Q: Riverside’s Marjorie Barr asked about the black license plates with yellowish-gold lettering that she sees on some California vehicles. Barr wondered whether they are old license plates or new ones.
A: These black and gold plates are called Legacy Plates, one of a handful of special interest plates available for a fee to California drivers. The Department of Motor Vehicles offers vehicle owners the opportunity to buy replicas of California license plates that are similar to those that were issued in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, if there are enough orders per year. These black plates with gold letters are similar to the vintage plates from the 1960s but current law requires that they be reflectorized. Otherwise, the new ones are very similar to the original vintage black license plates from decades ago. Legacy license plates can be ordered for any year model car, commercial vehicle, motorcycle or trailer. It’s a $50 fee initially to buy one and $40 annually to renew. Want to buy one? Mail an application with a $50 check, money order or cashier’s check payable to the DMV, Special Processing Unit MS D238, P.O. Box 932345, Sacramento, CA, 94232–3450. More details about these plates can be found on the DMV website, www.dmv.gov.
Q: Vince Leone of Moreno Valley asked for information about the overhead lights being installed in the center divider on the 60 Freeway in Jurupa Valley.
A: Caltrans has begun work on the $15.2 million State Route 60 Lighting Project to install and upgrade lighting in the median of the 60 from the San Bernardino County line just east of Milliken Avenue to Valley Way in Riverside, according to Caltrans spokeswoman Tyeisha Prunty. The project should be completed by July 2018. Construction crews have already paved, re-striped the shoulders and placed K-rail dividers at the center median on the 60- between Milliken Avenue and Etiwanda Avenue. Caltrans says crews will be working within the center median between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. to install the new lights, which are tall fixtures with double-arm lights that reach over both sides of the highway. Drivers in the area are advised to be aware of the work and slow down in the zones marked with cones.
Q: John Cultrera of Temecula asked about making a left turn at Mahlon Vail Road on Temecula Parkway in Temecula. He noted that on slow days, the green light is on, but often there are no cars there. He asked if it is legal to make a left turn into Mahlon Vail Road while the red turn arrow is still red.
A: The answer is no. A red light is a red light, even when no cars are around. Red means stop. Running red lights, regardless of traffic conditions, is never legal and he could get a moving violating ticket. The Department of Motor Vehicles California Driver Handbook states in the section about turns, “You may not turn right or left against a red arrow.”
