Suicide Barrier Funding Eligiblity II
- by: Survivor Families of Bridge Suicides
- recipient: House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
We are surviving family members who have lost a loved one to suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge. There is no official number and the educated guesses of deaths range from 1,300 to over 2,000 with a life lost every 10-14 days!
We have been working with local state and national legislative members to have an amendemnt addedf to the Transportation Re-Authorization Bill.
On May 14, 2009, Rep Lynn Woolsey and 14 other Members of Congress requested an amendment to the Transportation Re-Authorization Bill this year that would allow suicide barriers to be eligible under Title 23 of the United States Code. This amendment would allow individual state, regional, and local transportation agencies the ability to use federal highway dollars for bridge suicide deterrent systems.
Jumping off a bridge is one of the most preventable method of suicide. We ask you to take action Now because a delay of five years will cost hundreds of lives.
In a 5 year period before the Next Re-Authorization Bill all the bridge suicides across this country per year, even if it were just one death per state per year (50) , then add in the suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge at 30 suicides per year alone, would total at least 400 lives lost before this action could be attempted again!
On this petition you will see signatures from across the country because every state in this nation has at least one bridge with a suicide problem, some actually have more than 5, including New York, California and Minnesota.
You will also see signatures from other countries because many nations struggle with this method of suicide also. These people know that their countries are taking action to build and design suicide prevention barriers on their bridges, such as the Prince Edward Viaduct and the New Golden Ears Bridges in Canada, The Gateway Bridge in Australia, and the Grafton Bridge in New Zealand.
Please, take the steps to allow suicide deterrent systems on bridges to be eligible for funding under Title 23 of the United States Code and allow the states to start preventing suicides.
Please sign this petition and then ask your local congressperson to support this addendum and help us start saving lives!
THANK YOU !
Dear Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Member Mica, Chairman DeFazio, and Ranking Member Duncan:
On May 14, 2009, Rep Lynn Woolsey and 14 other Members of Congress requested your consideration of an amendment to the Transportation Re-Authorization Bill this year that would allow suicide barriers to be eligible under Title 23 of the United States Code.
We, the undersigned, are requesting that you take the necessary action to include this amendment which would allow individual state, regional, and local transportation agencies the ability to use federal highway dollars for bridge suicide deterrent systems.
We ask you to do this because jumping off a bridge is one of the most preventable method of suicide. We ask you to take action Now because a delay of five years will cost hundreds of lives.
A 5 year period would include all the bridge suicides across this country per year, even if it were just one death per state per year (50) , then add in the suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge at 30 suicides per year alone, that is at least 400 lives lost before this action could be attempted again!
On this petition you will see signatures from across the country because every state in this nation has at least one bridge with a suicide problem, some actually have more than 5, including New York, California and Minnesota.
You will also see signatures from other countries because many nations struggle with this method of suicide also. These people want you to know, as leaders and representatives in the United States, that their countries are taking action to build and design suicide prevention barriers on their bridges, such as the Prince Edward Viaduct and the New Golden Ears Bridges in Canada, The Gateway Bridge in Australia, and the Grafton Bridge in New Zealand.
Please, take the steps to allow suicide deterrent systems on bridges to be eligible for funding under Title 23 of the United States Code and allow the states to start preventing suicides.
Most Sincerely and Respectfully,
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