The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce recently added its organization to a growing list of stakeholders that are voicing opposition to a state bill that aims to add or increase ferry tolls. In this vein, the Chamber sent a letter on May 13 to key state legislators, which is below.
Last month, the North Carolina Senate approved a $32.6 billion state budget for the next two fiscal years that has been sent to the state House. Senate Bill 257 includes tolls on the Hatteras Inlet and Currituck Sound routes, and doubles rates charged on the Ocracoke-Swan Quarter and Ocracoke-Cedar Island vehicle ferries and the Ocracoke Express passenger vessel.
Under the 439-page Senate Bill 257, the new toll schedule would be as follows:
- Hatteras-Ocracoke: $20 for vehicles under 20 feet long, $40 for vehicles over 20 feet, and $1 for passengers not traveling in a vehicle.
- Ocracoke-Swan Quarter and Cedar Island: $30 vehicles under 20 feet, $60 vehicles over 20 feet, $2 passengers.
- Ocracoke Express: $15 per person.
The letter from ther Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce is as follows:
Dear Senators,
The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce represents over 800 businesses along the Outer Banks of North Carolina including those in Dare County, Currituck County and Ocracoke Island in Hyde County.
The Outer Banks Chamber and its membership strongly oppose Senate Bill 257, 2025 Appropriations Act, that proposes tolling of ferry routes in North Carolina including the Hatteras to Ocracoke and Currituck to Knotts Island routes that are currently free of charge.
These routes are a part of the state’s highway system and link traditional paved roads in parts of the State where building bridges would be fiscally impossible. As part of the highway system, tolling them would be an unfair tax burden on the citizens who use them, and will also hurt local residents who travel frequently. While economic conditions are slowly improving, our residents do not need another expense added to their daily routine.
Tolls on the Ocracoke and Knotts Island runs to the mainland would cost travelers money that could be spent in the local economy.
The impact of tolling these routes would also be detrimental to our tourism industry; our visitors will certainly think twice before paying a $40 toll round trip to travel to these destinations, or if they do pay it, it will decrease their disposable income once they are there, again impacting the local economy, which will hurt small local businesses who depend on tourism expenditures.
There has been no provision in this legislation for how these tolls would be collected or remitted.
Many of these tourist destinations pay far more in sales tax than the estimated net tolls would provide.
Again, the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce representing over 800 local businesses and their over 3,000 employees oppose Senate Bill 257, 2025 Appropriations Act, that would add tolls to our two critical ferry routes.
Regards,
Nick Graham, Chairman of the Board
Karen S. Brown, President & CEO
