Colorado Street Bridge Mockup Barriers Removed, Community Set to Discuss Next Steps in Suicide Mitigation Project

The removal of mock-ups from the Colorado Street Bridge as part of the suicide mitigation Barrier Enhancements project was scheduled to be completed Friday, ahead of a Feb. 22 community meeting to discuss what’s next for the slow-moving project.

The mock-up removals were recommended by the Public Safety Committee, meeting on September 21, 2022, which also asked for restoration of the temporary 10-foot chain link fence at certain locations at and near the bridge and continued public outreach efforts to develop new design concepts for an effective vertical barrier.

According to Tony Olmos, Director of Public Works, the removal of mock-ups at the east end of the bridge was completed on February 3, while the removal of mock-ups at the middle of the bridge was scheduled to be completed on February 10.

The department has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the second time to hire a design consultant to develop new concepts for the vertical barrier. No proposals were received during the first RFP. 

City staff expects to develop design concepts later this year and will seek periodic feedback from the community. The vetted design concepts will be presented to the City’s Historic Preservation and Design commissions for advisory review and will ultimately be returned to the City Council’s Public Safety Committee by the end of 2023 for recommendations.

Public Works will host a community meeting on February 22, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. to provide an update on the project and outline the next steps in developing the new concepts. The meeting will be held at La Casita del Arroyo, located at 177 South Arroyo Blvd. in Pasadena. The meeting is open to both in-person attendees and virtual attendees, who can join through this Zoom link.

For further information, those interested may contact the Public Works Engineering Division at ColoradoStBridge@CityOfpasadena.net. The City of Pasadena encourages all to join in this important update on the project and the steps going forward.

The National Suicide Hotlines are available 24/7 by dialing 988
Additional help is available at the Didi Hirsch 24-hour Crisis Line: 1-877-727-4747 (en Español: 1-800-628-9454)
LGBTQ – The Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
Trans Crisis Line: 1-877-565-8860
Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741-741
People of Color Crisis Text Line: Text STEVE to 741-741