 |
|
|
December 21, 2007
Ferries carry record number of passengers
 Travelers have ridden North Carolina’s scenic ferry routes in record numbers this year. To date, the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division has carried more than 2 million passengers and a million vehicles. Traffic numbers are up along each of the seven ferry routes, with the most significant increase seen at the Hatteras-Ocracoke operation. Crews on the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferries have carried 106,000 more passengers than last year. As of Dec. 1, 982,885 passengers rode on the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferries. The operation also set a one-day record on July 5, carrying 10,231 passengers. The previous record of 9,001 was set on July 7, 1999, during the move of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. “Day in and day out, our ferry crew members work hard to get motorists where they need to go safely and quickly,” Ferry Director Jack Cahoon said. “Everyone worked extra hard to reduce wait times at high-volume routes” The Southport-Fort Fisher route also saw a significant increase in riders, carrying 20,900 more passengers across the Cape Fear River compared to last year. As of Dec. 1, overall ridership was 489,993 people. The Ferry Division has 21 vessels that operate 365 days a year at seven sites along the coast. They cross five bodies of water: Currituck and Pamlico sounds and the Cape Fear, Neuse, and Pamlico rivers. A complete list of ridership numbers for each route is available on the Web site at www.ncferry.org. 
 |
|
|
|