Oh God you complainers are gonna eat this one up too...

Suicide is a terrible thing and hardly something a landmark should be known for. I'm blessed not to have to deal with it in my own family and frankly would not like to even think of it.

If building a fence prevents only one death it's still a success in my mind.

My only concern is that we could spend the money in better places (ex. education against such drastic measures). I suppose because the money is going towards transportation I can live with a small portion being designated to the fence. Who knows, maybe it will allow a few others to do the same.

Just thoughts

DO not know what to say - am glad stimulus money is being apportioned to Summit County - must say though if you want to commit suicide there are many ample opportunities available - go buy a cheap gun at a gun store and shoot yourself if that is the answer.

Think money would be better spent providing economic or social assistance and hope for those that feel that way - perhaps all of us at times? Drive your car if you can afford one into a pillar on the freeway? While can sypathisize with the few familys where there loved one jumped off the bridge - what a waste of money unless intention is to improve infrastructure which am all for - cannot stop someone who is intent on taking their own life - Period. - unless money is spent on better methods of intervention?

Why fence the bridge? If you want to kill yourself by suicide, there are other ways to do it. You can shoot yourself like Vinson did. You can pull a gun on APD officers and have them shoot you. You can get yourself arrested and then act up at the county jail so the deputies tazer you to death. Talk about a waste of taxpayer monies.

I wish I owned a fence company. Is it going to be made of gold? $1 million to $1.5 million sounds like too much. I agree it does need a fence. I wouldn't want bodies landing in my yard or street below.

I agree, the fence idea is nuts, considerin' we have a multitude of street projects that could be done.

I can only guess the city hall hero, in these troubled times of his, is tryin' to appeal to a sector of voters, so as to garner additional support in his upcomin' battle to keep his job.

The fence won't stop the folks that wish to commit suicide. They'll find another spot. They moved from the high level bridge when it was rebuilt, to the Y bridge. Once the fence is in place, they'll move to another bridge.

WASTE OF MONEY!!!

A fence will only stop people from jumping off that bridge! What about the two others that you can see from the Y bridge???

A fence doesn't save suicidal people....their family/friends do.

I hope a couple of the regular posters who commented above make plans to jump before the fence is installed.

The fence just might stop a suicidal person someday.
If it only saves 1 or 2 every year for 50 years, that is almost 100 people.

Also I think the bridge should be fenced in an esthetic manner and also gated and made off limits to all pedestrians except for special events when it can supervised when people walk across it.

thats what i want a 100% safe USA
you people KILL me.

DM Lebo, you are an insensitive jerk.

I don't think the fence will stop suiside or prevent suicide. The housing projects below the y bridge were a stupid location.

This clown of a mayor has to go!

If someone really wants to die they can find a way. Atleast it will stop some from walking over from the hospital psych ward from jumping. I don't see putting up a fence as retaining or creating jobs. Really, how long will it take to install that little bit of a fence? This is just Don grasping to save his job before Mendenhall has him recalled as if he made some big move to save akronites. We are gonna see him in the paper all the time until this recall happens. What's next? A new Dollar General with bigger parking spaces which will crate 15 new jobs?

If you want to commit suicide you will - that bridge has been a problem for years - the state our economy is in I can think of better places for the money to be spent.

thats what i want a 100% safe USA you people KILL me.

Better fence in every bridge in Akron then. What a wonderful way to spend the money. Blind leading the blind. Of course, the bleeding hearts are probably loving the fence.............

I have wondered for years why there was no fence. This is an excellent idea as long as Mr P doesnt give the job to one of his buddys and inflate the cost. Not only do people jump off every year but it causes road blocks for hours while the cops stare over the bridge.

I bet that the next deal that Mcneil wants is to have the tracks moved from his backyard.

Hows come the Mayor and council always buys a cadillac without a motor?

If there is something worthless to buy such as the Police Auditor,Signs on bridges or another deputy mayor the city will do it.

Thanks for the government waste. No wonder there is a recall on this idiot

@noto. How the hell are people supposed to walk to downtown you idiot!?

@Coleen, Fence in your backyard cheap. Fence that needs attached to an existing bridge not as cheap.

@McDonald, fencing has nothing to do with housing projects.

More waste of downtown spending. The remainder of money goes to road projects linked to the Firestone project and First Energy.

Again, neighbohoods be ignored....

Thanks again Mr Mayor.

All of these mess sounds like a waste of money to me. These are not things that will add any long term economic relief to this city. A million dollar fence is just crazy. We need to consider this at election time people.

ANYONE WHO IS AGAINST THE Y BRIDGE BEING FENCED HASN'T READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE FOR ONE, IT'S A FEDERAL LAW THAT BRIDGES BE FENCED. TWO, THEY HAVEN'T HAVE A LOVED ONE JUMP TO THEIR DEATH. I HAVE. JANUARY 30, 2007 24 YRS. OLD.

MICHEAL MIGHT HAVE CHANGED HIS MIND I WILL NEVER KNOW. I CALLED MY BEST FRIEND IN PENNSYLVANIA AS SOON AS I SAW THE FRONT PAGE TO TELL HER ONE OF HER DREAMS CAME TRUE.

PEACE TO ALL THE HATERS.

Many would complain if they were hung with a new rope!!!!
New fence ,new street, new tire center , new money!!!!! Same ole complainers sing their song week after week as always, applying the same amount of effort. None...
I think , if read correctly Akron receives MOST funding of any local community.
Thanks Mayor

I WAS SHAKING WHEN I WAS TYPING. A FEW CORRECTIONS- MICHAEL HUMBLE WAS HIS NAME, I MISSPELLED IT. AND I CALLED HIS MOTHER, TERRY UHL, IN PENNSYLVANIA. GOD BLESS HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS HE LEFT BEHIND IN A SNAP DECISION.

Short of wrapping everyone in plastic bubbles and putting them on respirators, there's very little the government and taxpayers can do to stop suicide.

This fence will not stop a single tortured soul from taking their life. They'll just find a less romanticized way to do it.

I feel for the families of all those who jumped from the bridge - just as I do for families of suicide. This, however, is certainly not the answer.

You cannot contain Natural Selection.

Save the money. Let them jump.

When I was a suicide and I did try it there is no and I repeat there is no way you are going to stop a dedicated go for it. Stopping thisis an inside job. If not the bridge, there'll be another manifestation.

"The projects... will keep people safe."

Yea. The folks in North Hill & Goodyear Heights feel safer already.

And a certain fence company thanks Sponge Don immensely.

Really cranked up the tan for this photo op.

They can't possibly recall Plusquellic fast enough. Stimulus funds to fence a bridge?!?

And you people who say bridge opponents are pro-death are just not looking at this realistically. There are so many ways to die, and higher bridges, that putting a fence on one bridge is preposterous.

What a waste you are, Plusquellic.

Fencing the Y bridge will not prevent any suicides. Where there's a will, there's a way.

If someone is hellbent on killing themselves they will find a way to do it. This may sound harsh but I am not one for mincing words. I would rather have someone jump off the bridge than jump in front of traffic on the bridge, further endangering other peoples' lives.

1) Since I don't know what is decking the bridge?
2) 1.5 Million for the fencing, that seems like a lot. Besides material, are we paying construction crews $200/hour to put it up?
3) Has Mayor Don been tanning? I thought he had a bad back!

