North Carolina's lifelines

Once again, a Northeaster washed over NC highway 12, eroding portions of the road and depositing tons of sand in other sections. It is arguably the most expensive road in our state. An estimated $70 million has been spent to maintain it just between 2010 and 2024.

Someone not familiar with the area might say North Carolina should stop spending so much money on such a small stretch serving so few people. We understand the sentiment but disagree with it.

About four thousand live in the barrier islands; it is their lifeline for supplies, health care and other necessities. NC 12 isn’t just a lifeline, it is an income generator attracting thousands of tourists each year. The Outer Banks Visitor Bureau says more than 818,000 people visited the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in the first five months of this year and tourism in the area adds an estimated $1 billion yearly to our economy.

But continually spending money to remove sand and replace asphalt seems unproductive. The NC Department of Transportation (DOT) is undertaking an intensive study named SAND, an acronym for Solving Access for N.C. 12 in Dare County. Laura Moore, a professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at UNC contributing research to the study said, “There are no options that don’t involve significant tradeoffs.” We would add that there are none that don’t potentially involve billions of dollars.

Some suggest moving the road further inland. Others advocate building a 17-mile bridge to span the area. Here’s another idea. It is similar to one like that employed in the Florida Keys called “the Overseas Highway,” a 113-mile engineering feat. We don’t need 113 miles like necessary in the Keys, but the concept is novel enough to consider studying. It begs the question whether such an approach, no doubt one of the most expensive in state history, might be worth the investment?

We need our best thinking for potential options. We can’t wait to see the recommendations SAND has for this scenic and wondrous area of our state.

That same region is facing another threat - a provision within the recently passed state budget that requires that tolls be collected on all state ferries. DOT has been holding public hearings to give people the opportunity to learn more about the new law, ask questions and provide feedback. That feedback has been overwhelmingly negative.

Those who live in affected areas say that ferries are, in essence maritime highways that play the same role as asphalt roads, and since we don’t pay tolls to ride on the vast majority of our highways we shouldn’t have to pay to pay to ride on water instead of land, and our taxes should support these ferries. The areas serviced by these ferries are also great tourism generators, dollars that would surely decrease when visitors are forced to pay tolls.

Wait a minute, say those favoring ferry tolls. It is unfair to ask all residents to pay for ferries only used by a fraction of state residents. That same argument is almost laughable. There are plenty of things the state pays for only used by a few.

Earlier this month DOT released a proposed plan to implement the toll requirement. It called for one-way tolls of $10 per car for the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry and $7 on the Knotts Island, Neuse and Pamlico River ferries. Trucks and other vehicles would pay between $26 to $30. And permanent residents in 20 counties could buy a yearly pass for $150. But DOT projects that this toll plan would generate only about $4.4 million…not nearly enough to pay additional employees, much less replace aging ferries.

Reaction to this plan was so immediate and ugly that DOT immediately withdrew it, declaring more study was needed. It was a bad plan proposed to implement a bad idea.

Incumbent Republican lawmakers, two of whom voted against the entire state budget because of the ferry toll provision, are getting an earful from constituents angry about ferry tolls. Deservedly so.

Here’s my spin: We’ve got a bunch of legislative leaders so intent on cutting taxes they are willingly neglecting the infrastructure needs of our state. Coastal lawmakers are now facing the backlash from constituents….voters who don’t like what they’ve done. Unless something changes soon these unhappy voters will be heard November 3rd.

Republicans are already concerned about a Blue Wave on election day. There’s not much time to reverse course on some of these more extreme positions. We give huge incentives to new industries to move here. The tourism industry adds some $37 billion a year to our economy.

Just because NC 12 and the ferries are in a more sparsely populated area of our state these citizens are entitled to the same advantages others enjoy.

We can and should provide the roads - asphalt, concrete or maritime - our citizens need without penalizing them.

Tom Campbell is a Hall of Fame North Carolina broadcaster and columnist who has covered North Carolina public policy issues since 1965.  Contact him at tomcamp@ncspin.com