Q. Honk: I have been diligently waiting for the Olympics to return to Los Angeles, so I could replace my 1984 Olympics license plates with new 2028 Olympic plates. Yes, my personalized plates are now more than 40 years old. Are commemorative plates going to be available for the 2028 Olympics?
– Donald La Plante, Downey
A. Donald, Honk can tell you are a patient man.
Sadly, you will need to lean on that skill a bit more.
Under current state law, which is more restrictive than back in the ’80s, a state department of some sort, say the California State Athletic Commission in this case, must sponsor the movement. In the past, a nonprofit didn’t need sponsorship by an arm of the state.
And. …
“To date, the DMV has not been notified that an entity is proposing a specialty license plate for the 2028 Olympics,” Katarina Snow, a Department of Motor Vehicles spokesperson, told Honk in an email. “If an organization wishes to create a new SLP (specialized license plate), the organization should approach a state agency with a plate design and plan on how to get to 7,500 signatures.”
The DMV wants 7,500 pre-paid orders, which must be secured within two years, to ensure the costs will be covered. The plates can raise money, too, for a charity.
The DMV and the California Highway Patrol must approve the plate design.
Likely the best way to help create a plate is to reach out to at least one state legislator, who could make the connection with a sponsoring state agency.
We have four years, Donald, so surely some outfit will step up and get it done, right?
Still, just in case, baby your 1984s.
“Current holders of the … 1984 Olympic Games License Plates may continue to renew and use their license plates,” Snow said. “However, original, duplicate and substitute license plates are no longer being issued.”
Q. I drive the 241 Toll Road almost every day. There are signs that say you have five days to pay online, but how do you know what to pay? Why are they allowed to not post the cost of each toll? I believe it is the same for the 73 Toll Road as well.
– Jim Krouse, Coto De Caza
A. California law allows those toll roads to not have entrance signs with the fares, the prices instead offered on TheTollRoads.com and on The Toll Roads app, said Michelle Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the 241 and the 73.
“The Toll Roads utilize the (online) posting option, because of the multiple entry and exit points on the system, and the multiple factors that determine the applicable toll rate for a specific vehicle,” she said to Honk in an email. “For example, rates vary depending on time of use (and) how many axles on the vehicle, whether the driver is an accountholder. …
“Unlike other tolled lanes in the area that have limited entry and exit points, The Toll Roads have numerous entry and exit points, and each of these toll points has a set toll that varies,” she continued. “As such, the final toll associated with a particular trip on The Toll Roads is dependent on too many factors to allow for the simple identification of toll rates on roadway signage.”
On the website and on the app, The Toll Roads has a toll calculator to figure out a trip’s cost.
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk
