The North Carolina Department of Transportation will hold four public meetings about proposed toll changes on its ferry routes. These changes include the establishment of tolls on the Hatteras-Ocracoke, Currituck-Knotts Island, Bayview-Aurora, and Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach routes, as well as increases in tolls on the Southport-Fort Fisher, Cedar Island-Ocracoke, and Swan Quarter-Ocracoke routes. The proposed rate changes can be found on NCDOT's Ferry website.

The public hearings are scheduled for:

Tuesday, February 4, 2014 in Knots Island

Wednesday, February 5, 2014 7-9 p.m., Ocracoke School Gym

Thursday, February 6, 2014 in Grantsboro

Thursday, February 13, 2014 in Southport

At each of the first three hearings, a formal presentation will start the meeting. Following the presentation, the meeting will be open for statements, questions, and comments. Anyone wishing to speak should register to do so at the sign-in table prior to the presentation. Please arrive about 30 minutes early to allow time to sign in.

The Southport meeting will be held in an "open-house" format.

In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly mandated that new ferry acquisitions be funded through Strategic Transportation Initiative funding or by revenue-raising initiatives such as tolling, advertising, and concessions. The General Assembly also mandated that all tolling increases be requested by the regional Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs) or Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) before being approved by the Board of Transportation.

In its December meeting, the Board of Transportation approved a tolling methodology which tolls routes by distance travelled and raises approximately five million dollars a year for ferry replacement. All money collected will go only toward new ferry vessels. After the public hearings, the RPOs/MPOs will decide whether to accept the toll changes. 

For more information about the upcoming meetings, please contact Jamille Robbins, NCDOT - Human Environment Section at (919)707-6085 or jarobbins@ncdot.gov.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who want to participate in these hearings. Anyone requiring special services should contact Jamille Robbins as soon as possible in order for arrangements to be made.

Editor's note: Our friend Connie Leinbach covered this issue for the Island Free Press. Read her article here.