OUTER BANKS, N.C. — The ferry toll rates for the Currituck-Knotts Island and Hatteras-Ocracoke routes have now been approved by the North Carolina Board of Transportation. Toll collection on the longtime free routes is slated to begin Jan. 1, 2027.
"I think there were no surprises yesterday," said Justin LeBlanc, executive director of the Ocracoke Access Alliance.
For standard single vehicles, the rates are $7 each way for the Currituck-Knotts Island route and $10 each way for the Hatteras-Ocracoke route. These were the rates recommended in October by the North Carolina Ferry Division and have now been approved. Four total traditionally free routes will be tolled in the new year.
LeBlanc and the OAA have said there should be a delay in collecting the tolls beyond the Jan. 1, 2027, start date. Members of the Board of Transportation unanimously passed a resolution in October that was sent to the General Assembly asking lawmakers to delay implementation until at least April 1, 2027.
"The Board of Transportation sent a resolution to the General Assembly asking for a delay of implementation, and we would certainly support that. Give the ferry division more time to get the program fully developed and ready to execute. That said, I think they're as ready as they can be for January one, and will execute a reasonable tolling program," said LeBlanc.
But for LeBlanc and Ocracoke residents, there's something more important right now than delaying toll implementation: pushing the state legislature to authorize their ferry priority pass.
"We really think it's an essential component, we've had it for almost 40-years prior and it's just a practical matter for functioning for day to day living here on Ocracoke. Without that priority pass, folks would not be able to get to and from their jobs in a timely manner, to and from doctor's appointments or travel in a timely manner. So it's really critical," said LeBlanc.
LeBlanc says they will continue to lobby lawmakers and hope to successfully preserve a vital part of their access to the island.
"We plan to go back when they return to session on November 30 and work the halls pretty aggressively on both sides of the aisle, both chambers of the General Assembly, really focused on that priority pass," said LeBlanc.
The rate approval also comes after Currituck County commissioners issued a release in late October expressing their opposition to tolls on the Knotts Island route. They specifically cited concerns about driving-age teenagers who rely on the ferry to get to school and the potential for tolls to jeopardize the route's sustainability in the future.
Right now, toll collection is expected to begin Jan. 1. A $150 commuter pass per car is also now available for purchase.
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