Novick Says Temporary Barrier to Go Up on Vista Bridge

By ANDREA DAMEWOOD

A temporary mesh suicide barrier will go up on the Vista Bridge this summer, City Commissioner Steve Novick announced this morning.

In a post on Novick's City Council blog, he announces that a 9-foot screen will be put in place immediately and remain until long term funding can be found.

Novick, who oversees Portland's Bureau of Transportation, has been working on a way to help prevent suicides on the historic Southwest Portland bridge. There have been three suicides there since January, the last being a 15-year-old Beaverton girl who leaped to her death in June. A permanent barrier could cost about $2.5 million—money the city doesn't have right now.

Novick is using a provision in the city code to declare an emergency when the public's safety is endangered, the blog says.

"Unfortunately, this beautiful and elegant bridge has been known as Suicide Bridge since its construction in the 1920s." Novick says in the blog post. "It is time – past time – to stop the dying."

Here's more details from his post:

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