Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, WA, Schedule Change, 62450 [E8-24985]
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62450
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 21, 2008 / Proposed Rules
Background
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 117
[Docket No. USCG–2008–0256]
RIN 1625–AA09
Drawbridge Operation Regulation;
Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, WA,
Schedule Change
Coast Guard, DHS.
Notice of proposed rulemaking;
withdrawal.
AGENCY:
rmajette on PRODPC74 with PROPOSALS
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is
withdrawing its notice of proposed
rulemaking concerning drawbridge
operations for the Spokane Street Bridge
across the Duwamish Waterway, mile
0.3, in Seattle, Washington. The
proposed rule would have established
two daily closed draw periods Monday
through Friday to help alleviate road
traffic, with the proviso that openings
would be provided at any time for
vessels of 5000 gross tons or more. The
proposed rule is being withdrawn
because Spokane Street Bridge draw
records along with road traffic counts
conducted after the notice of proposed
rulemaking was published indicate that
the number of draw openings and the
amount of traffic using the Spokane
Street Bridge are not sufficient to
warrant the negative impact that the
proposed rule would have on
commercial maritime traffic using the
waterway under the bridge.
DATES: The notice of proposed
rulemaking is withdrawn on October 21,
2008.
ADDRESSES: The docket for this
withdrawn rulemaking is available for
inspection or copying at the Docket
Management Facility (M–30), U.S.
Department of Transportation, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m, Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. You may also
find this docket on the Internet at
https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you have questions on this proposed
rule, call Austin Pratt, Chief, Bridge
Section, Waterways Management
Branch, 13th Coast Guard District, at
206–220–7282. If you have questions on
viewing the docket, call Renee V.
Wright, Program Manager, Docket
Operations, at 202–366–9826
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:03 Oct 20, 2008
Jkt 217001
On May 22, 2008, we published a
notice of proposed rulemaking entitled
‘‘Drawbridge Operation Regulation;
Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, WA,
Schedule Change’’ in the Federal
Register (73 FR 29723). The proposed
rule would have established two daily
closed draw periods for the Spokane
Street Bridge across the Duwamish
Waterway, mile 0.3, in Seattle,
Washington, Monday through Friday to
help alleviate road traffic, with the
proviso that openings would be
provided at any time for vessels of 5000
gross tons or more.
Withdrawal
The notice of proposed rulemaking is
being withdrawn because the Spokane
Street Bridge draw records along with
road traffic counts conducted after the
notice of proposed rulemaking was
published indicate that the number of
draw openings and amount of traffic
using the Spokane Street Bridge are not
sufficient to warrant the negative impact
that the proposed rule would have on
commercial maritime traffic using the
waterway under the bridge.
Specifically, draw records indicate
that the Spokane Street Bridge is opened
an average of only two to three times per
week during each of the proposed
closed periods. While these openings
halt traffic, the amount of traffic affected
is much lower than other drawbridges
in Seattle. Traffic counts on Spokane
Street during the subject periods were
also much lower than arterials like 15th
Avenue and Montlake Avenue, which
also cross drawbridges in Seattle.
The maritime traffic that would be
affected by the proposed rule includes
oceangoing ships, container barges,
derrick barges, and other large vessels
that require the drawspan to open. Tidal
fluctuations are critical for many of
these vessels to move in the waterway
under the Spokane Street Bridge. The
proposed closed periods would delay
this maritime traffic as a result of the
bridge being closed as well as the effect
of the closures on the ability of the
vessels to transit at the appropriate tide
elevation. Such delays have a
substantial negative effect on maritime
commerce due to the necessity of timely
transit and delivery of the cargo being
carried.
The availability of a nearby alternate
route was also considered. The West
Seattle Bridge is a multi-lane, fixed,
high-structure bridge immediately
adjacent to the Spokane Street Bridge
that can easily be used to transit to and
from downtown Seattle instead of the
Spokane Street Bridge, especially for
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
that traffic which does not have a local
destination at Harbor Island.
The Coast Guard received 80 total
responses to the notice of proposed
rulemaking. 18 were from commercial
maritime entities with an interest in
using the waterway under the bridge.
All of these responses rejected the
proposed change due to delays in the
movement of maritime traffic that
would result from the proposed rule.
The remaining responses were from
individual commuters, many of which
were bicyclists, with an interest in using
the Spokane Street Bridge itself. All of
these responses endorsed the proposal
in order to facilitate commuting to and
from downtown Seattle. At least one
response objected to the exemption for
vessels of 5000 gross tons or greater and
another suggested that the closure
proposed for the morning hours was
more vital than the afternoon.
Authority
This action is taken under the
authority of 33 U.S.C. 499; 33 CFR 1.05–
1; Department of Homeland Security
Delegation No. 0170.1.
Dated: October 8, 2008.
