House Bill 1101 would create a pilot program within the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division to test hovercraft, or air cushion vehicle (ACV), service on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route. The stated goals are to improve travel times between the islands, reduce dependence on routine dredging of the Hatteras Inlet channel, and evaluate whether hovercraft could eventually replace or significantly reduce the current diesel ferry fleet on this route.
The bill directs the Ferry Division to issue a request for proposals to lease or purchase suitable hovercraft for passenger and light vehicle service, and to operate the pilot for at least two years. During the pilot, the division must implement a tiered fare structure under which island residents ride free and visitors pay a reasonable fee, with revenues deposited into the Ferry Fund. The bill also allows displaced diesel ferries to continue carrying commercial vehicles during the pilot period and requires a feasibility study on permanent conversion to hovercraft service, including economic, environmental, operational, dredging-cost, fleet-retirement, and tourism impacts.
HB1101 would appropriate $25 million in nonrecurring General Fund dollars to the Department of Transportation, Ferry Division, for fiscal year 2026-2027 to implement the pilot program. It would also require interim and final reports to legislative oversight and fiscal committees in 2027. In practical terms, the bill would add a new state-funded transportation pilot and study effort focused on the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry corridor, while potentially changing how ferry service is delivered and paid for on that route.
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided material, the overall sentiment appears to be informational and exploratory rather than clearly supportive or opposed. The bill’s structure suggests interest in innovation, cost savings, and service improvements, but it also raises questions about feasibility, operational reliability, and the effect of a visitor fee on tourism and access. The main points of contention are likely to be the upfront $25 million appropriation, whether hovercraft can safely and effectively operate in the inlet’s conditions, and whether replacing or partially retiring the diesel ferry fleet is practical.
The bill would create a new statutory pilot program for the Ferry Division, require procurement and operation of hovercraft or ACV ferries on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route, and mandate a related feasibility study and reporting requirements. It would also appropriate $25 million in nonrecurring General Fund money for implementation and establish a resident-free/visitor-paid fare model that credits revenues to the Ferry Fund. The measure would affect state transportation operations, ferry funding, and potentially future decisions about dredging, ferry fleet replacement, and route management.
No committee discussion or votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of partisan or stakeholder sentiment in the record excerpt. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears generally forward-looking and problem-solving, aiming to improve service and reduce dredging costs, but it also reflects caution by framing the effort as a pilot with required studies and reports. The absence of recorded opposition or support in the supplied materials makes the sentiment best characterized as neutral to exploratory.
The likely areas of contention are the $25 million appropriation, the technical feasibility of hovercraft service in the Hatteras Inlet environment, and whether a visitor fee model is workable or could affect tourism. Another likely issue is the future of the existing diesel ferry fleet, including whether it can be retired, repurposed, or kept only for commercial vehicles. Stakeholders most likely to focus on these concerns include DOT/Ferry Division officials, local residents, tourists, commercial vehicle operators, and legislators concerned with transportation spending and coastal infrastructure.