Manns Harbor – The North Carolina Ferry System has announced it will increase its late-summer ferry schedule next year.
While most 2015 departure times remain intact, in the new schedule released Wednesday the division made a few adjustments to the late summer schedules after analyzing ridership data from previous years.
Among the changes:
- Summer schedules were lengthened by four weeks on the two Pamlico Sound routes (Swan Quarter-Ocracoke and Cedar Island-Ocracoke), now starting the first week of May and ending during the last week of September.
- The summer schedule was adjusted forward on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route. It will start later in the Spring on May 24, but ending later in the fall on Oct. 10.
“We’ve noticed more ridership on our Pamlico Sound routes in the spring, with passenger totals on the Hatteras route now staying strong into October,” said Ferry Division Director Ed Goodwin. “We’ve made a few changes in the schedule in an effort to meet that demand while remaining responsible with taxpayer dollars.”
The only other 2016 schedule change is an added off-season weekend run on the Southport-Fort Fisher route.
No changes were made to the Currituck-Knotts Island, Bayview-Aurora, or Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach routes.
The new schedules can be found here.