J.P. Currier,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander,
Thirteenth Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. E8–24985 Filed 10–20–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
[FWS–R6–ES–2008–0026; 92210–1117–
0000–B4]
RIN 1018–AV78
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Revised Critical Habitat for
the Contiguous United States Distinct
Population Segment of the Canada
Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Revised proposed rule;
reopening of comment period and
announcement of public hearings,
notice of availability of draft economic
analysis, amended required
determinations, and draft environmental
assessment.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
reopening of the public comment period
and the scheduling of public hearings
on the proposed revised designation of
critical habitat for the contiguous
E:\FR\FM\21OCP1.SGM
21OCP1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 21, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 62450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24985]
[[Page 62450]]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 117
[Docket No. USCG-2008-0256]
RIN 1625-AA09
Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, WA,
Schedule Change
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; withdrawal.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is withdrawing its notice of proposed
rulemaking concerning drawbridge operations for the Spokane Street
Bridge across the Duwamish Waterway, mile 0.3, in Seattle, Washington.
The proposed rule would have established two daily closed draw periods
Monday through Friday to help alleviate road traffic, with the proviso
that openings would be provided at any time for vessels of 5000 gross
tons or more. The proposed rule is being withdrawn because Spokane
Street Bridge draw records along with road traffic counts conducted
after the notice of proposed rulemaking was published indicate that the
number of draw openings and the amount of traffic using the Spokane
Street Bridge are not sufficient to warrant the negative impact that
the proposed rule would have on commercial maritime traffic using the
waterway under the bridge.
DATES: The notice of proposed rulemaking is withdrawn on October 21,
2008.
ADDRESSES: The docket for this withdrawn rulemaking is available for
inspection or copying at the Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S.
Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. You may also find
this docket on the Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this proposed
rule, call Austin Pratt, Chief, Bridge Section, Waterways Management
Branch, 13th Coast Guard District, at 206-220-7282. If you have
questions on viewing the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager,
Docket Operations, at 202-366-9826
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On May 22, 2008, we published a notice of proposed rulemaking
entitled ``Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Duwamish Waterway, Seattle,
WA, Schedule Change'' in the Federal Register (73 FR 29723). The
proposed rule would have established two daily closed draw periods for
the Spokane Street Bridge across the Duwamish Waterway, mile 0.3, in
Seattle, Washington, Monday through Friday to help alleviate road
traffic, with the proviso that openings would be provided at any time
for vessels of 5000 gross tons or more.
Withdrawal
The notice of proposed rulemaking is being withdrawn because the
Spokane Street Bridge draw records along with road traffic counts
conducted after the notice of proposed rulemaking was published
indicate that the number of draw openings and amount of traffic using
the Spokane Street Bridge are not sufficient to warrant the negative
impact that the proposed rule would have on commercial maritime traffic
using the waterway under the bridge.
Specifically, draw records indicate that the Spokane Street Bridge
is opened an average of only two to three times per week during each of
the proposed closed periods. While these openings halt traffic, the
amount of traffic affected is much lower than other drawbridges in
Seattle. Traffic counts on Spokane Street during the subject periods
were also much lower than arterials like 15th Avenue and Montlake
Avenue, which also cross drawbridges in Seattle.
The maritime traffic that would be affected by the proposed rule
includes oceangoing ships, container barges, derrick barges, and other
large vessels that require the drawspan to open. Tidal fluctuations are
critical for many of these vessels to move in the waterway under the
Spokane Street Bridge. The proposed closed periods would delay this
maritime traffic as a result of the bridge being closed as well as the
effect of the closures on the ability of the vessels to transit at the
appropriate tide elevation. Such delays have a substantial negative
effect on maritime commerce due to the necessity of timely transit and
delivery of the cargo being carried.
The availability of a nearby alternate route was also considered.
The West Seattle Bridge is a multi-lane, fixed, high-structure bridge
immediately adjacent to the Spokane Street Bridge that can easily be
used to transit to and from downtown Seattle instead of the Spokane
Street Bridge, especially for that traffic which does not have a local
destination at Harbor Island.
The Coast Guard received 80 total responses to the notice of
proposed rulemaking. 18 were from commercial maritime entities with an
interest in using the waterway under the bridge. All of these responses
rejected the proposed change due to delays in the movement of maritime
traffic that would result from the proposed rule. The remaining
responses were from individual commuters, many of which were
bicyclists, with an interest in using the Spokane Street Bridge itself.
All of these responses endorsed the proposal in order to facilitate
commuting to and from downtown Seattle. At least one response objected
to the exemption for vessels of 5000 gross tons or greater and another
suggested that the closure proposed for the morning hours was more
vital than the afternoon.
Authority
This action is taken under the authority of 33 U.S.C. 499; 33 CFR
1.05-1; Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1.
Dated: October 8, 2008.
J.P. Currier,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard
District.
[FR Doc. E8-24985 Filed 10-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-15-P
