Taos Gorge Bridge Not “The” Suicide Bridge

Posted by Jim Kimmons, Broker/Owner • October 12, 2009 • Printer-friendly

When you live in Taos, at least for me, local issues tend to be the focus, and sometimes we miss the fact that our issues are the issues of others as well. The recent discussion, or debate, about new safety measures to make it harder to commit suicide on the Taos Rio Grande Gorge bridge are certainly not unique to our area, as this article about the "suicide bridge" in Cold Spring, CA.

Our bridge is certainly mentioned in the article, along with the Golden Gate Bridge and the Aurora Avenue Bridge in Seattle. The Golden Gate is where the most suicides happen, 1300 since it was built. But, the Cold Spring Bridge has a higher incidence than the Taos Gorge. The debates about defacing these structures versus reducing suicides goes on, with strong opinions on both sides. Mel Blaustein, president of the Psychiatric Foundation of Northern California has this to say: "There are certain bridges that have a certain magnetism, cache or magic about them, and they become suicide magnets."