Discussion Golden Gate Bridge vs Bay Bridge

[cartdog]

Something that often comes up regarding the GGB is the suicide nets that have costed about 224 million dollars to build. I feel like I rarely see the Bay Bridge talked about. Less than 8 miles away, connecting Oakland and SF, it has a pedestrian walkway on the span between Oakland and Yerba Buena Island.

The railing was designed to maximize the "panoramic experience" of the view. Before completion in 2013, I believe there was even a concern that adding the walkway with no nets and such a low railing would create a suicide problem/people who were going to jump from the GGB would instead do it from the East Span of the Bay Bridge. No alterations ended up being made in response to the concern.
(Edit: Yup, found a few articles about the concerns https://www.ebar.com/story.php?ch=news&id=242830 )

GGB has an average of 20 per year while the Bay Bridge has about 3 (This is just from quick internet searches, there might be more accurate numbers like reported attempts vs confirmed deaths and some sort of factor for people going missing who may have jumped and never were recovered or witnessed).

Every article seems to have a different answer but according to Wikipedia, at high tide, the half of the Bay Bridge with the walkway has about 190' water clearance, while the Golden Gate has about 220'. Is the height of the bridge a factor for this? Or maybe it has something to do with how iconic the Golden Gate Bridge is?

I'm just curious is anyone else has thought about this or has another perspective/thoughts!

 

[feelinggloomy]

Coming from someone who lives in SF the netting they put at the GGB is pretty daunting. I'm not good a judging distances to the water but the GGB looks higher than the BB. And the BB is way more traveled and crowded. There are times when the GGB is pretty bare so you could be off the grid there at certain times. I don't know if the netting is done or if there is another way to use the GGB but someone did just a few days ago. The netting is controversial too … some believe it's not a real solution rather just a way to make people go somewhere else.

 

[thenamingofcats]

I don't live close but I thought about this and the only thing I can come up with is that the GGB is a traditional location which may give people strength knowing that many others did it before. The netting makes it so you have to jump twice which I would imagine makes overcoming SI harder. The drop to the net is 20 feet which is significant as far as fear goes but does only take 20 feet off of your total.

 

[Linda]

There are much stronger currents below GGB, so you will drown even if you survive the fall.

 

[J&L383]

Coming from someone who lives in SF the netting they put at the GGB is pretty daunting. I'm not good a judging distances to the water but the GGB looks higher than the BB. And the BB is way more traveled and crowded. There are times when the GGB is pretty bare so you could be off the grid there at certain times. I don't know if the netting is done or if there is another way to use the GGB but someone did just a few days ago. The netting is controversial too … some believe it's not a real solution rather just a way to make people go somewhere else.

I believe the netting will discourage some people from even trying, and then if you do jump into the netting, you have a second opportunity to reconsider before you climb over the netting to "finish the job."

 

[LostSoul1965]

There are much stronger currents below GGB, so you will drown even if you survive the fall.

There have been survivors. Not likely but it's possible.

I believe the netting will discourage some people from even trying, and then if you do jump into the netting, you have a second opportunity to reconsider before you climb over the netting to "finish the job."

I would think it would be very difficult to get out of the netting once in it. I would imagine it's designed that way.