City Staff Seeking Feedback From Design Commission on Colorado Street Bridge Barriers

Members of the city’s Design Commission will have an opportunity to comment on the full-scale suicide barrier mockups recently installed on the Colorado Street Bridge.

The commission will receive an update on the project during its meeting at 4:30 p.m. on May 11.

The commission will provide advisory comments to the City Council regarding the proposed alternative designs for new barriers on the historic bridge, which over years has become the site of suicides committed by desperate people jumping from its ledge.

Last month, the Historic Preservation Commission provided advisory review on the mock ups.

Prior to the barriers, the city installed chain-link fencing on the bridge in 2017 following an increase in jumpers. In one instance, first responders successfully talked a distraught person down from the ledge after 17 hours.

Concerns about jumpers increased after the city approved a Habitat for Humanity housing project beneath the famous structure.

The city is now seeking an effective deterrent that will preserve the historic character and significance of the iconic 1,400-foot, 107-year-old span across the Arroyo Seco in the city’s west end.

The vision of the city is to allow the community to experience and enjoy the bridge and the Arroyo as a safe and beautiful environment now and in the future.

An online survey has been published on the project’s website to solicit public opinion on the mock-up design options. Results from the survey will be presented to the City Council’s Public Safety Committee and the council subsequent to the closure of the survey on May 31, 2021.

Depending on the feedback from the Historic Preservation and Design commissions, city staff will make a presentation to the City Council’s Public Safety Committee and the council for a final recommendation and design approval.