I will forgo the debate on the whole stimulus plan. With that stated, please explain to me why we would not have requested funds to fix our crumbling sewer system. Maybe I have totally missed the concept of the projects, but was this not the most pressing issue of the day a few months ago. We were going to sell it to get out of the need to expend the funds to fix it. Every house in Summit County not up to code as it pertains to their laterals and down spouts flowing into the sewer system will need to eventually be detached from the crumbling system as 200 plus families in Stow were forced to do at significant personal expense. Is this not an urgent and shovel ready project that could have been addressed? Great planning folks. Way to think regional and big.

Gotta go along with the vocal MAJORITY on this one for sure. Fencing the Y-bridge has gotta be the most wasteful and stupid use of Federal stimulus funds. The operative word here is stimulus---using the $$$ this way won't "stimulate" anything.

And that comment the mayor made about "if we built it now it would have to be fenced" is totally irrelevant to the situation. It was built then, so no fence is required.

And the fence ain't gonna stop any suicides. Those so inclinded will just go to another bridge, or use some other method.

Like this is going to help. If you want to end you life, just go to downtown Akron in a white hood and keep asking where the lynching is being held.

A large sign with a suicide prevention hotline phone atached would probably do more to prevent rash acts of desperation than any million dollar fence.
You got to admit,we do have a handsome mayor.

Akrons best kept secret is that several times a week individuals hang over the edge debating the great beyond.
Ask any employee of St.Thomas which overlooks the bridge.
Truly sad and pointless.Way too many of you are treating suicide as a joke.
Remember a sobering statistic.Over half of gun deaths are self-inflicted.Thereby-"Guns dont kill poeple-poeple kill themselves".

That's great steps, but don't forget a proper rail, and treads on the steps. You wouldn't want to get sued over someone slipping on their way to jumping off!

Better yet how about a diving board for the more daring, or a slide?

This is so stupid, we made Drudge over it!

Obama says his stimulus creates lasting employment and prosperity. How does building a fence to stop some loser that has given up on himself do that?

What a waste. This guy in 60 days has added more deficits to the future than Bush did in 8 years.

WHAT WOULD KING OF RECALL (warner mendenhall)DO?

Do you really think the reason people kill themselves is because the bridge isn't fenced?

There are truly a lot of sick, cynical people posting on this thing.

I knew the guy that jumped off the Y-bridge last year and committed suicide - he was loved by many people. If there was a fence there, it would have given him all the more time to reconsider his decision.

For sure we elect these folks to manage our money, give us protection and at times leave us alone. To escape from the jumping off bridges etc. One that I feel would help greatly is: Require that any elected politician have worked in a real job before being allowed to be a politician. If they serve as any elected member they must skip a generation to be allowed to run for office. I am getting sick of the same family names, being senators, congressmen and yes presidents. Give us a break allow the genepool to be cleaned out now and then. We are in this together folks. It seems to me those that are elected run us not we run them. This has to stop.

Jimzmetz

Lasting employment? What about the guys that were once employed scraping these people off the sidwalk below?

They don't actually care about _stopping_ the people from committing suicide, they just don't want it happening on this bridge. That's too much of a public nuisance and bad press. They just want people to do it somewhere more private.

Otherwise they would spend this $1M on programs to help people who are suicidal to cope.

Besides.. what's to stop someone from climbing the fence or bringing wire-cutters to get through it?? A fear of heights??

The "pro-death" crowd?

How many deaths and near-deaths of sane, law-abiding citizens have occurred on the streets of CrAkron in the same period of time the last 3 unfortunates jumped from the Y Bridge?

The streets are where the larger danger of death exists.

Sponge Don is out of control. He must truly feel his time is short.

{{{I hope a couple of the regular posters who commented above make plans to jump before the fence is installed.}}}

My my, what a tender-hearted comment from the coward.

With all the problems facing our crashing economy, millions of people out of work, Obama creating his own network of Nazi youth, e.g., Americorps, and our government sliding into socialization, THIS is how Akron, OH is going to spend its stimulus money?! Is it justified, to save the life of the person who jumped in 2007? or the two who jumped in 2008? Or even the politician's son who jumped in 2006? This is the BEST way to spend this ill-begotten sum of money stolen from the pockets of kids not yet born? This is it????

If people want to jump, they will jump whether there's a fence on the bridge...that they can climb, or another bridge with no fence. Stop with the bleeding heart compassion here and wake up and smell the coffee!

Perhaps the mayor should look into how better to fix highways and roads, filling in potholes to prevent people who want to live from serious injury due to slamming into a pothole...or perhaps saving a person's life from overhead bridges collapsing onto oncoming cars...or maybe even shoring up levies and waterfronts to stem flooding? Did it ever occur to anyone that there are some REAL issues that need to be fixed...suicide isn't one of them! Not with tax money!

This is called: taxation without representation.

instead of a fence, why not build a diving board off the gorge cliffs? that would make everybody happy!

''It just makes a safer Akron for everybody,'' said Robert Conley, who has been urging the fencing since his son, Kevin, jumped off the bridge to his death in 2006.

Safer for whom? His son or the person walking under the bridge? What a moron!

Yep, they're a little slow gettin' things done in Crakron. It's about time this was done. You people need to get rid of your mayor. I moved ten years ago and read the Beacon, still, for entertainment. As an unbiased former resident, and now a third-party observer, it really is apparent that the Don must go if you want to progress faster than a snail's pace. It also appears that there is a certain amount of corruption in the judicial system in Slummit county.
But hey, I'm just an observer. It doesn't matter to me, I'm going for a jog on the beach.

Donny, I bet you are getting fat on this one.

The government keeping on messing up the economy with wasteful spending will make people want to jump from bridges.

Constantly wasting our money, yet another infringement on our rights by the gov't. Add it to the ever-growing list of violations:
They violate the 1st Amendment by opening mail, caging demonstrators and banning books like "America Deceived" from Amazon, Wikipedia and Facebook.
They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns during Katrina.
They violate the 4th Amendment by conducting warrant-less wiretaps.
They violate the 5th and 6th Amendment by suspending habeas corpus.
They violate the 8th Amendment by torturing at Gitmo.
They violate the entire Constitution by starting illegal wars without declaration.
Impeach them all (both parties) and save this great country.
Last link (unless Stark County District Library caves to the gov't and drops the title):
http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000083883

Jes Pitiful

Here's a thought: Remove the bridge, install a road through the valley.

This removes the need for the fence and a suicide spot. Instead of one company being employed for a short time there will be 3-4 potential companies employed over a longer period of time which equals more city tax dollars. Additionally, the city stays above 200,000 in population allowing the mayor to get federal money.

Everyone wins.

I can't remeber who said that have fences on bridges is a Federal law, but guess what? Whoever said it is wrong.

Wait till the fence is installed and someone jumps off one of the other bridges in Akron.

This story is now on the Drudge Report.

You know even if they install a fence, the suicide person(s) would just find another place to jump off of, plus if those person(s) really wanted to jump they would just climb up and over the fence. This is a waste of money, and would make the Y-Bridge area look trashy, I always enjoy the view while driving over the bridge, this fence would be another obstruction.

Yeah, that ought to pretty much put an end to any more suicides.....NOT. In true knee-jerk politician reaction, this will probably open the door to even more absurd proposals on how to make sure ropes aren't strong enough for people to hang themselves, or bullets are made out of some material that isn't lethal, or that natural gas heated homes should be outlawed or knives need to be made of rubber. When are you sheeple going to wake up and realize that it's not the government's job to keep changing your diapers for the rest of your life and protecting you from every conceivable threat or making sure you never have to suffer hardship or pain or loss or unhappiness or be without a giant flat screen TV???? Take responsibility for yourselves weenies.

I can't believe it's going to cost millions to fence the Y-bridge, but I believe it should be done. Suicide is a terrible thing, especially for the loved ones, family & friends left behind. As far as for Mayor Don, he's been mayor too long. He's taken advantage of his power for his own personal benefits. Quit & travel on your own money & keep getting the "young girls" to wine, dine & whatever Old Man! Party Hardy & pray your repaired heart holds up. Mary's better off without you & your big ego, Brat!

Americanbelle and Spirit of Reagan...Oh yeah, George W had a MUCH better plan !!! Wake up KOOKS !!!

Oh, suicide is such a bad thing. Oh, those poor LOVED ONES. I think that if it would save ONE life the government should spend a million dollars. No; a BILLION dollars. No! If it would save ONE life, the government should spend A TRILLION dollars! Oh! Life is SO valuable. if it would save ONE life, the government should spend a gazillion trillion bazillion dollars!

Aren't I a GOOD lib?

They're going to put a fence up to stop suicides?

I don't see the connection.

That like a non sequitur with a huge price-tag.

Somebody please give us some truth:

http://kadaobudite.blogspot.com/2009/03/booms-busts-bubbles-and-belief.html

'if it saves one life,it is worth it"-sorry,but at a certain amount it is not worth it.over a million dollars,it is not even close to being worth it.

Lasting employment? What about the guys that were once employed scraping these people off the sidwalk below?


So what your saying is this fence will cost people their jobs?

This whole, bogus, stimulus plan seems like a re-election bid.

I do not see it placing funds in the hands of everyday users, especially the poor who need it the most.

This Obama is proving worse than I had originally thought.

Virtually all of his policies appear socialist to me.

Obama is proof that he lacks economic skills.

BIG government; power brokers; laws that may never be reversed. A danger to America's future.

Ohio, you are smarter than this.

www.24hourapartments.com

The Big Lebowski said "This story is now on the Drudge Report."

Oh goody! That officially makes it a dumb idea! Now the whole US can start making fun of how Don spent the money!

Let's get some news cameras out there and get the last of the jumpers on tape!

I'll tell you what, pay me $50,000 dollars a year and I'll patrol the bridge for the next 20 years guiding those with ill intent back towards St. Thomas Hospital's suicide ward. Better yet, pay me 50k a year and I'll hire somebody at 35k a year to do the job. An even better idea, I'll contract out off duty APD officers to walk the bridge. What's the going hourly rate for off duty officers?

The reason people are giving that have lost a love one are that it will give the person more time to reconsider. Well that doesn't make any sense at all because if there was a fence they would either climb it or just go to another bridge with easier access. It will be well known when it gets a fence and the suicidal person wont be surprised by it. Why do people want to keep someone alive that doesn't want to be? That's even more selfish then wanting to kill yourself. Jumping off a bridge is a way to end your life without harming others so I would rather hear of someone doing that then hearing about someone driving 200mph and killing another person.

To all the families of suicides...why do you want to blame the bridge? If you really wanted them to have time to reconsider you should have had them admitted to a mental hospital for a few days. All you had to do was call 911 and say he was trying to kill himself, even if it wasn't true. There is no hiding depression at such a severe level, you guys had to know how bad he was. That will give them time to reconsider or get help if he wants it.

They ought to put a fence around Mayor Don's house so he can't get out!

It would be better for everyone if they just charged a jumpers fee and had an attendent onsite to make sure everyone paid.

All you experts on the topic of suicide should write a doctoral thesis based on your ignorant mantra: "If people want to commit suicide, they will find other ways. There is nothing you can do to stop them."

The anti-Obama people need to give it a rest. It's the Don's idea and it was approved by the state. If you want to point fingers, point them at the right people.

sorry but building in fence won't stop suicides anymore than a fence has stopped illegal aliens from entering this country. If there is a will there is a way. We have got to prioritize spending because this money isn't sitting in some federal bank ready to go out to the communities. We are all in this together and the spending frenzy must stop as difficult as it may be to turn away federal money to our communities, but the more fed money going out today is an exponential problem tomorrow for our kids. Stop the spending. A family facing bankruptcy doesn't get out of the mess by getting more credit cards to pay bills although some "comfort" may be gained for the short term, a hard crash is always imminent and escape routes are nowhere to be found.

Liberals need to learn that when an individual possesses the desire to kill....the presence nor absense of any particular inanimate object (guns or fences) are NOT going to prevent that person from killing. All you do is spend lots of money, time and resources to redirect how that person chooses to kill. So you put up a fence. Congratulations. Now suicide rates due to steak knives increase. What's been accomplished? Pretting up your cute little bridge?? What compassion!!

All of you posters who think a fence would stop a person from committing suicide are deluding yourselves. I'm sorry for your collective losses, but opposing the fence plan is just not the same thing as endorsing suicide. Even if the fence worked, which it won't, there's a much higher bridge available on Route 8... right there in full view of the Y Bridge, no less.

The stimulus money would be far better spent on mental health care and suicide prevention, not a stupid fence meant to deter people four more seconds from flinging themselves off a bridge. One need look no farther than the Innerbelt to realize that not EVERY public works project is a success.

Why aren't all the pro-abortionist protesting this? Isn't your platform that you have a right to do whatever you wish to your own body or your babies?

Instead of putting up a fence, why not a gang plank and a designated suicide area? There could be a sign at the bottom warning people like they do with falling rocks.
At least these people aren't shooting someone first before killing themselves. At least they are considerate of others.

$21,000,000 / 240 jobs = $87,500 per job.

Fence-building pays pretty well, I guess.

Let's also spend some of our grandkids' future income to retrofit all garage doors to never close. Gotta keep people from carbon monoxiding their way into the afterlife...

The excuse given by Conley reminds me of the ol' excuse given for Jehovah's Witnesses knocking on my door every year... "if it saves just one soul, it (the harassment of folks) is all worth it".

Reopening and staffing a mental health facilty that the politicos closed would indeed make far more sense dollar-wise.

And...

What's that? Another shooting?

Joe, where do I apply?!

We should lower the speed limit on I-90 to 45 mph, because if it saved only 1 life wouldn't it be worth it? The answer is NO!!
I gladly accept the risk to drive 65 to make my day more productive. The saying "If it saved only 1 life wouldn't it be worth it" is the most intellectually LAZY statement ever made.
If someone wants to kill themselves their going to do it by any means necessary. Spending 1.5 MIL on a fence to save lives is the dumbest thing I've heard of since the stimulus bill passed, and that says allot. The people who authorized this money are just plain and simple STUPID! Thanks, Bleeding Heart liberals for wasting more of OUR money.
You people who voted for this president are going to get exactly what you deserve....CHANGE with no HOPE for our grandchildren. The only problem is the rest of us have to suffer for your stupidity.

