Florida Bridge Drama: Boats vs Cars in Rush Hour Showdown
Published Date: 1/8/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The Coast Guard wants to change when the Blackburn Point Bridge in Osprey, FL opens to help reduce traffic jams during busy weekday times. Boat captains might have to wait a bit longer during peak hours, but this will keep cars moving smoother on the road. If you have thoughts, speak up before February 7, 2025—no money changes, just smarter bridge timing!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Bridge opens on schedule at peak hours
If you operate a boat through the Blackburn Point Bridge at Osprey, FL, the bridge will open only at the top of the hour, 20 minutes after the hour, and 40 minutes after the hour Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. At all other times the bridge will open on demand.
Weekday schedule aims to reduce road jams
If you drive across Blackburn Point Bridge in Osprey, FL, changing the bridge to open on a schedule Monday–Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. is intended to help reduce roadway congestion during weekday peak traffic times.
Emergency and certain vessels still served
Public vessels of the United States and tugs with tows must be passed through the drawspan at any time, and emergency vessels and tugs with tows can still request an opening at any time under the proposed rule.
Coast Guard says no big small-business cost
The Coast Guard certifies under the Regulatory Flexibility Act that this proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, including small vessel owners or operators.
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-17822, Violations of Laws or Regulations
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) proposes to revise the supervisory framework for the issuance of matters requiring attention (MRAs) in response to violations of laws or regulations and for addressing violations for which the OCC does not take an enforcement action or issue an MRA.
2026-17902, Bicycle Use in Park Areas
The National Park Service (NPS) proposes to modify the procedural requirements in existing NPS regulations for the designation of roads and trails for bicycle use within park areas. The changes would align NPS regulations with applicable Federal law and policy, remove unnecessary requirements, and ensure public involvement when needed. The changes in this rule would allow the NPS to manage its resources and allocate taxpayer funds more efficiently and streamline the approval of new and expanded opportunities for use and enjoyment of park areas by the American public.
2026-17867, Amendment of Class D Airspace and Class E Airspace Over New Haven, CT
This action proposes to amend Class D and Class E airspace over New Haven, CT. This action would modify the dimensions of the New Haven, CT Class D airspace to appropriately contain Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the Tweed/New Haven Airport. This action would also update verbiage in the Class D airspace legal description to comply with current FAA guidance. This action would also update the airport name and geographic coordinates for Tweed/New Haven airport in both the Class D and Class E5 airspace legal descriptions. This action would also remove the exclusions for adjacent Class E5 airspace from the New Haven, CT Class E5 airspace legal description.
2026-17840, Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters
If you fly Airbus Helicopters Model SA330J, the FAA wants you to keep checking the main gearbox fan for gaps and replace parts if needed. They’re giving you more time to install a better fan bearing assembly that stops these checks. You can’t install certain parts unless they meet new rules, so keep an eye on deadlines to stay safe and legal!
2026-17871, Proposal of Special Measure Regarding Banque Misr UAE as a Financial Institution Operating Outside of the United States of Primary Money Laundering Concern
FinCEN is issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking, pursuant to section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act, that finds the five United Arab Emirates-based branches of Banque Misr (collectively, Banque Misr UAE) to be of primary money laundering concern and proposes imposing a special measure to: prohibit U.S. financial institutions from opening or maintaining a correspondent account for, or on behalf of, Banque Misr UAE; require U.S. financial institutions to take reasonable steps not to process a transaction for the correspondent account in the United States of a foreign banking institution if such a transaction involves Banque Misr UAE; and require U.S. financial institutions to apply special due diligence to their foreign correspondent accounts that are reasonably designed to guard against their use to process transactions involving Banque Misr UAE.
2026-17767, Promoting Telehealth in Rural America
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comments on the scope of the similar service and rural area comparability requirements, comments on possible improvements to, or replacements of, our existing cost study method of determining rural telecommunications rates, comments on possible methods of promoting the use of lower-cost technologies intended to provide backup services, comments on a proposal to establish an eligible services list for the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program, comments on whether to adopt performance metrics to expedite the processing of RHC Program funding requests, and comments on whether to eliminate the approval requirement of evergreen contracts and an annual report requirement.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2024-31077, Hazardous Materials: Advancing Safety of Highway, Rail, and Vessel Transportation; Extension of Comment Period
The Department of Transportation is giving more time—90 extra days—for people to share their thoughts on new safety rules for moving hazardous materials by road, rail, and water. This extension helps companies and safety experts make sure the rules are clear and effective. Comments are now due by April 28, 2025, so everyone affected has a better chance to weigh in before any costs or changes kick in.
Next: 2024-31754, Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on Two Petitions for Gray Wolf
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reviewed two petitions about gray wolves and decided they don’t have enough solid info to change the wolves’ protection status. This means gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes and West Coast areas will keep their current listings for now. No big changes or costs are expected, and the decision was made on January 8, 2025.