Gateway Monument Demonstration Program

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Cold Spring Canyon Bridge Proposed Suicide
Barrier Project Information Meeting Open House
Wednesday July 25, 2007 530 830 pm
(presentations at 630 p.m.) Location Faulkner
Gallery, Santa Barbara Library
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Purpose of Meeting

• Discuss the need for the project.
• To meet the members of the project team.
• To hear your ideas, comments, and concerns about
  the proposed project.
• To provide information on our proposed areas of
  study and our strategies to deter suicides on the
  bridge.
• To answer your questions.
• Caltrans Project Manager
• Sara von Schwind
• Caltrans Project Manager
• 50 Higuera St
• San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
• [phone]
• Sara.von.schwind_at_dot.ca.gov

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Presenters

Topics Project History Nevin Sams, Retired
Caltrans District Traffic Safety
Engineer Understanding and preventing suicide,
and how it relates to bridge jumping Dr.
Jamie Rotnofsky, Executive Director, The
Glendon Association Rescue and recovery
operations Commander Dominick Palera, County
Sheriffs Department Project Status Sara
von Schwind, Caltrans Project Manager
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HISTORY

Late 2005 Caltrans contacted by The Glendon
Association regarding the recent jump of a 17
year old boy from the Cold Spring Canyon Bridge
Caltrans contacted by the Santa Barbara
Sheriff's Office regarding the frequency of jumps
off the bridge. Caltrans researches accident
history - most of the jumps are not logged into
the Caltrans monitoring system County Sheriffs
Office prepares event history and profile.
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The Issue and Concern
43 people have committed suicide at the
bridge since it was built in 1963 31 have
committed suicide since 1981 19 were aged
21-40 14 were aged 41-60 32 were male 11 were
female
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27 resided in southern Santa Barbara County (from
Carpinteria to Goleta) 7 lived in northern Santa
Barbara County (Santa Ynez Valley to Santa
Maria) 9 were from various California counties
The Cold Spring Canyon Bridge has the highest
concentration of fatalities of any spot location
owned by the state in the district.
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Multi-functional Task Force Formed to Investigate
the Issue and Identify Possible Means to Reduce
SuicidesCounty Sheriffs DepartmentCHPCaltrans
The Glendon AssociationEmergency and Health
ServicesFamily Service Agency/211SBCAGElected
RepresentationCounty Public WorksCounty
Planning and Development Department

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Strategies researched and investigated

• Hotline Call Boxes
• Video Cameras
• Pull-out restrictions
• Additional Signing
• Additional Lighting
• Public Education
• Suicide Barrier
• Safety Net

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Purpose and Objectives of Multifunctional Team

• Identify stake holders
• Identify short and long range strategies
• Keep the public informed
• Increase awareness of the issue
• Evaluate Research
• Understand the psychology behind suicidal
  behavior and the connection to bridge jumping

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Multifunctional Team

• Composed of volunteers-
• Not a required project development process
• Met numerous times from November 9, 2005 through
  2006.
• Key contributors/presenters
• Dr. Lisa Firestone PhD Suicidolgy Expert
• John Kevin Hines Suicide attempt survivor-
  Golden Gate Bridge
• Commander Dominick Palera First responders,
  intervention and recovery.
• Joni Kelly Research and background

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Public Meetings

• Two public meetings were held to bring the issue
  to the community and to get feedback
• These were not required as a project development
  process
• May 8, 2006. Santa Ynez Valley Vets Hall,
  Solvang
• May 22, 2006 Santa Barbara City College
• Public response was overwhelmingly in favor of
  moving forward with a suicide barrier as quickly
  as possible

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Safety Project

• In mid 2006, a project to install a suicide
  barrier qualified for the states safety program
  and for safety funding.
• Because of the severity of the problem and the
  significant potential for reducing or eliminating
  fatalities on the structure, the project is
  categorized as high priority spot safety
  improvement and funding is secured.

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Call Boxes
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Suicide Hotline Call Boxes

• Dedicated connections to trained interveners is
  possible
• SBCAG has taken the lead

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SIGNING
Current Sign posted at Cold Spring Canyon Bridge
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Possible Additional Message Signs
Golden Gate
Clifton Bridge

• We Care About You
• Distress Center--We listen 24 hours a day
• Statistically, signs have limited effectiveness

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Video Cameras

• Local law enforcement agencies lack
• resources for visual monitoring
• Does not prevent suicide
• May serve as a suicide attraction

Surveillance and Patrol
Local law enforcement agencies lack resources
for visual monitoring
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Lighting

• Lighting has not proven to be an effective
  deterrent

Safety Net
Installed underneath the bridge Can be an
effective barrier for helping to reduce suicides
- alternative proposal considered and
rejected Rescue from a net can be problematic
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Public Parking/Pull Out Areas

• Restricting parking or closing off pull out areas
  may not be effective in reducing suicides
• Some people park in the middle of the bridge
• Caltrans Maintenance requires pull out access to
  both ends of the bridge

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Public Education

• Educate the public through the local media and
  community meetings and events
• Provide public awareness that dialing 9-1-1 is
  best for notifying law enforcement in emergencies

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Suicide Barrier

• Demonstrated internationally to be the most
  effective strategy for preventing bridge related
  suicides
• Effective barrier height is six feet tall and
  curves inward at the top
• Can be constructed with aesthetic priorities

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Research Findings

• Restriction of Means
• Preventing the ability to jump
• How effective is it?
• Studies show that when people are prevented from
  jumping, they do not go on to commit suicide by
  other means.
• Example Of 515 people who were prevented from
  jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, only 6
  percent went on to commit suicide.

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Research Findings

• Restriction of Means
• Preventing the ability to jump
• Example Ellington and Taft Bridges in
  Washington D.C. Barricade placed at Ellington,
  but not on nearby Taft.
• Suicides at Ellington decreased from average of 4
  per year to 0 after barricade was installed.
• Suicides at nearby Taft Bridge did not increase.

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Research Findings
Ellington
Taft
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What Does a Suicide Barrier Look Like?
Ellington
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What Does a Suicide Barrier Look Like?
Cold Spring Canyon Bridge
Pasadena Colorado Street Bridge
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What Does a Suicide Barrier Look Like?
Pasadena Colorado Street Bridge
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What Does a Suicide Barrier Look Like?
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Luminous Veil
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What Does a Suicide Barrier Look Like?
Sydney Harbor
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Golden Gate Bridge
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One of 3 Proposed Suicide Barriers for the
Golden Gate Bridge