Bryan Ganley and Melissa Cotta, co-founders of Bridging the Gap for Safety and Healing, have been working tirelessly for years to have suicide prevention barriers installed on Rhode Island’s four tallest bridges. It’s been a long road, and they are far from done.

There has been progress — bills have been sponsored by Rep. Joseph Solomon and Sen. Louis DiPalma that would direct the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, to erect barriers on the Mt. Hope Bridge, the Claiborne Pell Bridge, and the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge. But the latest action on both of those bills is that they are to be held for further study, which, to date, remains to be realized.

“Too many people have committed suicide on those bridges in the last decade,” said Rep. Solomon when the bill was initially proposed. “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.”

“On the Senate side, this bill is enthusiastically cosponsored by everyone representing towns adjacent to these three bridges,” said Sen. DiPalma.

As these bills wend their way through the legislative process, people continue to use these bridges as a means to end their lives, with frightening regularity. According to Bristol Fire Chief Michael DeMello, two people died by suicide from the Mt. Hope Bridge over the Fourth of July holiday weekend — one at 6:30 a.m. on the morning of July 5, as parade attendees drove into town, the other shortly after midnight in the early hours of Saturday, July 3. In both cases, Bristol first-responders got to the victims quickly by boat, but they could not save either.

“It’s not only a serious problem, but an alarmingly frequent one,” said Representative Solomon. “And the cost of suicide goes far beyond the individual. It affects friends, families, first responders and health care professionals. Those who survive the fall all say the same thing: they feel instant regret the moment their feet leave the railing.”

In an effort to further rally public support behind their effort, Mr. Ganley and Ms. Cotta launched a Change.org petition on Monday, titled “Suicide Prevention Barriers in Rhode Island’s Bridges Now!” At press time on Wednesday, they had collected nearly 2,100 signatures, and counting.

A quick glance at the comments left by signatories speaks volumes about the scope of this problem:

“We lost a loved family member from suicide on this bridge.”

“My friend is one of many that lost her child to suicide on the Mt. Hope Bridge.”

“I lost my son to suicide 2 years, 6 months, and 16 days ago. I don't know how a signature will help, but here’s mine.”

“I lost my daughter, because no barriers on the Mt. Hope Bridge.”

“I personally lost a friend to suicide at the Mt. Hope Bridge many years ago.”

“I’m signing because my father committed suicide by jumping off the Mt. Hope Bridge. How many people are we going to lose before we put barriers up?”

“There are many situations with suicide that we can’t prevent,” said Mr. Ganley. But barriers represent a positive action that we can take to prevent these senseless tragedies that not only impact the individual but also families, friends, and the entire community.”

Their petition can be found on change.org under the heading: Suicide Prevention Barriers on Rhode Island's Bridges Now!