North Carolina Ferry System: A Study

The North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division faces several challenges. Recent U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) regulations increasing the minimum crew size on vessels carrying more than 149 passengers require the North Carolina Ferry System (NCFS) to add 79 employees. Difficulty in finding additional funds and certified crew to meet these regulations, coupled with reduced NCFS financial allocations from recent state budget cuts, resulted in a reduced number of ferry sailings on some routes during the peak operation period in the summer of 2009. In addition, NCFS experienced challenges from ferry service outages that resulted from the need to operate aging ferry vessels, a lack of standby ferry vessels in case of breakdowns, and vessels out of service as a result of the increased frequency of USCG dry dock inspections. The NCFS must also contend with unreliable support vessels that have exceeded their useful lives and a lack of certified welders and marine electricians to support maintenance functions. However, these resource and operation challenges present an opportunity to analyze existing ferry operations and to explore future opportunities.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2216-12
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=North+Carolina+Ferry+System%3a+A+Study&author=J.+Tsai&author=T.+Cook&author=D.+Findley&author=M.+Miller&publication_year=2011
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/166626.aspx
• Authors:
  • Tsai, Jeffrey C
  • Cook, Thomas
  • Findley, Daniel J
  • Miller, Michael
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 108-115
• Monograph Title: Transit 2011, Volume 1
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2216
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Budgeting; Costs; Crew size; Economic analysis; Employees; Equipment replacement; Ferries; Ferry service; Maintenance; Operations; Passenger traffic; Water transportation
• Identifier Terms: North Carolina Ferry System
• Geographic Terms: North Carolina
• Subject Areas: Economics; Marine Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01340325
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309167659
• Report/Paper Numbers: 11-1507
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: May 18 2011 11:43AM