San Francisco Installs Safety Nets On Golden Gate Bridge To Prevent Future Suicides

San Francisco has completed the installation of suicide nets on the Golden Gate Bridge to deter individuals from attempting suicide.

It took roughly six years to finalize the project, which was announced in 2018, with the official installation of the safety nets occurring this past Wednesday.

The city spent $224 million on the project, significantly exceeding the initial estimate of $76 million.

Since its opening in 1937, nearly 2,000 people have jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. The city reports an average of 30 suicide attempts annually at the iconic structure.

The 20-foot stainless steel mesh netting on the Golden Gate Bridge aims to “minimize disruption to its daily operations and maintenance of this iconic structure” while addressing concerns from critics about potential clashes with the bridge’s architecture.

The newly installed netting, inspired by a structure in Bern, Switzerland, spans the entire 1.7-mile-long Golden Gate Bridge.

So far, the Associated Press reports that the safety provision has already proven effective, with the annual average of people jumping off the bridge decreasing to 14 in 2023.

Dennis Mulligan, the general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, said that jumping onto the newly installed netting would be similar to “jumping into a cheese grater.”

“We want folks to know that if you come here, it will hurt if you jump,” he said, insinuating that individuals who chose to do so could end up badly injured.

“Even still, as the netting was being installed, some chose to jump off the bridge anyway,” he told the outlet. “Some were rescued, while others jumped into the ocean and died.”

Authorities in San Francisco and Marin counties are reportedly undergoing training, as per the Associated Press, to rescue individuals who may attempt to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge.