North Carolina’s ferry system isn’t merely a tourist attraction that transports carefree visitors to the Outer Banks or between Southport and Fort Fisher. It is an extension of the state’s highway system, as essential to some residents as good roads. The Honorables need to consider that point as they ponder changing the fare structure.
They should steer clear of recommendations that would impose steep fares on some routes, especially those that are used primarily by commuters.
One proposal would raise the price of the Southport-Fort Fisher route from $5 one way to $18, for a ride of about half an hour. That’s an enormous jump. That route has a good mix of tourists but also a group of regular riders who use the ferry to cut driving time between southern New Hanover County and Southport.
GOP lawmakers, including Rep. Frank Iler of Brunswick County, say the ferry needs to be more self-supporting. Passenger fares account for only about 5 percent of the system’s operating budget, which is lower than many states. Only three of the seven ferry routes – Southport-Fort Fisher and the two long-haul routes between Ocracoke and the mainland – charge fares.
The rest are free. With the exception of the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry, which also is used heavily by tourists, most of the short-haul routes are primarily commuter ferries, carrying workers to their jobs on remote fingers of land in eastern North Carolina.
To be sure, the system is expensive. The state spends $40 million annually to staff, fuel, maintain and replace vessels on the seven routes served. A study last summer noted that 10 ferries would soon need replacing, while the state’s budget continues to be tight.
Yet let us not forget that they contribute more to our economy than the fares they collect. Tourists who ride the ferries also spend money – lots of it – on the Outer Banks or right here in the Cape Fear region. In addition to the fares, they are supported by the state gas tax, which also pays for highway construction.
Given the state’s budget predicament and the competition for transportation dollars, a good case can be made for imposing a reasonable fare on routes that are currently free, and for increasing fares on the routes most popular with tourists. Their dollars can help lighten the burden on North Carolina taxpayers.
If the short routes become toll ferries, the state also should offer a discounted monthly pass for frequent riders. But a report issued this past summer suggested a fare of $10 per round trip, or $100 to $125 a month for a commuter pass. Let’s be reasonable.
At the same time the fare structure is under examination, the system’s operations have been under scrutiny. Reducing daily runs, especially after tourist season, may also help the ferry system operate more efficiently.
Iler has suggested raising the fares during the busy summer months and then reducing them during the rest of the year to help ease the burden on local commuters. It’s worth a look.
One thing that mustn’t happen is for the General Assembly to permit out ferry system to deteriorate, either by underfunding it or setting fares so high that people stay away.
Those ferries are too important to our economy – and our transportation system.
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Published: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 8:38 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 8:38 p.m.
