Friends Win One

No offense but can we even afford this?

Spend the money on such things as runaway truck ramps -- those people didn't WANT to die.

they turned one of the most beautiful bridges in ca in to an eyesore! What an incredible waste of money!

>>"Caltrans spokesperson Jim Shivers said the agency will follow the court’s direction, and that Caltrans remains “firmly committed to this project.""<<

So Caltrans has basically just admitted that they intend to ignore any public input they get from recirculating the EIR.

Most public input has been: build this thing and save lives.

Just the ego of Marc McGinnes, who likes to shout at SBCAG (who unanimously back the project):

http://www.independent.com/news/2009/...

and the frivolous lawsuits of Marc Chytilo (what do you call all the lawyers in the world at the bottom of an ocean?) have stopped the project and ballooned its cost from $0.5 million to $4 million.

Meanwhile, more jumpers will die whose lives could have been saved.

8-1doodahs (sevendolps) has flown the coop again.

Again.

It is a knowing and wilfull lie to claim that anyone besides Caltrans has wasted taxpayer's money on this misbegotten proposal. Again, here is how the court ruled on this point:

"Caltrans chose to proceed with construction activities in spite of the pending CEQA challenge, and under CEQA [it] necessarily did so at its own risk. Consequently, it is Caltrans that bears responsibility for the financial and social costs incurred as a result of its failure to comply with CEQA."

It is a knowing and wilfull lie to claim that the original price for the uglifying barriers was $500K, as 8-1 has seen the Caltrans documents that clearly reveal that the original price was set at a total of $3.3 million, and that Caltrans subsequently diverted at least an additional $.5 million to it.

Lastly, 8-1, when are you going to clean up the mess you have created on the bridge-- you know, all the tattered and droooopy shreds of orange plastic drapery or whatsis all over the place.

What you have "created" is a nightmare version of the steel fencing Caltrans is trying to make the community swallow that are a full two-feet-taller.

Are you Cristo's evil twin?

Are you Caltran's propaganda chief? Gobbling Goebbels!

Get you to the nearest Ranthaven, and give your forked tongue a rest.

Also, your overwrought but feeble efforts to make bogeymen of Judge Anderle, McGinnis, Chytilo, and CEQA lawmakers are worthy of analysis-- the kind that a mental health specialist can help you with.

Please go to one and work things through rather than continuing to make a sad spectacle of yourself here.

AG

Well, we can agree that CEQA and all the on-ramps for the legally frivolous are extremely expensive in California... and, all of that is what upped the price from $0.5 million to over $4 million. In 1963 they would have (and should have) just put up a tall concave cyclone fence for less than $0.5 million in 2010 dollars.

But the 10 or 20 lives we've lost because the barrier did not go up in a simple and efficient manner in 2005 don't bother Marc Chytilo or Marc McGinnes. Shouting at SBCAG, yelling `Nanny State in Drag' and dressing up while in altered states are their main interest.

I have supported a barrier since the beginning and remain resolute in my position. Too many families endure continuing pain and grief because a loved one chose the bridge to end their lives. Let's pray no one else dies during this delay.

8-1d:
Again, your overwrought but feeble efforts to make bogeymen of Judge Anderle, McGinnis, Chytilo, and CEQA lawmakers are worthy of analysis-- the kind that a mental health specialist can help you with.

Please go to one and work things through rather than continuing to make a SUCH a sad spectacle of yourself here.

Pedronava:
If I am not mistaken, you are the fellow also known as Poco Nada, no? Yes, the one who really got this whole mess rolling when you misused your political influence to divert $1 million in traffic safety / collision reduction money to Caltrans for use for its then $3.3 million barriers plan.

That you "remain resolute" about this illustrates just why most folks can't wait to see you shrinking out of sight in the rearview mirror.

Just get out of the way, please, so that the community can now proceed to work with Caltrans to develop a plan that saves lives on the bridge without destroying the beauty for which it is famous. You have done quite enough harm.

AG

FOB's---you're all severely deluded. Heavily. Your misguided judgment is not too unlike the heavy thickness of the chaparral whose fabric you would continue to take joy in seeing littered with fallen bodies. And that for the "beauty" of an unremarkable bridge.

