PA License Plates

WWW.STATE.PA.US

See:
• http://www.dot.state.pa.us/penndot/railway.nsf/webcast?readform

On Feb. 17, 1999, Gov. Tom Ridge unveiled a new look with a website address for the Pennsylvania license plate. Our Commonwealth kicks into high gear for a 'New Pennsylvania.' With our web address, a strong and positive signal says that Pennsylvania is high tech, high energy and ready for the new millennium.

Our website is a gateway to important information for tourists, motorists, families, employers and students. "People who may someday visit or even move here."

What about the people that already live here! What about the South Siders who have complained for years about the over-crowded parking problems? What about the people who want to develop new businesses with new technologies? The people in our area don't have the props from the locals in high-tech start-ups and technology insights, and we need a Passion Park, a small-business convention center, a high-tech hang-out.

The state replace the 9 million license plates over a three-years - at no cost to motorists, ha, ha, ha. Who pays, the taxpayers. Gee, some of them might be motorist too.

Pennsylvania's $1.9 billion-a-year Motor License Fund will absorb the cost of the license-plate replacement, expected to total about $32 million. PennDOT will not charge motorists a fee for the new license plate unless they want to buy one before their scheduled replacement time. Motorists who want a new plate sooner will pay $7.50.

Gov. Ridge, let's tap into the Motor License Fund to build Passion Park. It is going to cost less than $10 million. Correctional Industries will manufacture the new license plates using reflective-sheeting technology, resulting in greater visibility. The existing plates use a "beads-on-paint" system, in which only the numbers and letters, not the background, are reflective. Once completed, PennDOT expects the statewide license plate replacement to result in a 4 percent to 5 percent increase in vehicle registrations. This is because motorists must have a valid registration to receive the new license plate from PennDOT. PennDOT estimates this boost in registration fees would generate about $13.8 million a year - more than covering the cost of the re-issuance within three years.