State Rep. Joseph Solomon Jr. knows first hand the heartbreak that comes from losing a friend to suicide.

A few years ago a friend of Solomon’s took their life, jumping off the Pell Bridge. 

Last week Solomon re-introduced legislation that if approved would direct the Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, to erect barriers on the Mount Hope Bridge, the Claiborne Pell Bridge, and the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge by Jan. 1, 2023.

While he knows that the legislation won’t bring his friend back, Solomon hopes that it will save lives going forward. 

“Too many people have lost their lives on those bridges in the last decade,” said Solomon. “Due to technological advances, there are various types of barriers and netting available to increase safety without hindering access for routine inspection and maintenance of the bridges.”

Last year the main reason why the legislation wasn’t voted on Solomon said is because the hope was that funds from the federal infrastructure bill would pay for the design and implementation of suicide prevention barriers. The cost of the barriers hasn’t been determined yet.

The infrastructure bill has since been signed into law. With it in place, Solomon is hopeful that the legislation will pass this year. 

According to a press release The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority has suicide prevention measures in places, including a smart surveillance system allowing authorities to act quickly, but virtually no way to deter a determined jumper. The Rhode Island Samaritans also have signs posted at the bridge entrances with information for those contemplating suicide.

The goal of the suicide barriers is to act as a deterrent from people jumping. 

Sen. Lou DiPalma is leading the effort to get the bill passed in the Senate. Before he became the sponsor of the bill Solomon introduced him to Bryan Ganley and Melissa Cotta. The pair started the local grassroots organization, “Bridging the Gap,” which is dedicated to raising awareness about suicide and the installation of safety barriers. Cotta herself witnessed a suicide on the Mount Hope Bridge in 2016.

“This is an all-too-frequent tragedy,” said DiPalma. “The cost of suicide is great. Not only is there a tragic loss of life, but those left behind can spend their lives struggling with grief, anxiety and guilt. Beyond that, suicides and suicide attempts cost the nation almost $70 billion per year in lifetime medical and work-loss costs according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

To help garner support for the legislation, Bridging the Gap started an online petition calling for the legislation to pass. 

“Our next goal is 5,000,” said Cotta.  “The comments written on the petition in support of

barriers are heartbreaking. The comments bear witness to just a fraction of what the families, friends, neighbors, co-workers and first responders experience, not only when a death from a bridge occurs, but for a lifetime.”

In a press release Ganley and Cotta stated,  “As we have stated many times, there is much about suicide which is unpredictable. However, we actually have the tools, following federal and state safety standards, to stop accidental and deliberate bridge deaths. In the interim, while we wait for permanent barriers to be installed, the time is now to make our bridges safer by installing temporary barriers. We implore our leaders, the Governor, the House Speaker and Senate President, the board of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, and the RI Department of Transportation, to not let one more death happen and to order temporary barriers installed today. When we do this for Rhode Island, we will be a model for the world.”

To sign the petition visit tinyurl.com/ribridgingthegap.