Ferry system will transition to off-season schedule

With the kids back in school, temperatures falling and days getting shorter, the annual transition to off-season schedules will begin next week for the North Carolina Ferry System.

Over the next six weeks, several gradual changes will occur on four of the ferry system’s seven routes:

Pamlico Sound: Both the Cedar Island-Ocracoke and Swan Quarter-Ocracoke routes will begin their off-season schedules on Sept. 27. Both routes will run three round trips daily.

Southport-Fort Fisher: The Southport route will switch to an off-season schedule on Oct. 1, dropping from 16 weekday round trips to 14. Weekend schedules will not be affected.

Hatteras-Ocracoke: The popular Hatteras-Ocracoke route will switch to a fall schedule on Oct. 11, going from 36 round trips daily to 26. On Nov. 8, the route will go to a winter schedule, making 18 round trips daily.

The Cherry Branch and Pamlico River routes do not change seasonally, and the Currituck-Knotts Island route remains on the same schedule throughout the school year.

For a printable 2016 ferry schedule, go to: www.ncdot.gov/download/transit/ferry/ferryschedule.pdf