With the shorter days, cooler air, and passing of peak tourist season on the coast, the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Ferry Division will be switching to a fall schedule on its popular Hatteras-Ocracoke route on Tuesday, September 23. The change will take the route from its summertime peak of 36 departures from both sides each day down to 30. The fall schedule will run through November 10. On November 11, the Hatteras Inlet route will adopt a winter schedule with 18 departures from both sides each day.

"We are constantly evaluating traffic patterns and passenger loads to get the best bang for the taxpayer's buck," said Ferry Division Director Ed Goodwin. "This intermediate fall schedule allows shoulder season traffic easy access to Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands, while also allowing us to back off our peak season schedule a little earlier." In the past, the Hatteras Inlet route went directly from its summer schedule to its winter schedule in early October.

Beginning September 23, the schedule for the Hatteras-Ocracoke route will be as follows:

Departing Hatteras: 5 a.m., 6, 8, 8:30, 9, 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11, 11:30, Noon, 12:30 p.m., 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4,4:30, 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8, 9, 11, and midnight.

Departing Ocracoke: 4:30 a.m., 6:30, 7:30, 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11, Noon, 12:30 p.m., 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 5,5:30, 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8, 8:30, 9, 9:30, 10:30, and 12:30 a.m.

Other ferry routes will be making seasonal schedule changes as planned. On September 30, the Cedar Island-Ocracoke route will be switching to its fall schedule, while the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke and Southport-Fort Fisher routes will be making the transition to their off-season schedules.

Schedules for all seven North Carolina Ferry Routes can be found online at http://www.ncdot.gov/download/transit/ferry/ferryschedule.pdf.