Rule2026-02175
Drawbridge Operation Regulation; New Rochelle Harbor, Westchester County, NY
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 3, 2026
Effective
February 3, 2026
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentCoast Guard
Abstract
The Coast Guard is temporarily modifying the operating schedule that governs the Glen Island Bridge, across New Rochelle Harbor, mile 0.8, in Westchester County, NY. This modification is required to complete the rehabilitation of the existing bridge and removal of the temporary bridge. Approving this temporary modification will allow the bridge to return to normal operating schedule and complete the rehabilitation project earlier than originally scheduled.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 4846-4848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02175]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 117
[Docket No. USCG-2026-0017]
RIN 1625-AA09
Drawbridge Operation Regulation; New Rochelle Harbor, Westchester
County, NY
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Temporary Interim Rule with request for comments
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is temporarily modifying the operating
schedule that governs the Glen Island Bridge, across New Rochelle
Harbor, mile 0.8, in Westchester County, NY. This modification is
required to complete the rehabilitation of the existing bridge and
removal of the temporary bridge. Approving this temporary modification
will allow the bridge to return to normal operating schedule and
complete the rehabilitation project earlier than originally scheduled.
DATES: This temporary interim rule is effective February 3, 2026
through 5 p.m. on June 26, 2026.
Comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on or
before March 5, 2026.
ADDRESSES: To view documents mentioned in this preamble as being
available in the docket, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Type the
docket number (USCG-2026-0017) in the ``SEARCH'' box and click
``SEARCH''. In the Document Type column, select ``Supporting & Related
Material''.
You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-2026-0017
at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on
submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this
temporary interim rule, call or email Stephanie E. Lopez, Northeast
District Bridge Management Specialist, U. S. Coast Guard, telephone
571-608-5676, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#66351203160e07080f034823482a0916031c2613150501480b0f0a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4c1f38293c242d22252962096200233c29360c393f2f2b62212520">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Table of Abbreviations
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DHS Department of Homeland Security
FR Federal Register
NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking
Pub. L. Public Law
Sec. Section
U.S.C. United States Code
II. Background Information and Regulatory History
The Coast Guard is issuing this temporary interim rule under the
authority in 5 U.S.C. 553(b). This provision authorizes an agency to
issue a rule without prior notice and opportunity to comment when the
agency for good cause finds that those procedures are ``impracticable,
unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.'' Under 5 U.S.C.
553(b), the Coast Guard finds that good cause exists for not publishing
a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) with respect to this rule
because it is impracticable. This bridge is non-operational and will
remain non-operational until rehabilitation work can be completed.
On September 12, 2025, the Coast Guard issued a General Deviation
that allowed the bridge owner, Westchester County Department of Public
Works and Transportation to deviate from the current operating schedule
in 33 CFR 117.802(a). This deviation allowed the bridge to remain in
the closed position to conduct rehabilitation of the existing bridge.
The construction schedule anticipated subsequent deviations to complete
rehabilitation work and remove the temporary bridge, with project
completion anticipated in October 2026. However, the bridge owner
notified the Coast Guard that rehabilitation work is ahead of schedule
and requested extending the current deviation to complete all
rehabilitation work and remove the temporary bridge by June 26, 2026.
Under this new construction schedule, the existing bridge cannot be
brought back to an operating condition until rehabilitation
[[Page 4847]]
work is complete and traffic is shifted from the temporary bridge.
Therefore, there is insufficient time to provide a reasonable comment
period and then consider those comments before issuing the
modification.
However, we will be soliciting comments on this rulemaking during
the first 30 days while this rule is in effect. If the Coast Guard
determines that changes to the temporary interim rule are necessary, we
will publish a temporary final rule or other appropriate document.
Under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), the Coast Guard finds that good cause
exists for making it effective in less than 30 days after publication
in the Federal Register. For reasons presented above, delaying the
effective date of this rule would be impracticable and contrary to the
public interest due to the fact that the bridge is currently inoperable
and will not be back into operation until the rehabilitation work can
be completed.
III. Legal Authority and Need for Rule
The Coast Guard is issuing this temporary interim rule under
authority in 33 U.S.C. 499 which gives us the authority to regulate
drawbridge operation schedules.
The Glen Island Bridge, across New Rochelle Harbor, mile 0.8, is a
steel bascule bridge with a temporary steel bascule bridge adjacent.
Both bridges have a vertical clearance of 13 feet in the closed
position and unlimited in the open position, the bridge operates under
33 CFR 117.802(a).
On December 19, 2025, Westchester County Department of Public Works
and Transportation conducted a meeting with USCG Northeast District
bridge management staff to discuss the project's schedule. The bridge
owner proposed a new schedule that will speed construction and bring
the bridge back to normal operating regulation by late June 2026
instead of the original completion date of late October 2026.
This waterway is transited primarily by recreational vessels with a
maximum length of 75 feet, maximum beam 20 feet, and maximum height of
80 feet. The bridge owner has been in contact with local waterway
users, including the Huguenot Yacht Club, commercial mariners, the
Westchester Police Department, and local residents, none of whom
expressed objections to the revised construction schedule.
