Santa Barbara News, Views, & Hyperlocal Information
The controversial suicide barrier that ruined the views of the historic Cold Springs Arch Bridge has proven to be ineffective just six months after completion. According to reports, a 30-year old man allegedly foiled the multi-million dollar cage and jumped to his death this week. The tragic suicide marks the 55th time a person has jumped to his/her death since the bridge opened in in 1964. The man has been identified as Peter Stefan Roycewicz from Santa Monica.
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This is the worst suicide barrier ever!!
Not only is it ugly, but (obviously) it doesn’t even work! How do we get them to take it down?!
Needs more bulb-outs.
So sorry for the man’s family, and emergency responders who had to deal with the body. Suicide affects many lives.
Like they said, the money could have been better spent on prevention. Caltrans just had to have their way because recovery was so hard on them.
Caltran refused to consider (as did the County) the alternative design with the side nets below the roadway, saying it would put rescuers at risk. But it works in other countries, and it is not possible to jump past it…tragic, really tragic
But who knows how many people have been deterred from suicide by that barrier!
And certainly there are many who now feel safer crossing that bridge. There’s still a view and if one really wants a full view for more than the several seconds crossing there’s a viewpoint turnout just a little beyond the bridge.
Well, since the average rate of suicide from this bridge is 1 per year, I’d guess the barrier deterred about 0 people.
Numbers are hard. Feelings are easy.
Such a tragedy when suicide claims yet another young, bright, promising life. I googled this mans name, and came across someone very bright, interested in meeting people, and embracing life. Somehow a shadow fell, between the conception and the creation, to paraphrase TS Eliot. RIP
ya’ think the money would have been better spent on prevention? Heck, for the millions you could have had a person on watch on site 24/7 for the next decade.
So true… I said the same thing back when folks were debating it… Think about it… You can hire a security service for about $20 an hour (one that pays a living wage that is), multiply by 24, then by 365… $175,200 per year… Now, take that $4 million, divide by $175,200 and it comes out to 22.83 YEARS!! I bet the darn ‘barrier’ will need another million or so in upkeep over 22 years!
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
It’s a barrier – there was no claim that it would eliminate the possibility of suicide from the bridge. One suicide does not mean the barrier is a bust.
How many beers = $4 Million ? Could buy a wing of the zoo or fund Esperanza
Darn it! A barrier won’t stop suicide, hello. They’ll go to Santa Monica
^^^This guy was from Santa Monica…
I know this man. Peter was a great guy.
I know him as well. He was brilliant and will be sorely missed.
The barrier was important to install and I am glad it is there. It works. Nothing is perfect. Rescue crews have important rights too.
You remind me of someone:
http://i.imgur.com/PfPIQ.jpg
What a great loss of life! I do not think the barrier is to blaime if someone is determined to end the life. He was smart enough to figure out different ways to jump to death regardless the existence of the barrier. Most likely he did not jump cross over the barrier anyway. He has completed his PHD degree not long ago and just started to use his education. Saw his picture on Interinet with that handsome smile enhanced with that light blue T-Shirt? What are the pains hiding behind that beautiful smile? The reason of the suicide is truly beyond understandable with a young man so full of life when he tried to reach out to meet more people and seeking for outdoor activities and adventures. My heart goes to his loved ones, especially his parents.
Still no story on this on the Independent website.
New meme!
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3qvy6a/
I live in Santa Ynez and do a lot of work in Santa Barbara. If this barrier saves even one life which I believe it has, I will give up my view. For pete sakes, we are a selfish nation. I have lived in the valley since 2007 and have witnessed cars stopped and running in the middle of the bridge and someone had already jumped THREE TIMES. That is a lot of suicide to witness in the span of 4 years. I have not seen any of that since the barrier went up.
Did you read the story you’re commenting on? Someone climbed the barrier and jumped from the bridge last month.