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Now, the bill introduced by State Sen. Pete Harckham (D, Mount Kisco), will move to the State Assembly, whose session ends on Friday, June 7, for consideration.
The bill mandates that climb deterrent fencing be installed on all bridges under the New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA) jurisdiction.
The five Hudson Valley bridges are:
- Bear Mountain Bridge.
- Rip Van Winkle Bridge,
- Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge,
- Mid-Hudson Bridge,
- Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.
In May, there were four suicide attempts on these bridges, with two known fatalities, alarming many New Yorkers and accentuating the need for preventative safety measures to be installed as soon as possible, Harckham pointed out.
“The four recent suicide attempts, two from the Bear Mountain Bridge, attest to a heartbreaking problem," said Harckham. "It is time to erect means restriction or climb deterrent fencing on these five area bridges."
Harckham added: "We have given the New York State Bridge Authority ample opportunity to address this issue on its own, but we simply can’t wait any longer. These are preventable deaths—and more families should not have to grieve.”
The NYSBA does not comment on pending legislation.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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