Traffic & Transit
Verrazzano-Narrows Gets Safety Fencing As Suicides Increase
The suspension bridge connecting Brooklyn and Staten island will get 28,000 feet of suicide prevention fencing, the MTA announced.
NEW YORK CITY — The Verrazzano-Narrows will undergo suicide prevention upgrades after three people this month ended their lives by leaping from the bridge, the MTA announced.
The MTA will install this month 100 feet of prototype safety fencing along the 4,260-foot suspension bridge that connects Brooklyn and Staten Island, transit officials announced Monday.
“We have been taking a fresh look at this issue from multiple standpoints," said Bridges and Tunnels Acting President Daniel DeCrescenzo. "Safety is an essential priority"
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The stainless-steel prototype fencing includes two 50-foot sections on the westbound side of the bridge should be up by Dec. 31, said officials.
The MTA plans to erect a total 28,000 feet of fencing after evaluating how the test strips stand up to wind and strong weather, officials said.
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Anti-suicide measures will also include training for bridge workers on how to help potentially suicidal people and signs with the city's crisis hotline, according to a press release.
The MTA is expected to award a contract to build the fencing by the end of 2020.
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