You might want to check this article out then you`ll actually have something trully important to worry about(http://www.markswatson.com/StageII.pdf).

Y'all fools can always be counted on for the hater spin.

This came out of a pot-o-gold that was only gonna be used for infrastructure improvements. Woulda been nice if we could just use it for some cold patch for the potholes, but that don't count. So whether it was the don, or the warner, or some bible thumper publican or whoever, thanks for finding a way to get a few stimulus dollas sent over here.

Back to you, hypocrites.

Heaven forbid that another person who wants to kill themselves could use the bridge again. In fact we should probably cut down all the trees that people use to hang themselves with and oh yea, outlaw cars because some people use those for suicide. Lets not forget any kind of rope. That has to be outlawed too.

People seeking to kill themselves can be persistent. Hence a suicide fence delays but does not curtail such an effort - just not here. Thus, I can only conclude that such an expenditure of up to 1.5 million dollars (the future cost will be much more for everyone) for such a fence on two local bridges for two? suicides reflects more on the availability of Federal money. Claims of limited funding has to be a myth. So I take comfort that our so called economic problems are not nearly as severe as we have been led to believe.

Sadly, we will still be paying for the suicide fences long after they have deteriorated.

This also speaks poorly to the process of federal money being appropriated. Is this pork barrel spending? What is the criteria for such expenditures?

MATT DRUDGE RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least this is something that is SOMEWHAT worthwhile. Everyone's talking about government waste, yet nobody has mentioned those ASININE road paintings on Route 8 labeling the exit lanes or the bicycle road paint - the ones on Rt8 are already scraping off (did nobody take salt/plows into account before paying for them) and the bike signs are already fading, too. Now THAT'S some government waste for you - ESPECIALLY when they decide they need RE-PAINTED!!!

Typical liberal decision making. Choosing saving lives over refusing money to score political points with the ever-shrinking base of right wing crazies. Next thing you know stimulus money will be going to repair roads and overpasses!

obviously this PORKULUS plan
will help JUMPSTART
our FALLING economy
and also help to BRIDGE the gap
between RICH and POOR
in addition to the fence
if you look in the fine print
you will see that BUNGEE CORDS
will be installed every 20 feet

Besides Drudge, check newspapers around the Net. Plusquellic and his fence are becoming a natioanl laughingstock.

by the way
the BUNGEE CORDS
are for those
independent jumpers
who haven't really
made up their minds

Why the rush to end Darwinism in Akron? There are other bridges and plenty of other ways people will commit suicide if they are dumb enough to think that killing themselves is the only option

It might prevent 1-2 suicides a year off of the Y bridge but do you think it will prevent 1-2 suicides a year in the aggregate? These people are not going to say I am only going to kill myself if I can jump off the bridge! I wouldn't say the bridge is an enabler for suicides just and alternative.

Waste of money in my opinion as well

I didn't bother reading the comments because everyone is just arguing (though I did read the article). I do want to know what type of fence will be built to deter would be jumpers.

Those of us who have lost a loved one to suicide have been asking for this bridge to be covered for years - The mayor's office response was always that the city could NOT afford this expense (anywhere from $175,000 to 200,000, depending when you asked) Funny how the price is now $1 million to $1.5 million. I am happy that the bridge will be covered - but question the way Plusquellic got the funding.

$timulating!

So, are we going to fence in all the high level bridges in Akron? Or just the ones that are in view of new condos?

Brilliant!

Build a fence around the abortion clinics. It would save plenty of lives and provide another government make-work project. I know a lot of folks that would help build them for free.

Better yet, build a fence around Congress to keep them out of our pockets. Aren't we all more than just a little fed up with their crazy spending?

Hey Bilbo.... you know, you're right. I forgot that it takes a village and that we are all responsible for making sure we intervene whenever we can to protect others from themselves. Spoken like a true liberal supplicating himself before the holy altar of government. I don't suppose you could enlighten us with your wisdom as to what can be done to make sure we stop suicides from happening? I know, we'll outlaw it, like guns. D.C. banned guns and that took care of their problem.

Let's see, there are 700,000 people in the metro Akron area, and exactly two jumped off the bridge last year. How exactly is this going to make a "safer Akron for everybody?". I guess it could be effective, if the two people planning to jump off the bridge are too stupid to think of one of the 500 other good ways to kill yourself. People like Conley, motivated by emotion and not reason, should not have a say in spending millions of other people's money.

I think the fence is a waste of money. There is another bridge not far from the YBRIDGE that someone could jump off of instead. IF someone wants to kill themselves they will find another way to do it.
We can build fences, outlaw guns and pills and garage doors, oh and outlaw ropes and razor blades too, but if someone wants to die, they will find a way.
Sorry for your loss, but the fence isnt going to stop the suicides. Suicidal people do what they want to do and will find a way to do it and will make sure they can't be stopped.

This bridge is, infact 2 separate bridges. The only "Y" bridge I know of is in Zanesville, Ohio. Fence it------- well-- underneath to keep the concrete, etc from falling on the motorist and pedestrians below. Certainly there are better places to put the money and benefit the people of Summit County.

Those who don't reject the "stimulus" plan outright are compromising their liberty. The whole thing is contrary to American ideals. The best "stimulus" plan would have been to 1) lower individual taxes significantly, 2) reduce taxes on capital gains on investments, and 3) redude the corporate tax. We would have been well on our way to excellent financial health had these three simple things been done. But now, we will have more permanent government bureaucracy to implement this stimulus and future government over-reaching and over-reacting.

On June 16th 2006 I attempted suicide. I know in my case things had gotton so dark I saw suicide as the only way out. If a fence kept me from jumping I would simply have found another way to try and kill myself. In my opinion we need to educate people to recognize the symptoms in order to intervene early on. Yes, it's more work, especially when suicidal people like me try their best to hide it. There are just too many ways to do yourself in to rely on laws or barriers to stop people.

The only fence that will stop them is one that encircles the bridge or the walkway. Otherwise they'll just climb the fence and jump off that.

Encircled fences with no escape are nothing new. We used to call them prisons or psychiatric institutions. Now we call prisoners anything that will justify their crimes or blame society. And as for those who used to inhabit psychiatric institutions? We call them liberal congressmen!

I just heard of a crazy program to have transgender perverts speak to middle school students in NYC about "being themselves" (sanity interpretation: be as immorally degenerate as possible and everyone is supposed to smile and be accepting of insanity).

What have we become fellow citizens? A modern day Sodom and Gomorrah!

This is so bad, there's a link on the top of the drudgereport.com site...Good old Mayor Don doing his thing again and wasting taxpayer money

How many jobs will be created by installing this fence? My guess ZERO.

@WrongStuff sed:"Those who don't reject the "stimulus" plan outright are compromising their liberty. The whole thing is contrary to American ideals."

Yawn - more The Party talking points. Makes about as much sense as the 19 page The Party budget.

Where can I get a list of the "ideals" you speak so fondly of?

"We would have been well on our way to excellent financial health had these three simple things been done."

Yawn - more strawman. The Party had 14 years to implement The Party's Grand Plan For Making White People Richer, and got caught. Get over it already.

These people will have no choice but resort to using coathangers to kill

They should make it an electric fence.