Enjoy the shortfall, pardon the pun.
Work will eventually be completed and jumpers will have to turn elsewhere to end it all. And if the FOB's can't bare to look at what they consider to be an "ugly" bridge, you may remedy that by simply continuing to wear the blinders you've fastened to your common $en$e.

I am joined in my support for the barrier by the Santa Barbara Sheriff, other law enforcement officials, many elected officials, mental health community leaders and families of those who everyday suffer the loss of someone they loved and cared about. I am proud to stand with them.

>>"And that for the "beauty" of an unremarkable bridge."

Based on your pasts posts I realize you are probably just trolling for an angry response, but I'll note here that many people oppose this project as a waste of valuable highway safety money.

Where we are now, following the two court rulings, is all-of-us-standing-together with an opportunity to consider for the FIRST time ALL possible means (1) to prevent suicidal behavior on the bridge, (2) to protect the safety of law enforcement personnel and others who respond to such behavior, and (3) to preserve the historic beauty and exhilaration that the bridge provides for the millions of people who pass along this Scenic Highway between Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley.

I am proud to stand with all persons and groups in our community who have a sincere commitment to making the most of this opportunity to come up a solution that meets all three objectives, regardless of whether or not we have agreed or disagreed about the limited option (tall fences) plan devised by Caltrans decision-makers who live elsewhere.

Because of the court rulings, we can now evaluate together the proposal by the State Historic Preservation Office that under-walkway netting be installed, similar to that being designed for the Golden Gate Bridge. Such a proposal is one about which there may be far stronger public support than for the tall fences one. If so, our community leaders can insist that Caltrans proceed accordingly. Happily, this is what occurred in the early 1960s when Caltrans wanted to construct an elevated freeway through parts of Santa Barbara but was made to choose the superior plan favored by the community-- the one that we (don’t) see today.

Looking forward to our work ahead.

Mr. Nava, you sound too much like a politician. Who you stand with is irrelevant (especially when a lot of other people who stand with you are sleazeballs). And I'm still trying to get the bad taste out of my mouth that was your wife's slimy campaign that did great damage to any goodwill toward you both.

Here's the link to a website to support the the Cold Spring Bridge barrier:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/51/sup...

Target: California Residents, Friends and Families of Suicide Victims
Sponsored by: www.stopthetragedy.org
We support the construction of a physical safety barrier on the Cold Spring Arch Bridge.

Since its construction, more than 50 people have died at Cold Spring Arch Bridge. Seven people have died in 2009 alone. These deaths could have been prevented by the installation of a physical safety barrier. A proposal by Caltrans to construct a safety barrier on the bridge has been under discussion since 2005, but objections to the proposal have meant that no action has been taken to stop suicides at the bridge, resulting in further preventable deaths.

I am sure of one thing, none of those who jumped from the bridge could have done so if there had been a barrier. I support saving lives and truly hope no one else dies at the bridge because of the lack of a barrier.

>>"I am sure of one thing, none of those who jumped from the bridge could have done so if there had been a barrier."<<

http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/463446/...

Here's a post from the website:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/51/sup...

I have two people in my life who have been affected by a death of a loved one that jumped from this bridge. I live in a different county and yet the tragedy has reached to myself and loved ones down here. It is senseless and needs to have a stop put to it. My friend's father jumped from the bridge ten years ago and if a barrier had been installed in the interviening time then the death of another friend's young cousin could have been prevented. Please, think of all the people this is affecting! This is not a matter of statistics, but of human lives.

To those who automatically believe "pedronava" is the same person as the local politician: I have a bridge to sell you.

When all is said and done I will be there to offer ladders to those who would like a hand getting over the barrier. We will also be hiding ladders in the bushes on both sides of the bridge. Again, show me a 20 foot wall and I'll show you a 21 foot ladder.

HA told you so!!!!!!!

Drove by there today and saw they've pulled down the netting on the northbound lane.

An EdHat reader reports the temporary fence is almost completely removed.