Golden Gate managers vote to build Suicide Net

SAN FRANCISCO —
After decades of debate, and unknown numbers of lost lives,
the board that controls the Golden Gate Bridge took a major step toward building
a suicide barrier on Friday, voting to erect a net under the span.

The 14-to-1 vote came after several failed efforts over the years
to support a physical barrier on the Golden Gate,
where troubled souls have long leapt to their deaths.

The current plan still must pass a final environmental review, including a look at how
a net might affect pelicans and cormorants, which frequent the bridge.
It also needs financing: the estimated cost of the metal net is $40 million to $50 million.

About two dozen people a year kill themselves at the bridge,
where the roadway hovers more than 200 feet above San Francisco Bay
and the railing stands only four feet high.
Officials stopped publicizing the total number of suicides in the bridge’s history
in order to discourage potential jumpers, but it is estimated
that about 1,300 people have leapt to their deaths.

The net, made of wire rope coated with plastic, would hang about 20 feet
below the walkways on either side of the bridge. It would also extend 20 feet out.