The Suicide Bridge!?

Try the Golden Gate… At least 30 people jump off of it every year and there's no plans to put up a fence. If people want to take their own lives let them, there are too many people on the planet to begin with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_gate_bridge#Suicides

Akron Oh – Mayor estimates that the stimulus ($21million) will save or create 240 jobs….. does that math south like a bad deal for the American tax payers? Now if it saved 100,000 jobs I would say that was a good deal. But 250 jobs – I hope his math is off. Not that 250 jobs aren't impt but WOW at a cost of $21 million to the tax payers????

This stimulus project was brought to you by people who are obsessed by carbon footprints. Isn't a fence to save people at odds with lessening the overall footprint this evil and braindead country leaves? Wouldn't a few less people help us out? I mean, maybe those people who are jumping drive Suburbans, or Hummers. That's a double carbon footprint save....think about it.

http://www.thebridge-themovie.com/new/index.html

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I think if those of you who are for the fence watched it, this might change your mind.

People are going to kill themselves one way or another if they really want to. A fence solves nothing.

And yeah, I've had a close friend commit suicide. I don't think outlawing rope would have made a difference.

If only Marco,Michael & Donnie could take a hint !!
Do it !!!

What I've seen of this stimulus package , the only jobs it has created are in the unempolyment offices. God what a waste of taxpayer money.I'll bet that by the time the sticky fingered politicians get done you will have to have a propery tax to get the fence built.

In 2006, the estimate for a chain link fence from the Dept of Transportation, Ohio, estimated the cost at $880,000.

I seriously doubt that the cost of a fence has risen to the $1.5M level. Iff'n the cost goes that high, we'll know what sort of graft the city hall hero is gettin' from this exercise.

A total waste of porculus money. If these people are determined to die they will find someplace else to jump or use one of the many other methods of self-termination. Somebody on the committee has a brother with a fencing company.

@C, who has told you the city has not requested money for the sewers?

You missed the entire point of the article. It is the "transportation infrastructure stimulus" money. Other government organizations have not issued their funding yet.

@westoverbl/moron – It is simply amazing that people like you are walking around in this city. There have been 71 deaths since that bridge was build and, were it to be rebuilt today, it would have to have a fence. Mental illness is every bit as real as physical illness. Guess you didn’t know that. Our son became ill after getting into drugs. We spent a fortune trying to put him together. After 18, you cannot force someone to get help if that individual doesn’t acknowledge the problem. It is unbelievable how many cruel and uninformed people are out there. You know, no one was giving you the privilege of saying where that money goes. It went were city leaders thought best. We may or may not agree with its usage, and God knows you can’t please everyone. Let’s hope that somewhere in your family mental illness does not show up…because then you’ll understand…the hard

@RightNow, almost every building and construction code granting organization requires you to come up to code when you remodel. Replacing the decking of the bridge may actually require the city to fence it, no matter if people think it is relevant or not.

@AmericanBelle1, great examples but how are they relevant to Akron. How many flood levies do we have failing in Akron?

One of your examples is spending money to keep bridges from collapsing and other are complaining about potholes. Everyone is totally missing the fact that the bridge deck is being replaced with the money gained.

Hey nottheusual1, I'm not in the business of medicating the ignorance of someone like you. It is obvious that you got out of the eithth grade without passing your civics class. Check the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution for starters. I know it will be tough reading but even 82 IQ's like yourself can do it if you try.

Love you.

I don't think it's that bad of an idea, but if someone wants to kill themselves, they will just find another way, or another bridge. It's very sad, but true. I think all in all it's a waste of money if you take that into consideration. Maybe just a large rail or something to protect from accidents. And to comment to another comment on here... I'm hoping it won't be just a chain link fence, but something rounded out with something at the top. Someone can just climb a fence and jump...

@Celeste, you have not been following the fence discussion to well over the last few years. It was never just a few $100k. The price tag was up to $5 million at one point for a glass wall to not block the "view". It was always over a million in every ABJ article that highlighted the discussion.

Moved away from Akron 20 years ago but was back last July and couldn't believe how bad it has gotten. Looked like a scene from Escape From New York. Your ridiculous fence idea is on the news all over the country and your clowns are acting like it will really work. Apparently no one knew that people with suicidal tendencies don't know how to climb a fence for go around the side of it.

C'mon Akron you are embarrassing yourself!

Qwestoverbl -

I am glad that they are finally getting the bridge fenced in. My brother Michael jumped from this bridge and it was the most horrible thought to think about that. All of those people out their who think that this is not a good idea has obviously not lost someone in such a tragic manner. Thank you to all who support it.

Sad sister
April

CarolynC

I am glad that you are amazed. Notice that like 75% of the people on this string, nowhere did I argue that we did not need a fence. I think it is ridicules, but not near as much as the comment from Mr. Conley who wants to argue that the fence makes everyone safer. It only makes those wanting to jump and those walking under the bridge.

I stand by the Moron statement, and if Mr Conley is related to you, maybe you can explain how the fence does not make 99% of the people safer.

As for your son, if the bridge was not there, he easily could have found other ways to kill himself. He chose his own fate and it is not everyone else’s fault that he chose to kill himself. I am sorry for your loss, but I am glad that he chose to do something that did not hurt other people. If your son had killed himself with an automobile, would you also call that we fence all the roads or destroy all cars. Sorry if this is harsh, but the goverment can not protect everyone from themselves.

People will just go to the route 8 high level bridge at rush hour...shut a main artery down for several hours while police try to talk them away from the edge...according to Ohio Highway Patrol for every hour an expressway is shut down it costs everyone involved including motorists 1 million dollars...so if it takes 30 mins thats only 500,000 dollars...way to go Don money well spent.

What a waste of money! Just so a few people can f e e l good about themselves even though the only result is that they are sending jumpers to another bridge with in walking distance. I can not believe that supposedly it is educated people that come up with such nonsence.
Who named it the suciside bridge, I recall it was named the All American Bridge. If that it's name then call it that.

Does anyone really believe a fence is going to stop some poor weak soul from killing themself?Use this money on children old people ,not weak selfish people who only care about themself.

The whole stimulus bill is a huge waste of money, and your children and grandchildren will pay for it. Child Protective Services should be called in to prevent Congress's abuse of an innocent generation or two.

There are several bridges around here to jump from...Lets ban razor blades so that they can't slice their wrists...If they really want to die, they will find a way...

First of all this is the biggest waste of money yet. Fencing the y bridge just makes the jump higher, which means more blood splater for Akron Fire and AMR to clean up. Second of all, I hope the CIT officers don't have to risk their lives by climbing up on the fence to talk these people down. This is seriously a joke! The city needs the money for better things then this. I guess the truly lazy can just stop traffic on the expressway and use that bridge so they don't have climb the fence. And to whoever posted the message about the law of fencing the bridge, your truly an idiot.

so i wonder were they will jump from now?

An electric fence would work.....

Akron is not unique.

See:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr99/aurorabridgefence/

@osco50, you really live in California? They are looking into fence and barrier options for the Golden Gate Bridge.

http://www.marinij.com/ci_9811964?source=most_emailed

http://goldengatebridge.org/projects/documents/March24BOD_000.doc

There are many studies that show fences do prevent suicides and that jumps from nearby bridges does not increase.

