From our news services
MANNS HARBOR – The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division plans to host public listening sessions in September as the division works toward compliance with a new tolling mandate in the state’s 2026 budget law.
The budget, which was passed by the General Assembly in July, requires the Ferry Division to begin tolling all untolled routes by Jan. 1, 2027.
It also requires the establishment of a $150 annual pass to be made available to permanent residents of 20 North Carolina coastal counties.
“We are committed to transparency and will communicate regularly, especially with affected communities, as the implementation plan is developed,” said Ferry Division Director Jed Dixon.
The Ferry Division has scheduled five public listening sessions in communities close to the ferries where the new tolling requirement will be imposed.
During the sessions, people can learn more and let division staff know their thoughts and concerns about the tolling requirement.
All the meetings will be from 6 to 8 p.m. The dates and locations of those meetings are as follows:
Sept. 1 – Beaufort County Community College, 5337 U.S. 264 East, Washington
Sept. 2 – Pamlico Community College – Delamar Center, 5049 N.C. 306 South, Grantsboro
Sept. 3 – Knotts Island Elementary School, 413 Woodleigh Road, Knotts Island
Sept. 8 – Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, 59200 Museum Drive, Hatteras
Sept. 9 – Ocracoke School, 120 Schoolhouse Road, Ocracoke
Timeline announced
The Ferry Division is developing the policies, rate recommendations, payment and collection systems and infrastructure needed to implement the new tolling program by Jan. 1.
The timeline is aggressive, with several required milestones before implementation.
Division staff will present the proposed tolling plan, including the methodology and recommended rates, to the N.C. Board of Transportation at its Oct. 8 meeting.
Ferry leaders will return to the board on Nov. 5 seeking approval of the tolling policy and rate structure before launching the new program.
The General Assembly has required that NCDOT report to state legislators on the new tolling system by Dec. 1–one month before new toll implementation.
Tolls are currently collected on vehicle ferries servicing Southport-Fort Fisher, Cedar Island-Ocracoke, Swan Quarter-Ocracoke and the Ocracoke Express passenger ferry.
Starting Jan. 1, the Ferry Division will be required to charge tolls for riders on the remaining four vehicle ferry routes — Currituck-Knotts Island, Bayview-Aurora, Hatteras-Ocracoke and Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach.
The revenue generated by the tolls and passes is to be used to replace vessels in the Ferry System’s aging fleet, according to the legislation.