Today, the St. Lucie River railroad bridge began operating under a new schedule, or a test deviation.  As a result of Brightline’s planned expansion from Miami to Orlando, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has been testing different modes of operation for the St. Lucie bridge.  Throughout the process, we’ve fought tooth and nail to ensure Brightline does not steamroll the Treasure Coast and that boaters and drivers are able to get around the community.

This test deviation is a step in the right direction. Here are some of the key points:

• The deviation specifies, in writing, that the goal is to ensure mariners have access to the waterway for, at minimum, 50 percent of the time between the hours of 6 A.M. and 10 P.M.
• The bridge is guaranteed to be open for 10 minutes at the start of every hour. 
• There’s additional time built into the schedule for mariners on weekends and during weekday rush hour. 

You can read it for yourself here.

The U.S. Coast Guard’s public comment period is open from now until October 15th.  I encourage everyone to share their opinion about this deviation.  It will provide vital information about our community’s needs as the USCG drafts the final rule and schedule for the bridge.

I’ll keep you updated, and in the meantime, click here to share your opinion with the U.S. Coast Guard.