See:
http://www.cscbfriends.com/pdfs/Pelletier.pdf

One reason cited in the literature is that fences prevent drunks from jumping, and many jumpers are drunk or high at the time of attempt.

i am sorry for the lost of friends and love one that jump or was drink and go push off the y , i had a really good friend that was drink and someone push him off the y, very sad , i know alot of the rip people are trying of wakeing up seening people laying there, then agine i also ask my self why wait so long, yes down town has changed bad, for the worst, it is sad but agine, they will make the money back up for akron u they all was have , would hate to take away from them

Is there open bidding on the fence installation? I have only ever put up barb wire, pipe and chain link, but I am sure I can do it for under 1 million. I own 40 acres crosslinked, and it was no where near that much.

How about everyone who thinks this idea even makes sense pitch in and pay for it? Or for 1 million you could pay 2 counselors 50k a year for 10 yrs to stand on the darn thing.

PS - I volunteer for the counseling job.

Fence the bridge to keep two people from jumping rather than he the money for more cops to keep the ghetto garbage from killing pizza drivers.. Rather than create a drug task force to keep the ghetto garbage from selling drugs or at least locking the scumbags in jail.

This grandstanding is why the mayor has to go.

And to Robert Conley, maybe your kid jumped because you were a lousy father. Don't blame the bridge because your kid was mentally unstable enough to end his life.

First, while suicide is not a matter to joke about- even in here- the fence wont stop it.
Now, for the humor.....10 reasons why someone will go over before anything gets fenced in:
1- Your $14.00 Obama stimulus pay increase is stolen at gunpoint in a ATM robbery, and you cant get that rock...so you jump.
2- Marco got off easy, but you just got 9 months for CCW...so you jump.
3- You can't stand the pain after you were injured while navigating Akron's pothole ridden streets, so you jump.
4- You are laid off from the contractor because there was never going to be jobs created, and you see 10 illegal Mexicans roofing for $25.00 per day...so you jump.
5- You bribe a cop, but he quits and your car gets towed because you have no license.....so you jump.
6- You get recalled..............
7- Young's Restaurant opens and you can't get hired as a parking lot attendant because you were fired from your last gig..........
8- After the dust settles, the Department of Justice leaves and you still can't face the facts..........
9- You get gravely ill after choking when you read a nice, positive article about all the good, honest cops in Akron........
10- You really do want to find that "special place in hell"......


Fence this!!!!!

And God Bless those who have chosen that avenue to end their suffering.....

@Ray Cyste, this money was not available for any of your ideas. Pay attention as "transportation infrastructure" funds cannot be used for cops.


And how sad that you blame a father for a son's suicide. You are a sick person.

did any one notice akron gets 21million and they saved or created 240 jobs.,,so lets see,,i cant find mi calculator but off hand loks lik one million per job or a little less. but close enough. im just waiting for the shooting to start.,,got mi glock n ready to go.

This comment is to the family of Kevin Conley. I read this article and some of the comments this morning and I have thought of you all day. I know how hard it is to lose a son to suicide and how very, very difficult it must be to read this stuff. I just want to say how sorry I am for your loss and how brave I think you are for doing this. I know you are trying to save someone else your pain. I think our sons' shared something beside suicide: a loving family and a type of death that our society shuns. Again, I am so, so sorry for this unbearable pain that your son, like mine, never meant for us to bear.

Will the city pay for my upper ball joint that broke the other day after i hit a huge chuckhole? Where is my stimulus $$$

Wow. Do you guys remember Candy Lightener and her daughter Cari? She was killed in 1980 by a drunk driver when it wasn't a crime and her mother started MADD. Has everyone not died of drunken driving since? No. Do you think it has helped? Can we start preventing some suicides now? Just because you can't stop them all we should just do nothing? How bout a little something working toward a better future? There are a lot of people alive today because of Cari's death. Maybe the future belongs to Akron.

Why can't St. Thomas just have a 24 hour psychiatric booth on the Y-Bridge?
Or Make your mark on Elizabeth Park,
"Let's go Swimming
Let's go flying
I wanna go diving
Jumoing off the Y-Bridge"

Few weeks ago I found a good article about suicides off The North Hill Viaduct Bridge that was replaced by the Y Bridge. Heres a link to the article
Enjoy http://mred-viaduct-suicides.blogspot.com/

why out a fence up if someone wants to kill themselves they will find away. Wouldnt it be better to get these people the help they need what ever it may be life can't ever be that bad. Anyone can change there issues or problems maybe not right away or by them selves but it can be done

Can the pizza delivery people get stimulus for armored pizza delivery trucks, just a thought. Maybe even with a gun turret.

The fence is a good idea. Safety first. .

Put the fence around city hall,this keeps up youll have to, to keep mad tax payers from takeing it over

Wouldn't it be a better idea to get rid of the bridge all together and make it just a road again? That would save a lot of money over the years in upkeep and we wouldn't need a fence. It worked for the bridge over there on Broadway.

I agree, it seems like a lot of money to spend on a fence. I would think more lives would be saved through education about the subject rather than trying to censor us from reality we live in. (Of course I have done no such studies and am no expert)

On the other hand, I do acknowledge that I cannot possibly live someone else’s life or pretend to know how they think. I like to think there's a little hope, that a bridge would prevent someone from taking that extra step forward. If anyone is a mind reader here by the way, please excuse me for stepping on toes. With the notoriety this bridge gets, you have to admit it is fresh in the minds of those wanting to commit suicide, and seems like a painless choice.

Oh and I stand by what I said, if it saves one person it's worth it. For those who disagree you can be the first to admit your life is worth less.

Not saying it will..not saying it’s wise spending.. just think you guys should lighten up

What your mayor does not understand is that if he wants to bring the bridge up to federal standards ("if the bridge were built now, federal regulations would require fencing")then he can get federal help and not use the stimulus money. They can bring it up to standards (it's called bringing it up to Codes and Standards), the federal government will reimburse them for it. But he would have to come up with SOME of the funding.

Also, the fence costs a lot because it is specially fabricated for the bridge.

lets play music on the bridge for the walkers, softer in the middle, louder toward the ends, it just might give the 1 or 2 jumpers a reason to keep walking and not jump.Who doesn't like to hear the whole song, point, give these people more help, not a fence.

@gainsomereality....replacing the bridge decking is an integrity (saving the structure) upgrade...the fencing is a safety issue - 2 different things.

I hit the report abuse button, because CC Pony made me laugh till my sides hurt.

Here's a concept that works: use the stimulus money to fix out dilapidated ROADS

According to WinZip, "If building a fence prevents only one death it's still a success in my mind."

The wisdom of a fool. To consistently follow such a policy would bankrupt America faster than even that clown in the White House is doing.

Peter, you are so right! Give the buffoon a red nose (like Bill's was) and he'll look just like the clown I saw at the circus last week!

All you fencing contractors....have you seen the plans? You're all talking like you can do it SO much cheaper. Do you even know if it will be a chain-link fence? It will most likely be the clear panels.

If anything just put a dumpster down there and give them a target.

Safety first? What a stupid comment. Nobody can FALL off the bridge. They have to climb and jump. If there was no rail I would buy the safety first. The sidewalks on that bridge are unsafe.

