Congestion Pricing Slated to Begin in NYC: The on-again, off-again, on-again toll program that is designed to reduce congestion in Manhattan is scheduled to finally launch on January 5, 2025. The toll applies to vehicles entering Manhattan at or below 60th Street (except if exclusively using the FDR or West Side Highway) and will be charged via E-ZPass or plate reader. According to the plan, taxis and for-hire vehicles (FHV) whose companies or bases are enrolled in the Per-Trip Charge Plan will be charged a per-trip toll, paid by the passenger. The current toll will be $0.75 per trip and will increase to $1 in 2028 and $1.25 in 2031. App-based services like Uber and Lyft will start at a higher rate. Pretty much everyone else will be charged the full-boat rate of $9 at peak hours ($2.25 during off-peak overnight hours). That toll will also increase incrementally until it tops at $15 in 2031. The incoming Trump administration has vowed to stop it, but the odds are it won’t happen. Click here for more info about the tolls.
Source: NYC 311
REAL ID Is Coming: This should definitely be on your to-do list for 2025. Postponed several times during the COVID pandemic, REAL ID is a-go come May 7, 2025. This applies to those who are looking to fly domestically or enter certain federal buildings/facilities, and unless you have a current passport, you’re going to want to secure the enhanced REAL ID through your local DMV. Don’t delay if you know you’re going to need it as appointments, depending on your state, have been hard to come by for many—not to mention the additional paperwork required. Here’s a link to more information about your state’s program.
Source: Department of Homeland Security
CTA Gets a Stay: The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA)was enacted to combat illicit activities like tax fraud and money laundering is again on hold. According to the CTA, most businesses were required to submit a Beneficial Ownership Information report to the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, with enforcement starting in January 2025, but due to legal challenges, the program is paused. Directly from the FinCEN website: In light of a recent federal court order, reporting companies are not currently required to file beneficial ownership information with FinCEN and are not subject to liability if they fail to do so while the order remains in force. However, reporting companies may continue to voluntarily submit beneficial ownership information reports. Get the most up-to-date information here.
Source: FinCEN
Mercedes-Benz Teases a New Sprinter: In a very terse press release, the German automaker touted a re-engineered Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA). The industry’s most popular van (OK, we’re assuming that based on how many operators own them and manufacturers build them) has been tops among fleets for more than a decade, so we’re curious what they have up their sleeve. With nothing more than a shadowy silhouette picture to go by, we’ll have to wait until spring 2025 for more deets. What we do know is that it will be “modular and scalable” representing “Mercedes-Benz Vans' vision of a luxurious, elegant, and spacious limousine, offering an outlook of how the highest customer demands could be met.” Stay tuned?
Source: Mercedes-Benz Vans
[12.30.24]