Although still under construction, the Golden Gate Bridge suicide prevention network showed significant results in 2023 and is expected to continue reducing deaths this year, officials said.
Last year, officials recorded 14 confirmed suicides on the bridge, compared with an annual average of 30. This year, the number is expected to be even lower, according to the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.
The net consists of “marine-grade stainless steel netting installed 20 feet below the bridge sidewalks and extending 20 feet above the water,” the district said in a written statement.
At a commemoration ceremony in mid-July, local leaders spoke about the multi-year project that began in 2018 and ends in early 2024.
The network was originally scheduled to be completed in 2021, but internal disputes between the builders and the government have led to delays and cost overruns.
“The Golden Gate Bridge is a source of immense pride for San Francisco, but for too many families in our community, the bridge has also been a place of suffering,” said former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco for 37 years. “With the completion of a suicide deterrent system for the Golden Gate Bridge, we are providing a much-needed second chance to those who are struggling.”
In the end, the project cost about $224 million, the transportation district said — far more than the $76 million estimate in 2014 when it was approved, but also far less than the $398 million figure cited in a 2022 lawsuit between contractors and the district.
Suicide Prevention and Crisis Counseling Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek professional help and call 9-8-8. The first three-digit national mental health crisis hotline in the United States, 988, will connect callers with trained mental health counselors. Text “HOME” to 741741 in the United States and Canada to reach the crisis hotline.
The purpose of the net is to deter would-be jumpers and save those who jump from their deaths. However, getting caught in the net “is designed to be painful and can result in serious injury,” the transportation district said.
A 2017 study in Switzerland found that barriers and netting on bridges reduce suicides by up to 77%. In Pasadena, the city council is considering installing suicide prevention barriers on the Colorado Street Bridge, according to Pasadena Now.
At the Golden Gate Bridge ceremony, Kymberlyrenee Gamboa spoke about the loss of her 18-year-old son, who jumped from the bridge in 2013.
The completion of the project “brings a profound sense of hope and healing knowing that future families may be spared such a devastating loss,” she said.
