Saturday, October 11, 2008

Suicide Net

Golden Gate Bridge to get suicide net to catch would-be jumpers

Stainless-steel netting costing up to $50 million will be placed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge to catch would-be suicide jumpers, San Francisco officials decided Friday.

The decision by the board of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District follows several years of controversy. The agency has yet to determine how to finance it, said spokeswoman Mary Currie.

The netting was the "locally preferred alternative," Currie said. More than 5,000 comments came flooding into the agency as part of its environmental review process.

About 2,000 people have jumped from the storied bridge since it opened in 1937. So far this year, 19 have made the leap, which is almost always fatal. Whether public funds should be used to prevent additional suicides has been passionately debated.


Read the rest of the article here.

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