License plate plan sparks cost concerns, Cuomo calls it important tech upgrade

New Yorkers are divided on the state's plan to issue new license plates next year.

News 12 Staff

Aug 21, 2019, 9:45 PM

Updated 1,703 days ago

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New Yorkers are divided on the state's plan to issue new license plates next year.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the plates will be an important technology upgrade, but some drivers are concerned about how much it will cost.
For years, the state's signature blue and white "Empire" plates have been riding along New York streets. On Monday, Cuomo released a statewide survey for New Yorkers to choose from five new designs for the next official plate that will be issued next April.
Drivers with plates that are over 10 years old will have to pay $25 for a new one.

Cuomo says plates that are more than a decade old are generally too damaged to be on the roads, and could cause drivers to be pulled over. He says the new plates will be more compatible with E-ZPass readers and other cashless toll systems.
Some users on a News 12 Facebook thread say the current plates are good enough already, and that ordering new ones are a waste of money. 

The development comes just after the state announced it would be using taxpayer money to modify signs for the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.
It's projected that 3 million drivers will have to buy the new plates, bringing in $75 million for the state.
 


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