Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge suicide prevention net was completed Monday, according to an announcement from the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District.
The stainless steel net is about 20 feet below the bridge’s sidewalk, spans 1.7 miles on each side of the bridge and extends 20 feet out over the water.
“The net is already working as intended to save lives and deter people from coming to the Bridge to harm themselves,” bridge officials announced on the district website Wednesday. “Over the last 20 years, on average, there have been 30 confirmed suicides at the Golden Gate Bridge every year. In 2023, while the net was still under construction, there were 14 confirmed suicides, reducing the average number of suicides by more than half.”
The $224 million project, on which construction started in 2018, was originally estimated to cost $76 million — the lowest bid came in at $142 million — and it was completed two years behind schedule.
It is designed to prevent people from dying during suicide attempts but not to provide a comfortable landing.
“Jumping into the net is designed to be painful and may result in significant injury,” bridge officials said.
In addition to the net, bridge district staff trains with local first responders on how to rescue people who leap from the span and so far have plucked several people from the net.
.
Well, that ONLY took about 25 years.
.
The GG Bridge District works at the speed of a glacier except when a toll increase is on the table.
.
Another taxpayer hustle by our awesome government. Like you can’t find another bridge around here. Let me guess another 500 million is earmarked for the bay bridge. When will you guys make this stop?
Sam, the GG Bridge District is a separate entity from the State-owned bridges run by the Bay Area Toll Authority who oversees the other seven bridges in the Bay Area.
BATA runs:
1. Bay Bridge
2. Richmond/San Rafael
3. Carquinez/Zampa
4. Benicia
5. Antioch
6. Dumbarton
7. San Mateo
So it’s a private fund not paid by taxpayers? I don’t think so
What makes anything you said important or relevant to my post?
And your point is, What?
GG Transit District also subsidizes the GG Ferry and GG Transit buses that serves
Marin. Those services run into the red on their own, so Bridge tolls go up faster
than the other bridges.
Now you have to jump twice. Still the same end result.
That’s what I was thinking also. What’s to stop you from rolling out to the outside and going off. I bet the GG Bridge District hadn’t thought of that.
Maybe after the first jump to the net you might rethink things. Hope the have a easy way to get off the net for people who change their minds.
Didn’t one of the GG suicide documentaries highlight that practically all of the survivors mentioned that as they jumped and were falling they instantly regretted it? I think you’re right on-the-nose with this concept.
Such a disgrace to beautiful bridge. CA just can’t have nice things.
What stops someone from jumping into the net and then jumping again into the water? Seems pointless and a very expensive waste of money.
That’s already happened. Last Monday afternoon.
BINGO!
The announcement sounds like a macabre challenge. I can’t imagine what demons I could face that would have me up on that rail, but clearly others do.
Maybe psychedelic mushrooms .
Nope. They just make me yawn a lot and allow me to fly. But only in short hops of 2-3 feet. I probably didn’t take enough.
True Story my husband told me when out with his father the San Francisco Fisherman. Seeing this completed brought to mind, and makes me think to many to name, but here’s one detail I’ll never forget.
In Papa’s boat heading right near heading under Golden Gate when a “she jumped.” She, because my husband who was fishing with his father that day, described to me how he watched her fall all the way down in white stockings and white skirt/dress and they heard it, telling me she must have been a nurse. Like hitting cement, the sound he said. I listened as my husband continued. Then I asked what then. He replied, nothing to do but call the Coast Guard as his dad knew by the sound she was gone.” His dad got on the radio and awaited the Coast Guard. Better late than never.
This is less of a deterrent than razor wire at the border.
Well I take it non of you have had a loved one take their own life. If it saves one life it is worth it.
I suspect it will save many. And I hope you never suffer the pain of surviving a loved one’s suicide.
It is ruthless.
I have. And not in a dramatic way. Many who feel it is time to end their lives on the Earth do not feel the need to jump off a bridge. If a person is that lost they may choose a way to go quietly, as did my family member.
So watching thousands kill them selves over time on the streets with drugs is acceptable, jumping off the bridge literally, unacceptable. You liberals are so strange. No empathy for taxpayers while threatening to push people over bridges. Unreal
I don’t know – I have sympathy for people who feel the need to end their lives. But there is a limit of what others must be burdened with. Is it OK to spend a quarter billion tax dollars to save someone’s life? We won’t do that for someone who is sick. We won’t do that for opiate addicts who gamble with their lives every day.
If someone is bent on killing themselves – they will find a way.
IMO, it’s a waste of $275 million, and it makes the bridge less beautiful.
I have to disagree, I believe to these people you are not saving their lives you are ruining their death and the end result will be the same. I would be surprised that the decrease of attempts to jump was not simply a factor of the construction effort on the bridge while the nets were installed “time will tell, I hope I am wrong” I think the whole thing is sad but a fact of life and we have been and will be faced with suicide forever. I guess I am talking from my soap box now but love your family, your kids, and your friends and give them reasons to stay around.
There was a movie a few years ago with survivors and deaths from the bridge and it was interesting to see what was going through their heads and it seemed few survivors only came around after impact and some time in the nut hut…people trying multiple times until they succeeded. They need help long before this.
When the pain of today is greater
than the pain of tomorrow . . . . .
.
Often greatest gift, is taking the time to listen
At least we know the value a suicidal person life. Approximately three hundred and thirty three thousand dollars.
Well, so much for jumping there. Guess I’ll find another bridge
Didn’t the Bridge itself take less time to build then the net and cheaper?
If they want to commit suicide, they will do it. They will find a way. This is a huge waste of money.
Can you say “Bay Bridge”?
That’s a lot of money to spend, on something that seems to be literally for vanity.
It hurts to lose a loved one early. But I just don’t see how this does anything but deter from using this site. The GG Bridge District has essentially said, “We don’t want to be associated with suicidal people. Let them kill themselves elsewhere.” I think that’s quite vain. This isn’t noble money spent. Would have been better to spend the money on suicide prevention programs, or paying the salary of two life security guards on either end for 100 years, 24 hours a day. If it’s that much trouble. Lived here my whole life, suicide happens every day, but not on that bridge.
And now we wait to see someone jump headfirst into this net, snap their neck, and have the macabre display of seagulls pecking at their corpse.