Amtrak Seeks Compromise With Coast Guard Over Daily Portal Bridge Openings, Blamed For Numerous Delays
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Amtrak says it has sent a letter to the Coast Guard asking for a compromise over the daily openings of the Portal Bridge.
Amtrak is asking the Coast Guard to either limit or eliminate openings of the bridge during rail commuter rush hours.
WEB EXTRA: Read the letter (.pdf)
It also wants 24-hour notice for all requested openings.
Amtrak is hoping the changes will prevent delays for the 206,000 commuters who take 454 Amtrak or NJ TRANSIT trains over the bridge daily.
"Despite this heavy reliance on the free flow of passengers over the bridge during those times, the existing regulations require Amtrak to open the bridge for marine traffic during commuting rush hour peak train traffic, so long as the railroad is given one hour's notice," Paul DeSignore of Amtrak wrote. "This requirement can create and has created great inconvenience to large numbers of rail passengers."
The Portal Bridge has been the site of a series of recent problems that have caused extensive delays for commuters and frustration from politicians.