Colorado St. Bridge Meeting Slated Nov. 29 in Pasadena

The Colorado St. Bridge. – Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News

Preventing suicide by lack of access

A community meeting later this month will hopefully provide ideas about possible enhancements to the Colorado Street Bridge and offer some sound solutions to the epidemic of suicide attempts from the historic bridge.

The meeting is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 29, at La Casita del Arroyo, 177 S. Arroyo Blvd.

The meeting is sponsored by the City and its Colorado Bridge Task Force.  The Task Force hopes to gather input from the public to evaluate as part of its recommendations about options that can be incorporated into the historic bridge to help deter its use for suicide attempts.

A second community meeting is planned for early 2018, with exact date and location to be announced soon.

In June 2017, the City installed 10-foot-high metal mesh fencing around the benched alcoves on both sides of the bridge as a temporary deterrent measure.  The City is now seeking responsibly designed permanent solutions that can be an effective deterrent while also being respectful of the bridge’s beauty and historic status.

No decisions have been made yet about any changes.  The community meetings are opportunities to gather input and obtain ideas from all.

As part of this effort, the City reached out to prominent experts in the fields of architecture, engineering, mental health, suicide prevention and public safety to form a task force.  The Task Force’s mission is to engage the community in developing solutions that will deter people from attempting suicide at the bridge while also preserving the structure’s national historic status and architectural significance.

For information about the community meetings, contact Kris Markarian, City Engineer, at kmarkarian@cityofpasadena.net.

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