IV. Discussion of the Temporary Interim Rule
The current temporary deviation approved on September 12, 2025,
allows the bridge to remain in the closed position from 7 a.m. on
October 2, 2025, through 5 p.m. on April 29, 2026. Additional
deviations would have been required for bridge closures from 7 a.m. on
August 11, 2026, through 5 p.m. on August 17, 2026, and from 7 a.m. on
October 2, 2026, through 5 p.m. on October 29, 2026. The new deviation
will allow the bridge to remain in the closed position through 5 p.m.
on June 26, 2026. At this time, no additional deviations will be
required to complete the rehabilitation project to the existing bridge
and remove the temporary bridge.
V. Regulatory Analyses
We developed this temporary interim rule after considering numerous
statutes and Executive Orders related to rulemaking. Below we summarize
our analyses based on a number of these statutes and Executive Orders.
A. Impact on Small Entities
The regulatory flexibility analysis provisions of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act of 1980, 5 U.S.C. 601-612, do not apply to rules that
are not subject to notice and comment. Because the Coast Guard has, for
good cause, waived the notice and comment requirement that would
otherwise apply to this rulemaking, the Regulatory Flexibility Act's
flexibility analysis provisions do not apply here.
Under section 213(a) of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-121), if this rule will affect your
small business, organization, or governmental jurisdiction and you have
questions, contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section.
Small businesses may send comments to the Small Business and
Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman and the Regional Small
Business Regulatory Fairness Boards by calling 1-888-REG-FAIR (1-888-
734-3247). The Coast Guard will not retaliate against small entities
that question or complain about this rule or any policy or action of
the Coast Guard.
B. Collection of Information
This rule calls for no new collection of information under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520).
C. Federalism and Indian Tribal Government
A rule has implications for federalism under Executive Order 13132,
Federalism, if it has a substantial direct effect on the States, on the
relationship between the national government and the States, or on the
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of
government. We have analyzed this rule under that Order and have
determined that it is consistent with the fundamental federalism
principles and preemption requirements described in Executive Order
13132.
Also, this rule does not have tribal implications under Executive
Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal
Governments, because it does not have a substantial direct effect on
one or more Indian tribes, on the relationship between the Federal
Government and Indian tribes, or on the distribution of power and
responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian tribes.
D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1531-1538)
requires Federal agencies to assess the effects of their discretionary
regulatory actions. In particular, the Act addresses actions that may
result in the expenditure by a State, local, or tribal government, in
the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100,000,000 (adjusted for
inflation) or more in any one year. Though this rule will not result in
such an expenditure, we do discuss the effects of this rule elsewhere
in this preamble.
E. Environment
We have analyzed this rule under Department of Homeland Security
Management Directive 023-01, Rev.1, associated implementing
instructions, and Environmental Planning Policy COMDTINST 5090.1
(series) which guide the Coast Guard in complying with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)(42 U.S.C. 4321-4370f). The
Coast Guard has determined that this action is one of a category of
actions that do not individually or cumulatively have a significant
effect on the human environment. This rule promulgates the operating
regulations or procedures for drawbridges and is categorically excluded
from further review, under paragraph L49, of Appendix A, Table 1 of DHS
Instruction Manual 023-01-001-01, Rev. 1.
Neither a Record of Environmental Consideration nor a Memorandum
for the Record are required for this rule.
VI. Public Participation and Request for Comments
We view public participation as essential to effective rulemaking
and will consider all comments and material received during the comment
period. Your comment can help shape the outcome of this rulemaking. If
you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this
rulemaking, indicate the specific section of this
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document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for each
suggestion or recommendation.
Submitting comments. We encourage you to submit comments at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. To do so, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, type
USCG-2026-0017 in the search box and click ``Search.'' Next, look for
this document in the Search Results column, and click on it. Then click
on the Comment option. If your material cannot be submitted using
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, contact the person in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate
instructions.
Viewing material in docket. To view documents mentioned in this
proposed rule as being available in the docket, find the docket as
described in the previous paragraph, and then select ``Supporting &
Related Material'' in the Document Type column. Public comments will
also be placed in our online docket and can be viewed by following
instructions on the <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> Frequently Asked
Questions web page. Also, if you go to the online docket and sign up
for email alerts through the ``Subscribe'' option, you will be notified
when comments/updates are posted, or a final rule is published.
Personal information. We accept anonymous comments. Comments we
post to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> will include any personal
information you have provided. For more about privacy and submissions
in response to this document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records
notice (85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020).
List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 117
Bridges.
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Coast Guard amends
33 CFR part 117 as follows:
PART 117--DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS
0
1. The authority citation for part 117 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 499; 33 CFR 1.05-1; and DHS Delegation No.
00170.1. Revision No. 01.4.
0
2. Amend Sec. 117.802 by:
0
a. Staying paragraph (a).
0
b. Adding paragraph (c).
The addition reads as follows:
Sec. 117.802 New Rochelle Harbor.
* * * * *
(c) The draw of the Glen Island Bridge, mile 0.8, across New
Rochelle Harbor at New Rochelle, may be maintained in the closed to
navigation position until 5 p.m. on June 26, 2026.
M.E. Platt,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Northeast Coast Guard
District.
[FR Doc. 2026-02175 Filed 2-2-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 3, 2026.
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