Coastline Bill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Craig Tambo Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I understand SMART's Petaluma River bridge
> stays
> > lowered for rail traffic (except maybe late at
> > night) and only opens when they receive a
> request
> > from marine traffic. NWP's bridges at Black
> Point
> > and Brazos are left open for river traffic, and
> an
> > operator goes out to the bridge just before a
> > train arrives.
>
> What river traffic are we talking about? Are there
> tons of barges going up the Napa River? I dought
> it, how much river traffic goes up the Petaluma
> River? Come on, even the Dumbarton Bridge see no
> traffic, except an occasional sailboat.

I suspect that once a river, etc. is declared a navigable waterway by the government that it's quite a project to get it changed. (Although Caltrans managed to do it with the San Joaquin River as mentioned above.) The Petaluma River does see gravel barge traffic, and pleasure craft of any size would need an opening as well. Can't say about the Napa River.