A Rhode Island bill would require safety barriers or netting on bridges that connect islands to the mainland.
If made into law, the barriers would be required for three bridges that connect Aquidneck and Conanicut islands to the Rhode Island mainland - Mount Hope Bridge, the Claiborne Pell Bridge, and the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge - by Jan. 1, 2022, in an effort to prevent suicides.
Rep. Joseph J. Solomon Jr., a Democrat of Warwick, introduced the legislation.
Solomon described the problem as “frequent” and said in a statement that Portsmouth Police responded to Mount Hope Bridge 36 times last year, the Newport Daily News reported Thursday.
Between 2010 and 2018 there were 27 suicide deaths from the three bridges, the Rhode Island Department of Health told the Daily News in November.
The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority already has prevention measures in place, including a surveillance system that allows authorities to act quickly. There’s also signs with information about who to call for people who are considering harming themselves.
If the legislation passes, Rhode Island would join other states, such as New York, California and Florida, that are moving forward with similar plans.
The bill has been referred to the House Corporations Committee. There are plans to introduce a similar bill in the Senate.
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