New York Unveils New License Plate: See Design NYers Picked

NEW YORK — The drivers have spoken. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled the state's next license plate Friday after an online survey sparked conspiracy theories.

New Yorkers chose a plate featuring upstate and downstate landmarks from among five options in a survey that the DMV launched last month. The new plates are expected to hit the road next year.

The design known as "Plate 5" depicts Niagara Falls, the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty, along with the state motto, "Excelsior."

"New Yorkers have spoken, and the DMV is proud to announce that Plate 5 is the winning design," the DMV said on its website. "Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey."

The DMV did not reveal how many votes the winning plate received. But it was one of four to feature the Statue of Liberty, while the fifth design featured the new Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

The Hudson River crossing formerly known as the Tappan Zee Bridge is named for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's father. That led online observers to speculate that Cuomo rigged the contest by trying to split votes among the four designs featuring Lady Liberty so the bridge would win, as The New York Times reported this week.

Critics of the governor have also expressed outrage over the cost of the plates. Drivers will have to pay $25 for new license plates starting in April 2020 if their current plates are more than 10 years old, state officials have said.

The Cuomo administration has argued that the state Legislature set that fee before the governor took office. But the relevant state law says only that the fee not be higher than $25.

"The 10 year life replacement program does not go into effect until next April so we have time to work with the legislature to explore alternatives," DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroder said in a statement last week. "We support reducing costs wherever possible."