, although if you just glance at the capitol building on there it sorta looks like it could be Frost Bank :haha:

[Jdawgboy]

Actually Frost is in the picture, not the capital. I think its funny that Austin's buildings are the ones that pops out the most and are up front compared to the rest of the skylines.

[RobDSM]

#4
Easiest to read

[ydoc14]

Actually Frost is in the picture, not the capital. I think its funny that Austin's buildings are the ones that pops out the most and are up front compared to the rest of the skylines.

Ahahahahaha....I must've done too much of that quick glancing that I was talking about

[Dragonfire]

It's hard to make out the Frost Building, because you can't really make out the crown.

I'm surprised they left Houston out, and I don't understand why they have a mountain on there... How is a mountain a skyline of a Texas city? And I can't tell what the skyline is between Dallas and Austin.

Anyways, I like the "Lone Star Texas" one, and it seems that one is going to win as it's winning by a large margin.

[dollaztx]

Current vote breakdown:
Lone Star Texas: 1,9643
Natural Texas: 1,2849
Traditional Texas: 9,305
New Texas: 7,018
Current Plate: 4,724

Even though Dallas is well represented, I was expecting more from the skyline plate (New Texas). I do like the upper portion of this design though. Maybe the reason why they left out Houston, El Paso and Fort Worth are because they dont have easily distinguishable buildings such as the Tower of the Americas & the Reunion Tower. Altough they could have at least attempted to draw a rectangle that would be taller than the rest (assuming it were JPMorgan Chase Tower). I cannot make out the capital building by the way.

[ydoc14]

I don't know if the person who designs the plates reads this forum, but somehow the Houston skyline has magically appeared

Oh, and my guess is the mountain represents El Paso

http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/txdot_images/vtr/big_plates/platelg_skyline.jpg

[LoneStarMike]

I don't know if the person who designs the plates reads this forum, but somehow the Houston skyline has magically appeared

There's a notation on the website:

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

[KevinFromTexas]

I like the skyline plate now that they've included Houston. I wish they had included Fort Worth though, and even Corpus Christi's Shoreline Plaza Towers. I guess with Fort Worth it would have been difficult to do a silhouette of their towers.

As for which license plate I like best, I really like the first one actually. I'm not real crazy about that patch of red in the upper left, but the mountains at the bottom and the blue sky and clouds is really nice.

I'll probably have to think about it.

They should have had 5 options with skylines from.....

-Houston
-Dallas/ Ft. Worth
-San Antonio
-Austin
-El Paso

......and they let you select which city's skyline you want on your plates. Either that or I hope they consider a redesign of the 'Texas Skyline' in this one.

I like that idea.

[Complex01]

Wow, they added a lot of Houston. I change my vote. I am going to vote from home now, he he...

You know the one that is winning "Lone Star Texas", i think its horrid. I know its winning, but i hope it does not make it...

:yes:

[Dragonfire]

Now that they added Houston in, the skyline one looks much better. Problem is, since they posted the wrong image, I bet a lot of people who wanted Houston in the skyline plate voted for a different one and won't be able to change their vote.

[TexasBoi]

I don't really care at all for Traditional. Too damn boring. Not many like New Texas so far. I hope that can change. I like New Texas and Natural Texas. Lone Star Texas doesn't look that bad though but the former two are better.

[Trae]

I voted New Texas.

[KevinFromTexas]

Here's what I spotted:

(San Antonio) Tower of the Americas
(Dallas) Hyatt Regency Hotel, Reunion Tower, Fountain Place, Republic Center Tower I
(Houston) Bank of America Center, Pennzoil Place, (Houston Lighting?) One Shell Plaza, Wells Fargo Plaza, Heritage Plaza, Wedge International, Three Allen Center, 1400 Smith Street, Continental Center I, KBR Tower
(Austin) Frost Bank Tower, 100 Congress, One Congress Plaza, Radisson Suites, San Jacinto Center, Four Seasons Hotel

http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/txdot_images/vtr/big_plates/platelg_skyline.jpg

[Onward]

How come you cannot get spurs license plates? In Indiana you can get Pacers plates and Colts plates as well as all of the universities here as well, what's up with no spurs plates?

It's due in large part to the Spurs. They don't wanna cough up the $. In fear they wont sell enough to make their money back.

As to the topic. Id say the first one. The second one with the skyline reminds me way to much of Ohio plates. "The Colors"

[UrbTransPlanner]

I picked Lone Star Texas, although I really like New Texas. The only thing is that the silhouette will most likely be outdated in a few years. Lone Star shows a scene that Texans should be proud of--wide open, natural spaces...w/o any KB Homes siting on them. :yes:

[LoneStarMike]

Here's what I spotted:

(Austin) Frost Bank Tower, 100 Congress, One Congress Plaza, Radisson Suites, Four Seasons Hotel

http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/txdot_images/vtr/big_plates/platelg_skyline.jpg

You left out San Jacinto Tower in between the Radisson Suites and Four Seasons Hotel.

[KevinFromTexas]

You left out San Jacinto Tower in between the Radisson Suites and Four Seasons Hotel.

Whoops. Fixed it.

[ydoc14]

Here's what I spotted:

(San Antonio) Tower of the Americas
(Dallas) Hyatt Regency Hotel, Reunion Tower, Fountain Place, Republic Center Tower I
(Houston) Bank of America Center, Pennzoil Place, (Houston Lighting?) One Shell Plaza, Wells Fargo Plaza, Heritage Plaza, Wedge International, Three Allen Center, 1400 Smith Street, Continental Center I, KBR Tower
(Austin) Frost Bank Tower, 100 Congress, One Congress Plaza, Radisson Suites, San Jacinto Center, Four Seasons Hotel

http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/txdot_images/vtr/big_plates/platelg_skyline.jpg

To the left of ToA looks to be a ridiculously small Tower Life :koko:

[sirkingwilliam]

Yep, that's the Tower Life and Weston? (to the right). The drawing is made from a east side horizon POV which is why Tower Life is so small.

[Atomic Glee]

I like the existing design just fine. It's a bit more understated. Of the new ones, I like "Natural Texas" for the same reason. The rest are gaudy and terribly designed. They have awful fonts, awkward layouts, and that paint scribble effect at the top left of "Lone Star Texas" looked stupid when it was being used for country singer T-shirts in the early '90s, and looks worse now.

"Natural Texas" is the only new one that looks like somebody with actual DESIGN skills had a go at it. The rest of the new batch look like a soccer mom threw random fonts and clip art together with Microsoft Works. Terrible, terrible, terrible.

[Shasta]

I voted for Natural Texas.

LoneStar Texas is awful but it is going to win. Despite nobody living out that way and threats to our park system because our state is too cheap to keep them up, that image still resonates with Texans.

Also, while Natural Texas is the best, it wont win. Too many Bubbas are going to fight having flowers on their cars! Same reason they killed the text a few years back that would have said "The Friendship State."

You'd think with tight wranglers and vibrating diesel F-350s, they'd be secure enough in their masculinity...

[ydoc14]

Yep, that's the Tower Life and Weston? (to the right). The drawing is made from a east side horizon POV which is why Tower Life is so small.

Who knows, maybe it's the Drury Plaza lol.

[Atomic Glee]

I submit my own design for another entry, which upholds the same "quality" "design" standards as the rest of the new designs:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2175/2244693340_1184357979_o.jpg

[KevinFromTexas]

To the left of ToA looks to be a ridiculously small Tower Life :koko:

That's what I thought too, but surely they wouldn't have made it that tiny. That building's one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in Texas.

Yep, that's the Tower Life and Weston? (to the right). The drawing is made from a east side horizon POV which is why Tower Life is so small.

The one to the right looks more like the Bank of America Center, but then it's kind of hard to tell if that's it, or if it's supposed to be the Hyatt Regency in Dallas (which sits just below the Reunion Tower).

[KevinFromTexas]

I would actually really like to see a plate someday that features the Alamo, Texas Capitol and the San Jacinto Monument all on the same plate. I think that's been long over due. Maybe the state bi-centennial?

[ydoc14]

That's what I thought too, but surely they wouldn't have made it that tiny. That building's one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in Texas.



The one to the right looks more like the Bank of America Center, but then it's kind of hard to tell if that's it, or if it's supposed to be the Hyatt Regency in Dallas (which sits just below the Reunion Tower).

Yep, likely the Hyatt Regency in Dallas

[TXlifeguard]

You'd think with tight wranglers and vibrating diesel F-350s, they'd be secure enough in their masculinity...

Hahaha. Thats so awesomely funny because my boyfriend wears nothing but the tight wranglers and drives a diesel F-350. He's as gay as the day is long. (but also secure in his masculinity, cause it's not mutually exclusive) lol.

[Nickelplate]

I vote for the 4th option. Old school, reeeeal old school. Can you dig?

[jread]

We're finally getting a redesign on our license plates. Submit your votes here: http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/services/vehicle_titles_and_registration/vote_plate.htm

(I'm guessing most people on here will vote for the skyline medley)

[TXAlex]

I submit my own design for another entry, which upholds the same "quality" "design" standards as the rest of the new designs:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2175/2244693340_1184357979_o.jpg

This is exactly what Texas needs is TR. Look out America.

[matthew2109]

Just for kicks i voted for the Lone Star State plate

[KevinFromTexas]

Trae, there's a reason we call it the Hill Country.

Just one hill. That's it. One. We call it Ted.

If there were more than one, we'd call it the HILLS Country

Hey hey! Ted made it onto a license plate! :banana:;)
http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/txdot_images/vtr/big_plates/platelg_skyline.jpg

[Wattleigh]

Feb. 11, 2008, 12:57PM

Texans say 'Lone Star Texas' license plate is winner

By TERRI LANGFORD
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

The votes for a new Texas license plate design are in and the runaway winner appears to be a tag with a touch of nostalgia.

With its big sky and rolling hills, the design called "Lone Star Texas" captured 456,685 votes from the driving public.

The Texas Department of Transportation asked Texans a week ago to vote online for the next plate design. The agency says it is running out of six-digit plate combinations and will need to issue a new seven-digit one next year.

Texans were asked to choose from five different plate designs, including the current one.

Voting closed at noon today. By then, nearly 1.2 million votes were cast at www.txdot.gov.

The distant, second plate finisher was "Natural Texas" with 295,057 votes. This plate featured a wildflower background.

In third place was "Traditional Texas," a plate with a white background and a small lone star at the bottom. It received 162,217 votes.

"New Texas," a plate design with a silhouette of urban Texas skylines, came in fourth, with 127,035 votes.

The current plate, "My Texas" came in last with 114,662 votes.

TxDOT will verify the votes and then present the winning design to the Texas Transportation Commission on Feb. 28 for final approval.

terri.langford@chron.com

[KevinFromTexas]

The apparent winner with over 456,000 votes. I am surprised how many the "New Texas" plate got, over 127,000 votes. It came in 4th place, behind all the new plates, but still beat the old one by over 13,000 votes.
http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/txdot_images/vtr/big_plates/platelg_skyandmount.jpg

[Atomic Glee]

If they got rid of that stupid paint scribble, it wouldn't be so bad.

[Texas Tuff]

I agree it would be better without the scribble in the upper left hand corner. I think a waving Texas flag would have been cool there or just more open blue sky.