[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9459-9460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04889]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2019-0086]


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Hackensack River, Little Snake 
Hill, NJ

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of temporary deviation from regulations; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is issuing a temporary deviation from the 
operating schedule that governs the Amtrak Portal Bridge across the 
Hackensack River, mile 5.0, at Little Snake Hill, New Jersey. This 
deviation will test a change to the drawbridge operation schedule to 
determine whether a permanent change to the schedule is needed. The 
Coast Guard is seeking comments from the public about the impact to 
both train and vessel traffic generated by this change.

DATES: This deviation is effective without actual notice from March 15, 
2019 through 11:59 p.m. on September 9, 2019. For the purposes of 
enforcement, actual notice will be used from 12:01 a.m. on March 14, 
2019, until March 15, 2019.
    Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard 
on or before July 12, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2019-0086 using Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
    See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion 
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on 
submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this 
temporary deviation, call or email Judy K. Leung-Yee, Project Officer, 
First Coast Guard District; telephone 212-514-4336, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Abbreviations

CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register

I. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    In a letter to the Coast Guard, dated December 4, 2018, The 
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) requested to change 
operating requirements for the Amtrak's Portal Bridge across the 
Hackensack River, mile 5.0, at Little Snake Hill, New

[[Page 9460]]

Jersey. The existing drawbridge operating regulations are listed at 33 
CFR 117.723(e). In their request, Amtrak provided the Coast Guard with 
bridge opening logs from 2011 to 2018, which showed that the number of 
bridge openings declined significantly since 2016 rush hour train 
traffic increased during the same period, arguing that the decreased 
demand for bridge openings and increased train traffic enabled 
modifications to the bridge's special operating regulation. The Coast 
Guard collected stakeholder feedback regarding a proposed change to the 
bridge's schedule via a December 13, 2018 public notice and a 
conference call on February 7, 2019. This 180 day temporary deviation 
to the regulation will allow the Coast Guard, waterway stakeholders, 
and the bridge owner to collect vessel traffic and other data to assess 
the impact of changing the bridge's operating schedule.
    The Amtrak Portal Bridge is a swing bridge with a vertical 
clearance of 23 feet at mean high water and 28 feet at mean low water 
in the closed position. The waterway users are seasonal recreational 
vessels and commercial vessels of various sizes. The 2017 and 2018 
bridge logs indicated the number of bridge openings during rush hour 
have become minimal (one or two vessels per month), however, most of 
the waterway vessel traffic requires high tide when transiting under 
the bridge and needs an opportunity during rush hour for possible 
openings.
    The Coast Guard is publishing this temporary deviation to test the 
proposed change to the bridge's operating schedule and determine 
whether a permanent change to the schedule is necessary to better 
balance the needs of marine and rail traffic.
    Under this deviation, in effect from 12:01 a.m. on March 14, 2019, 
to 11:59 p.m. on September 9, 2019, the Amtrak Portal Bridge need not 
open for the passage of vessel traffic from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 
3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Additional bridge openings shall be provided for tide 
restricted commercial vessels between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. and between 5 
p.m. and 6 p.m., if at least a two-hour advance notice is given by 
calling the number posted at the bridge. At all other times the bridge 
shall open on signal if at least two-hour advance notice is given.
    Vessels able to pass through the bridge in the closed position may 
do so at any time. There are no alternate routes. The bridge will be 
able to open for emergencies.
    The Coast Guard will also inform the users of the waterways through 
our Local and Broadcast Notices to Mariners of the change in operating 
schedule for the bridge so that vessel operators can arrange their 
transits to minimize any impact caused by the temporary deviation.
    In accordance with 33 CFR 117.35(e), the drawbridge must return to 
its regular operating schedule immediately at the end of the effective 
period of this temporary deviation. This deviation from the operating 
regulations is authorized under 33 CFR 117.35.

II. Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We view public participation as essential to effective rulemaking, 
and will consider all comments and material received during the comment 
period. Your comment can help shape the outcome of this rulemaking. If 
you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
rulemaking, indicate the specific section of this document to which 
each comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or 
recommendation.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the person in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate 
instructions.
    We accept anonymous comments. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided. For more about privacy and the 
docket, visit http://www.regulations.gov/privacynotice.
    Documents mentioned in this notification as being available in this 
docket and all public comments, will be in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that website's 
instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up 
for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted or a 
final rule is published.

    Dated: March 12, 2019.
C.J. Bisignano,
Supervisory Bridge Management Specialist, First Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2019-04889 Filed 3-14-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P