In light of a Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge’s decision to suspend construction of a controversial suicide barrier, the flimsy, orange mesh currently sitting on the Cold Spring Canyon Bridge on Highway 154 in Santa Ynez may be the only blockade for some time.
On July 13, Judge Thomas Anderle found that the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) was partially non-compliant with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The ruling stems from a civil suit filed in 2009 by Friends of the Bridge, a local advocacy group headed by Marc McGinnes, alleging Caltrans didn’t allow enough time for the public to comment on the project.
Anderle ruled in favor of some of the plaintiff’s claims, ultimately postponing project approval and certification of the project’s final Environmental Impact Report. He also ordered Caltrans to recirculate the final EIR for public comment. All other charges made by Friends of the Bridge were denied.
“The court is ruling only on the issue of Caltrans’ compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act,” Anderle explained in a written decision. “It is not expressing any opinion, and is not in any way ruling, on the propriety or advisability of the construction of a suicide-prevention barrier on the [Cold Spring Canyon Bridge]. The court’s tentative ruling also will likely have no impact on the ultimate determination of whether or not a suicide barrier will be constructed on [the bridge].”
In response to the decision, Marc Chytilo, an attorney representing Friends of the Bridge, released a statement: “The court’s ruling underscores the importance of CEQA’s public disclosure and participation requirements and the need for decision-makers to respect CEQA’s procedures. An agency cannot wait until after the public process is completed before disclosing mitigation measures for a project’s significant impacts.”
Meanwhile, Caltrans spokesman Colin Jones told the Sun that agency officials plan to comply with the ruling and temporarily suspend construction of the suicide barrier and recirculate the EIR.
“The judge upheld the majority of the EIR, including much of the historic and aesthetic elements,” Jones said. “Our bottom line is: people are using Cold Spring Bridge to kill themselves, and this project is something that will address that. Our overall goal is to prevent loss of life.”
Friends of the Bridge members, however, point to a study done at the University of Toronto that found the city’s suicide rates remained unchanged after the establishment of a suicide barrier on an urban bridge.
According to the study, although the barrier prevented suicides at the bridge, the rate of suicide by jumping in Toronto remained unchanged. Researchers proposed the lack of change might have been due to a reciprocal increase in suicides from other bridges and buildings.
Chytilo said his clients are using that information to argue that the Cold Spring Canyon Bridge barrier will be equally ineffective.
This article appears in Jul 22-29, 2010.