How about if the grandstanding mayor fixes everything else that is wrong so people don't WANT to jump. I should not be responsible for the mental state of some losers who can't deal with reality.

As far as the money not being for law enforcement, that may be true but money can be taken from other budgets and diverted to law enforcement and the stimulus money can replace that money. There is nothing saying the stimulus has to be used for mayor dumbo's pork barrel projects. We need more cops to work in the ghettos and keep those animals under control so law abiding people like me can live without fear of some ghetto rat robbing me at the gas station or ATM.

These anti-American scumbag politicians are the ones who need to commit suicide.

notohp2002:
Man, I LIKE your idea! You should be the lead person for this project. It makes more sense!

@alemon2, if fences do not stop suicides why is that all the bridges and historic landmarks that put up fences report almost no suicides? A person considering suicide is not going to climb a fence.

@andre, that blog will not exist too long if ABJ has there way. Copyright does not allow you just to post others people's work on the 'net.

@readsalot, did I make any such distinction between deck and fencing? No, I did not. I know the difference and have never said differently. But since you do not quote the post you challenge who knows what you are responding to.

@Disarmed, the clear panels was estimated at $5 million a few years ago.

@Ray Cyste, you clearly have been ignoring all the news stories about the stimulus money for weeks now. Stimulus money must be used for immediate capital projects that have already started the planning stages as the money must be used ASAP. If you did not have a project planned already or already in progress, stimulus money was not available for it. It cannot used be for ongoing costs.

You suggestion of moving transportation money to law enforcement, solely because we got some transportation stimulus money makes no sense. You do not mix one time capital money with money that is needed for annual operations. It is simple. If you do, the police get laid off one year from mow anyways and use have wasted money in training and equipment to only have them for less than a year. I hope you do not run any major budgets.

Gain Some More Reality@You are correct what a fence will give them what another 10 to 15 ft to give them more downward speed???.That means another 2 to 2.5 mile an hour more.

"2Koala" states "anyone against the bridge...haven't had a friend jump to their death." That's a BOLD statement. Less than two weeks ago, March 18, a close friend of mine. a stock-trader, jumped from a seven story balcony on Spruce street in Philadelphia, Pa. Another close friend of mine, last year, had lost his brother-in-law, self-employed, after he hung himself with a rope unintentionally for his teenage daughter to find. And finally, Several yrs ago another friend of mine, diesel mechanic,removed his head with a .44Mag over a girl and I was mad at him for being selfish and a coward. As "Disarmed" said "I don't feel sorry. Well times have changed and I feel sorrow for them. This isn't to say my friends are losers as most are affluent lawyers, doctors, national sales reps, retired military, and one a coach in the NFL.

"Glock20" is partially right when he said "you cannot contain Natural Selection." Yeah it sounds good until it happens in your backyard.

And "Stumpy says "guns don't kill; people do." Statistically doctors kill more people than handguns.

"Jay" suggests posting no jumping signs. Well we seen how well that has worked with warning labels on beer and cigarettes.

Alas, to the subject, building a bridge for 1 - 1.5 mil is absurd when the money could be better put to use fixing the more prominent problems Akron residents complain about.

"Osco50" gave a website showing 30 people on average jump from the Golden Gate bridge per year which proves the incompetence in Ohio politics on where money should be spent. But, it most likely will be another friends pocket.

It's good to know that my politicians are not the only dumba**** in the Country. I only wish the politicians were my friends, then I would point them to your bridge.

I would like to be the one that talks them down.

What no one seems to understand is that if a person wants to commit suicide they are going to no matter what.They will find a way to climb the fence or just go to another bridge.We all no that is does not take a rocket scientist to commit this kind of act.A person that really wants to commit suicide will just do it. Anyone that sits and draws attention to themselves in away is asking for help.

Invest in a neon sign that reads:Jump when your ready and save the gov. money on your mental health care costs,you know pursuation,quit lally gagging and do like Larry the cable guy "Lets gitr done".

@Jager, the research does not support your claim that the suicidal climb the fence or go to a nearby bridge. You take a look at the literature. The statistics show fences do stop suicides at the original location and suicides do not increase at nearby locations.

Has anyone noticed that their First Energy bills have jumped way up lately. I think I saw where the discount that Akron residents got from an aggregate group rate was stopped. Did the mayor sell us out to the electric company for some timely campaign donations. Why have my bills gone up 10-20 bucks when I'm ussing the same or less than last year?

@Gain. Ok. $5 million. How much do you think it will cost to replace the bridge deck???!!

@The Sandman, the $5 million is not relevant as they are not going with glass or clear paneling of any kind. They have budgeted $6 million for the bridge deck, which is probably a pretty good cost. Swartz Road bridge over 77 was bid at $1.2M and Front Street bridge over 8 was $2.1M. The y-bridge is much longer than both those projects.

Oh now you believe in Research? I think you are missing the point.The fact still stands if a person wants to commit suicide there is nothing that can stop them not even a fenced in bridge.Its all about the state of mind at the time of the action.

" To "Gain some more Reality: - just because "historic landmarks" report a very low number of suicides does not in any way mean it's a direct reflection of the fence. For one, something has to be at a great enough height to actually kill the person and not just break their legs, and secondly, people are actually selective about where they jump, usually choosing the place where people have jumped before so they know it will work. People that actually intend to kill themselves want it to work, so they go to a place where they know it will - it has nothing to do with the presence of a fence.

You pro-fence people need to stop whining. Fences won't stop people from killing themselves. Quit trying to pull the blame from the ignorant cowards who take their own lives. They are weak, selfish idiots who took the easy way out. If you want a fence, pay for it with with your f'n money. I don't care if the losers take the plunge.

"Gain Some More Reality
Akron, OH

Posted 03:08 PM, 03/28/2009 @readsalot, did I make any such distinction between deck and fencing? No, I did not. I know the difference and have never said differently. But since you do not quote the post you challenge who knows what you are responding to."

Is that better? You sound like an unforgiving know-it-all who doesn't make mistakes.

We have a problem in Arizona with people jumping in the Grand Canyon, can we get a bazillion dollars to fence it in. After all if it saves just on life it's worth it.'
The only answer to the national debt is to tax stupid ideas from the dope smoking, tree hugging, bleeding heart liberals.
The problem would be if we could collect, they would all go bankrupt, and we'd have to support them on welfare.
The only safe place to put money with the current federal government is guns and food.
What ever happened to Mid-west common sense?
God help us.
GLC
Born in Nebraska when people had enough sense to come in out of the rain.

@alemon2 and Jager, Your assumptions do mot match the facts.

Go look at the articles before you criticize the research. I did. You obviously have not. I find dozens of article that show suicides decrease drastically or stop on bridges with fences that had high number of suicides. The same is true of the historic landmarks that add fences that had high numbers of suicides before the fence. (alemon2 your reasoning has NOTHING to do with any of my posts since the article I mention all had high number of suicides before the fencing was added.)

I also found dozens of articles that show suicides do not increase at the nearby jumping points when fencing goes up at one.

@Gain. So we keep putting up fences on bridges. Has the number of suicides in the U.S. declined because of these efforts???

@Disarmed, is it easier to counsel about drugs, alcohol, or other activities, or place a guard all day on bridges. That is why fences on bridges will keep going up. If you eliminate one form of suicide, you can focus on the others. Fences knocks out one method.

