MANNS HARBOR – The North Carolina Ferry Division will begin a series of listening sessions next week designed to gather public input on a legislative mandate to toll all ferry routes by Jan. 1, 2027.
The state budget bill (N.C.G.S. SL 2026-41) requires the N.C. Board of Transportation and the NCDOT Ferry Division to establish and collect tolls for all ferry routes starting Jan. 1, 2027. As such, the state is required in 2027 to start implementing tolls on the currently untolled routes: Currituck-Knotts Island, Bayview-Aurora, Hatteras-Ocracoke, and Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach vehicle ferry routes.
Tolls are already collected on four other ferry routes.
The dates and locations of the public 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
All the meetings will run from 6-8 p.m. During the listening sessions, Ferry Division representatives will be available to answer questions and accept public feedback on the implementation process. All five listening sessions will include the same project information and opportunities for public comment. The listening sessions will be held in an open house style format, during which people can drop in at their convenience and discuss the ferry toll implementation process with Ferry Division representatives.
Additional details on the ferry tolling implementation can be found on the
NCDOT project webpage or searching “Ferry” or “Ferry Tolling.”
Interested parties may share feedback and concerns at the listening sessions or online by completing a short survey on the project webpage. The survey will be available until the public comment period concludes at midnight on Sept. 14. Comments may also be submitted at any time throughout the comment period by phone by calling (984) 205-6615 project code 10744, or by email to ferrytolling@publicinput.com, or mail to Emily Richards, NCDOT Public Involvement, 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1598.
All public feedback received will help NCDOT better understand customer and community perspectives and will be considered, where feasible, as implementation decisions are evaluated and finalized.
NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for people who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Emily Richards, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center in Raleigh; 919-707-6014; or edrichards1@ncdot.gov as early as possible so that arrangements can be made.
Those who do not speak English, or have a limited availability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494.