The budget proposal would increase ticket prices on those DOT ferry routes that already charge fees and add fees to those routes that are currently free.
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FORT FISHER, NC - Chip Johnson doesn't mind taking the slow route to Southport from Pleasure Island.
That it involves roughly 35 minutes on the water is even better.
"But I have lots of time on my hands," said the Raleigh resident who spends a good chunk of the year in Carolina Beach. "That's one of the advantages of being retired."
But if the price of riding the Fort Fisher-Southport ferry goes up, it might make him think twice about visiting the quaint Brunswick County city on the left bank of the Cape Fear River as often as he does.
"I wouldn't drive, that's too long," Johnson said of trekking up into Wilmington to cross the river and then back down to Southport. "I just wouldn't go as often."
The budget proposal that has come out of the N.C. Senate could see ticket prices increase on all seven of the public ferry routes operated by the N.C. Department of Transportation.
What's being proposed?
Under the Senate's proposed budget, ticket prices on the Fort Fisher-Southport ferry would increase from $7 to $10 for vehicles 20 feet or less, $14 to $20 for bigger vehicles, and double to $2 for passengers. Unlike many of the state's other ferry routes, the Fort Fisher route started in the mid-1960s as a public toll ferry from the get-go.
Fees on all other DOT ferry routes also would increase, and ferry routes that are currently free − generally short routes popular with commuters − would see tolls for the first time. If approved, the biggest impact could be felt on the currently free ferry popular with tourists that links Hatteras and Ocracoke islands on the Outer Banks. The Senate proposal would see cars charged $20, while larger vehicles would pay $40.
Annual commuter passes and priority boarding passes for commercial vehicles also would be available for $150.
Currently tolls are charged on only three routes – the short run across the Cape Fear River and the two long-distance routes across Pamlico Sound linking Ocracoke to the mainland. A passenger-only ferry that serves Ocracoke also charges a fee.
The idea of tolling ferry routes that have been previously free has been controversial every time it has been brought up, and this year is no different.
Why increase or add fees?
Adding tolls on currently free routes and raising ticket prices on the others has been something legislators have debated for more than a decade.
The argument for increasing ticket prices has largely been to drive the state ferry division closer to paying its own freight and providing for future capital needs. According to an N.C. State study done 15 years ago, passenger revenue covers only about 6% of the ferry division's costs.
The move to generate more revenue comes as the DOT and the state in general look to find revenue to help rebuild the transportation infrastructure in Western North Carolina, which was devastated by the historic flooding caused by Tropical Storm Helene. The ferry division also has significant infrastructure demands of its own, including aging ferry terminals and vessels and the need to at least consider going more "green" with its operations. That could include moving toward operating electric ferries as part of the state's continued push to lower its greenhouse gas emissions as part of the fight against climate change.
But opponents of higher ferry fees, or new fees on previously free routes, say ferries along the coast are just like roads in other parts of the state − vital transportation infrastructure that residents support through taxes and vehicle fees. They also note that public roads don't physically pay for themselves. Neither does a bridge, multi-use trail, bus station, or many other modes of transportation. Why should a ferry, which by many is seen as a marine highway, be seen differently?
The ferries also serve as primary transportation arteries in many areas, catering to the needs of locals and facilitating economic growth by providing links for both residents and tourists.
Unlike other state-run ferries that largely cater to either commuters or tourists, the Fort Fisher-Southport ferry does both on almost equal terms. A 2020 economic impact study for the DOT, which includes the state's ferry division, shows 51% of passengers on the route were residents while 49% were visitors or seasonal residents.
The Senate's budget proposal is now under review by the N.C. House.
The new state fiscal year starts July 1.
Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at [email protected] or @GarethMcGrathSN on X/Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from the Green South Foundation and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work.