Another meeting set on ferry toll increases

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has added a fifth meeting on contentious proposed toll increases on ferry routes.

The new meeting, scheduled for Feb. 15 in Grantsboro, will follow meetings Wednesday in Ocracoke, Thursday in Washington, Jan. 30 in Morehead City, and Jan. 31 in Southport.

The state general assembly mandated in 2011 that NCDOT more than double ferry revenue to $5 million, which has upset many coastal residents.

Proposals include collecting tolls on two river ferries, now toll-free, that are used heavily by coastal commuters: the Neuse River ferry from Cherry Branch to Minnesott Beach, and the Pamlico River ferry from Bayview to Aurora.

They also increase fares substantially on the two-hour Pamlico Sound ferries from Ocracoke to Swan Quarter and Cedar Island, and the 35-minute Cape Fear River ferry from Southport to Fort Fisher.

Different pricing proposals have been presented. They include commuter fees ranging from $150 to $500 per year on the different ferry routes. Tolls range from $4 to $12 for cars.

Current fares in North Carolina sit well below national averages on a per-mile basis. But most other ferry-heavy states, such as in New York, Washington and Texas, generally serve more economically dynamic urban areas. Residents claim the fees will hit especially hard in one of the poorer counties in the state.