[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 15 (Thursday, January 23, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3852-3853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00115]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[Docket No. USCG-2019-0955]


Drawbridge Operation Regulation; New River, Fort Lauderdale, FL

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

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

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the 
operating schedule that governs the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railroad 
Bridge across the New River, mile 2.5, at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 
This deviation will test a change to the drawbridge operation schedule 
to determine if the proposed operating schedule changes will meet the 
reasonable needs of maritime traffic and railway traffic. This 
deviation will allow the drawbridge to operate a more predictable 
schedule.

DATES: This deviation is effective without actual notice from January 
23, 2020 through 11:59 p.m. on June 26, 2020. For the purposes of 
enforcement, actual notice will be used from 12:01 a.m. on January 4, 
2020, until January 23, 2020.
    Comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on or 
before March 30, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2019-0955 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 test 
deviation, call or email LT Samuel Rodriguez-Gonzalez, U.S. Coast 
Guard, Sector Miami Waterways Management Division; telephone 305-535-
4307, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background, Purpose and Legal Basis

    The Florida East Coast (FEC) Railroad Bridge across the New River, 
mile 2.5, at Fort Lauderdale, Florida is a single-leaf bascule railroad 
bridge with a four foot vertical clearance at mean high water in the 
closed position. The normal operating schedule for the bridge is found 
in 33 CFR 117.313(c). Navigation on the waterway is commercial and 
recreational. There has been an increase in rail traffic across the 
bridge in recent years due the start of passenger rail service. The 
bridge owner, Florida East Coast Railway, has requested to test an 
alternate drawbridge operating schedule to determine if the needs of 
railway traffic and maritime traffic can be better accommodated. This 
test deviation provides for bridge openings a fixed times throughout 
the day allowing for a more predictable drawbridge operating schedule.
    Under this deviation, the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railroad Bridge 
shall be maintained in the fully open-to-navigation position for 
vessels at all times, except during periods when it is closed for the 
passage of rail traffic, inspections and minor repairs. The drawbridge 
shall open and remain open to navigation for a fixed 10-minute period 
each hour, except that the drawbridge shall be open at the following 
times which shall serve as the hourly fixed 10-minute period:

--7 a.m. until 7:10 a.m.
--9 a.m. until 9:10 a.m.
--4 p.m. until 4:10 p.m.
--6 p.m. until 6:10 p.m.
--10 p.m. until 10:10 p.m.

    Additionally, in each hour from Noon to 2:59 p.m., the drawbridge 
shall open and remain open to navigation for an additional 10-minute 
period. The fixed 10-minute opening periods shall be published on a 
quarterly basis by the drawbridge owner and reflected on the owner's 
website and mobile application. In any case, the drawbridge shall not 
be closed to navigation for more than 60 consecutive minutes.
    The drawbridge shall have a drawbridge tender onsite at all times 
who is capable of physically tending and operating the drawbridge by 
local control, if necessary, or when ordered by the Coast Guard. The 
drawbridge tender shall provide estimated times of drawbridge openings 
and closures, upon request. Operational information will be provided 24 
hours a day on VHF-FM channels 9 and 16 or by telephone at (305) 889-
5572. Signs shall be posted visible to marine traffic and displaying 
VHF radio contact information, website and application information, and 
the telephone number for the bridge tender.
    In the event of a drawbridge operational failure, or other 
emergency circumstances impacting normal drawbridge operations, the 
drawbridge owner shall immediately notify the Coast Guard Captain of 
the Port Miami and provide an estimated time of repair and return to 
normal operations.
    A drawbridge log shall be maintained including drawbridge opening 
and closing times. The drawbridge log should include reasons for those 
drawbridge closings that interfere with scheduled openings in this 
part. This log shall be provided to the Coast Guard upon request.
    A website and mobile application shall be maintained to publish: 
Drawbridge opening times required by this subsection; timely updates to 
schedules; at least 24-hour advance notice for each schedule in order 
to facilitate planning by maritime

[[Page 3853]]

operators; and to the extent reasonably practicable, at least 60-
minutes advance notice of schedule changes or delays.
    Vessels able to pass through the bridge in the closed position may 
do so at anytime. The bridge will be able to open for emergencies and 
there is no immediate alternate route for vessels to pass. 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.

    Dated: January 3, 2020.
Barry Dragon,
Director, Bridge Branch, Seventh Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2020-00115 Filed 1-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P