Data Shows Jumpers On Notorious Pasadena 'Suicide Bridge' Skew Younger, More Female

PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — City officials are expected Wednesday to explore how to address an increasingly grim reputation for a historic bridge in Pasadena.

Known as the "suicide bridge" during the Great Depression, more than 150 deaths have occurred at the Colorado Street bridge since 1919, with most occurring in the 1930s at the height of the worst financial crisis in U.S. history.

Since then, signs aimed at deterring jumpers have been posted and so-called suicide barriers have been installed on the bridge to deter would-be jumpers, but that hasn't stopped more than two dozen people from jumping to their deaths over the last decade, according to city officials.

Statistics show the average Colorado Bridge jumper in 27 suicides since 2006 is around 40 years and tends to be female more often than the average suicide in Pasadena, according to data released by the city.

More than half of fatal jumpers are white, while 37 percent are Hispanic. Suicides committed on the bridge tend to spread evenly throughout the year, compared with overall suicides, which usually see an annual spike in May.

While it's unclear what moves - if any - the city will take to curb suicides at the bridge, some residents say they fear any future jumpers could directly impact the land beneath the bridge, where several new Habitat for Humanity homes are set to be built.