An advocacy organization created to improve transportation access to Ocracoke Island and the Outer Banks is urging state lawmakers to the North Carolina Ferry Division’s deadline to begin collecting tolls on all of its ferry routes by one year.
In a July 23 email to members of the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee, Ocracoke Access Alliance Executive Director Justin LeBlanc wrote that the Jan. 1, 2027, deadline to implement tolls is less than six months away.
Supporter Spotlight
“Initial analysis suggests that this deadline is unrealistic and is neither technically nor operationally feasible,” LeBlanc wrote. “The Hatteras-Ocracoke route and several other ferry routes have never been subject to tolls. Unlike the Ferry Division’s existing tolled routes, the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry operates on a high-volume, first-come, first-served basis. The current reservation and toll collection system is not designed to accommodate these operations. Implementing tolls on these routes will require the development, testing, and deployment of a new collection system – potentially utilizing E-ZPass or comparable technology – to ensure efficient operations and minimize disruptions to residents, businesses, and visitors.”
Legislators included the new tolls in Senate Bill 257, the first state budget to be passed since 2023. Gov. Josh Stein signed the long-awaited budget on July 7. The law does not set fare amounts.
LeBlanc stated in a release Friday that the organization is not requesting the General Assembly reconsider its decision to authorize the tolls of all seven ferry routes.
Extending the deadline to Jan. 1, 2028 would give the Ferry Division sufficient time to build the infrastructure needed to implement tolls and the Board of Transportation time to “complete a transparent public process, and ensure that the toll collection begins in an orderly and efficient manner,” LeBlanc stated.
“Rushing implementation benefits no one and increases the likelihood of operational problems for residents, businesses, and visitors alike,” he said.
Supporter Spotlight
Sen. Bobby Hanig, R-Currituck, and, and Sen. Norman Sanderson, R-Pamlico, expressing their opposition to the tolls, initially voted against the budget. Both men voted for the budget in the final tally.
Hanig plans to seek legislative language to delay the tolling implementation date and other ferry provisions.
