Fremont Bridge openings questioned

The Fremont Bridge is the busiest draw bridge in the country as people who drive over it can probably tell. In today’s Getting There column in the PI, Mary Coward writes that the bridge is often up during her morning bus commute making her miss her connection. “Are there particular hours that are considered ‘off-limits’ for bridge-opening?” It turns out that the Coast Guard is in charge of draw bridges. They have designated 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. peak traffic hours for cars and won’t open the bridge for small boats weighing less than 1,000 tons. While the city has asked, the Coast Guard has not been receptive to extending those times.