The NC General Assembly gave local citizens a voice in our local transportation needs, specifically including decisions about ferries in coastal counties.
NC Dept. of Transportation launched bureaucrats into ferry counties to threaten us with disingenuous information and tactics. They claim the local RPOs MUST vote on ferry tolls. NOT TRUE. On January 9, 2014, the Chairman of the NC Board of Transportation announced, “In adopting this methodology, …we approved tolling...” Listen to his statement on the1/09/14 meeting video around minute 28:51.
Please attend your local Public Hearing (complete list at end of this email). Contact your County Commissioners and RPO members. We must speak truth to our local Rural Planning Organizations, specifically to the Transportation Advisory Committees. Ferry tolls will NOT raise sufficient funds to purchase a new ferry for any ferry route. EVER. Ferry tolls will cause grief and hardship on local citizens, without raising significant funds to benefit our local citizens.
Your local RPO must NEVER ask request a ferry toll. Why? Here are the reasons:
Below is the complete listing of the February 2014 DOT Public Hearings. Please attend and encourage other citizens to attend. Come 30 minutes early, register to speak, and express your opposition to ferry tolls. Remember, you are really speaking to persuade your local friends and neighbors on the RPO. Be courteous, respectful, and brief.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.
Best regards, Henri and Joe McClees
McClees Consulting, Inc.
Post Office Box 430
Oriental, NC 28571
Office (252) 249-1097
Fax (252) 249-3275
Joe’s mobile (252) 671-1585
Henri’s mobile (252) 671-1559
REVISED NC DOT SCHEDULE of Seven (7) Ferry Toll Public Hearings
Tuesday, February 4, 2014, 7-9 pm
Knotts Island Elementary School
413 Woodleigh Road, Knotts Island, NC
Wednesday, February 5, 2014, 7-9 pm
Beaufort County Community College
5337 Highway 264 East, Washington, NC
Thursday, February 6, 2014, 7-9 pm
Pamlico Community College - Delamar Center
5049 Highway 306 South, Grantsboro, NC
Monday, February 10, 2014 4-7 pm
ILA - Southport
211 W. 10th Street, Southport, NC
Tuesday, February 11, 2014 7-9 pm
Crystal Coast Civic Center
3505 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC
Wednesday, February 12, 2014 7-9 pm
Ocracoke School
120 Schoolhouse Road, Ocracoke, NC
Thursday, February 13, 2014 7-9 pm
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
59200 Museum Drive, Hatteras, NC