eolesen wrote: ↑Sat Jul 31, 2021 9:08 am Interesting. Apply that same logic at the gulf ports during times Amtrak is scheduled and I think you have a decent compromise to discuss.Again, what seems reasonable in New Jersey may not be reasonable in Mississippi. One size does not fit everyone. Per Wiki for the Portal Bridge
"As of 2015, the only regularly scheduled commercial traffic on the river is a barge full of sludge traveling from Bergen County Utilities Authority complex in Little Ferry to a sewage treatment plant in Newark. For the last four months of 2014, of the 90 times the bridge was opened, 75 were to provide service to the sludge barge. All sludge has been trucked since 2016."
Four months is the equivalent of 120 days. Bridge is opened for ship traffic less than once a day back then. Since 2016, 90 openings in 120 days has been reduced to 15 times in 120 days with the elimination of the sludge barge traffic, or opening the bridge fir ship traffic once every 12 days.
Now consider how often the 7 drawbridges between New Orleans and Mobile are opened for ship traffic.
(1) Almonaster Avenue Bridge over New Orleans Industrial Canal (Bascule)
(2) Fort Macomb railroad bridge (Swing)
(3) Rigolets Pass Bridge (Swing)
(4) John Cane Bayou Bridge (Swing)
(5) Bay St. Louis Bridge (swing)
(6) Biloxi Bay Bridge (Swing)
(7) Pascagoula River railroad bridge (Bascule)
Seven drawbridges adds complexity than having just one.
Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, not the Department of Transportation, regulates all drawbridges over navigable waters. The regulation consists to two major parts, (A) generic nation wide and (B) specific drawbridges. Not every drawbridge is listed in part B.
Under part (A) drawbridges must open immediately for ships once signaled.
Under part (B) drawbridges can have their own regulations for how early to signal, their own set schedules, etc.
I'm not so sure the Coast Guard will want to set up a specific part B regulations for 7 individual drawbridges for just 4 trains a day service.