This fence has everything to do with the public housing complex below. They don't want anyone falling on the bbq grills.

@JMO, you cannot jump from that bridge and land near a house. The housing is a ways from the bridge.

@Gain. I would guess the reason fences are placed on bridges is to prevent people throwing objects over....not bodies.

@The Sandman, it is true the freeways bridges got fences for people throwing stuff. If you look at the literature about suicides from bridges, the bridges were specifically given fences for suicides and not tossing things off.

I wish all Steeler fans would jump from that bridge before the fence is installed. That would be a huge step in cleaning Akron.

@Pittsburgh. Bitter Clowns fan? Hahahaha. Cause your pathetic team sucks!

Having worked with suicide patients for 40 years fencing the bridge isn't the answer. There is often nothing we can do with 24 hour supervision because if they really want to end their life they just learn the system, tell the judge what they need to so that they legally have to be released and proceed to commit suicide. Breaks your heart but I learned the hard way that you can't MAKE anyone quit drinking, doing drugs, or stop them from committing suicide. The bridge is just to make us feel better.

@kagi, I would think fencing is not to stop the people that have already received help or in the system otherwise. It would stop the people that are contemplating it for the first time and/or under the influence of something that makes the action seem like the right thing to do.

If the Politicians REALLY wanted to stimulate the economy they could have given every legal American over the age of 18 $100,000 and it would still be cheaper than the stimulus package!!!

I think the money could be spent better somewhere else or not at all. Stop the spending. Why do we spend so much money to kill babies and then spend to save lives. If you want to kill yourself you will find a way besides jumping. This will not prevent anything.....

Three people jump off of the All American / Y -Bridge ... One this year and two last year. I hate to say it, but so what. So now ... We waste 1 to 1.5 million bucks for a fence? These people wanted to die and if they didn't jump off of this bridge they would jump off of another or they would find another way to end it all. Kind of reminds me of the McDonald's deal where the lady put the cup of hot coffee between her legs and then complained because she was burned. So now every cup of coffee says ... Caution contents may be hot. ( Duhhhhh )

Try spending some of this money on repaving some of the roads in Akron. Has anyone, besides me, driven on Wilbeth Rd between East Ave & 5th Street? About a month ago, I saw a guy's tire blow out after he hit a pothole. The state / condition of the roads and streets in Akron are inexcusable!

For a few hundred bucks they could just put a diving board up there and for a few more bucks, just rent a dumpster to put down below. Everyone wins!

@Zerodrops "To all the families of suicides...why do you want to blame the bridge? If you really wanted them to have time to reconsider you should have had them admitted to a mental hospital for a few days. All you had to do was call 911 and say he was trying to kill himself, even if it wasn't true. There is no hiding depression at such a severe level, you guys had to know how bad he was. That will give them time to reconsider or get help if he wants it."

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your hindsight. It is so glaringly obvious that you have never had someone close to you end their life. Thank you for the giant guilt trip you are trying to lay on those left behind, devastated by the fact that they DID NOT see the signs, and were NOT able to prevent it. How self-righteous and uncompassionate you are.

the comment about steelers

your just mad couse we are good at we do
if you think you are so better lets see you get out there in play ,

GREAT idea Akron...
You know its amazing for some who can be so ignorant when they have never experienced a loss like this. Maybe when it touches closer to home for you then you will be more supportive. Lets think about the whole picture here and if it helps one life than it's a success.

My heart goes out the Conley's, you are doing an amazing thing for Akron. Kevin, you are forever missed.

You go Bave!

I like the idea of a fence to keep people from throwing things into traffic below the bridge but not to prevent suicide. What's next, no more bullets so people can't shoot themselves, no more knives or razors so people can't slit their wrists anymore. Destroy all the ropes so no one can hang themselves. It makes no sense to blame the bridge or any other object for killing someone.

To all the posts who knew the guy who jumped last year, I am truly sorry for your loss, I had a friend who hung himself. The fence would not have made a difference, he just would have gone somewhere else, or did it a different way. Blaming his death on the lack of a fence is as ridiculous as me saying if they had a 10 day wait period before you can buy rope.

Of all the things akron needs they spend this kind of money on a fence, why not build housing for the homeless, or stock the food pantries, if people are that desperate to commit suicide they'll find another brdige to jump from puu-lease
get with the program.

REALIST...very interesting points
you made and well said.

@sassymom, if you would pay attention you would know that the money cannot be used on any of your suggestions. It was for transportation projects only.

In 2006, myself and two other students from Kent State University filmed a short documentary on the topic of the Y-Bridge. It takes a look at both sides of the story from those who wanted a fence and those who did not. You can view it on youtube on the link provided below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQp9Ps_pM0c

sorry the above link is no good. Here is the correct one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGbNRfTW0Sg

There are 4 parts.

Is that the Larry Parker in the video?

Is Williamson describing Parker when he says there was a businessman 15 years ago that was furious when he needed to spend money to fix his roof?

Anyone else noticing that virtually all the stimulus money is being spent on government projects? How is that stimulatory? Shouldn't stimulus money go to small business owners? Most government infrastructure projects go to ODOT.

I dont get how its stimulating anything except the wallets of government employees.

And putting up a fence on the Y bridge will only increase the # of people that jump off the other bridges or buildings in Akron.

That is just common sense though. Not sure why I am expecting Akron's government to understand that.

@timmmm, research studies show suicides do not increase at other structures nearby when a fence is installed.

$1-1.5 million for a FENCE?

You need to bid this project out to local contractors.... that's waaaaay too much for a fence.

I see some of you are saying that this makes Akron a laughing stock around the world, well I live in the UK and some of you sure are, not the ones in favor but the opponents with their comments, Ive e-mailed it around the world and I can tell you they couldnt believe the comments, this has really cemented the opinons about middle America. I also posted the story and comments about the 75yr old shooting a teen and the reaction was the same. Surely there arnt that many loony's lose in Akron.

kpotocza,
I have just watched your Video on youtube, all 4 clips, well done, the opponents should watch it as well.

Isn't your child worth $1.5 million? Isn't your brother or sister or mother or father worth $1.5 million? How about your best friend?

I'm grateful that this fence is being built. Yes, if someone is determined to kill him/herself, we can't stop that from happening...BUT many suicides are impulsive and/or due to a current, obstructed state of mind (alcohol, drugs, sudden trauma, etc). The Y-Bridge is a very welcoming exit to the pain that one may be feeling at that given moment, and a fence can provide that individual with a second chance... the time to think, the time to be saved, the time to change.

Would you set alcohol in front of your baby? Or a 3-scoop ice-cream sundae in front of a severe diabetic? Just as we care for children and those with medical complications, we should watch over our teenagers and adults who are struggling mentally. Keeping a huge bridge with no fence is like setting poisonous candy in front of a baby. Someone with depression or other psychological disorders needs to be helped, not tempted or provoked. We should do everything we can to discourage suicidal thoughts and actions...and that includes adding a fence to this terribly dangerous bridge.

Let it not claim any more precious lives.

THANK YOU TO THOSE OF YOU SUPPORTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS FENCE.

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR COMPASSIONATE HEARTS.

Bria