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Ventura County Transportation Commission: Arroyo Simi bridge suicide‑prevention barrier expected by year end
Summary
Amanda Fagan of the Ventura County Transportation Commission updated council on a barrier project for the Arroyo Simi Bridge, saying construction contract was awarded and the barrier system should be completed by the end of the year; community trainings and partner agencies were highlighted.
The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) told the Simi Valley City Council that a planned safety barrier for the Arroyo Simi Bridge is in production and expected to be installed by the end of the calendar year.
Amanda Fagan, VCTC director of planning and sustainability, briefed the council on the Arroyo Simi Bridge suicide prevention task force and its two‑pronged approach: physical solutions and community‑based prevention. She said the California Transportation Commission approved construction funds in October 2024, Caltrans awarded the construction contract in April 2025, and the barrier system is currently being manufactured. Fagan said the barrier is modeled on similar projects (for example, Cold Springs Bridge and Vincent Thomas Bridge) and “is designed to be very difficult to climb” so it will “increase the amount of time” for intervention and first‑responder arrival.
Fagan said the task force includes Caltrans, VCTC, the cities of Simi Valley and Moorpark, Ventura County, the California Highway Patrol, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. On the community side the task force has worked with Didi Hirsch to develop trainings for first responders and community members on suicide awareness, de‑escalation, intervention and safety planning. The task force also plans in‑person and virtual trainings to coincide with construction.
Councilmember Littster asked for a specific completion date and whether the barrier would add measurable time for intervention. Fagan said the project is expected to be completed by December and that the fence’s tighter openings and climb‑resistant design are intended to increase time to intervene; she said she did not have a quantified estimate of the extra minutes the barrier would add. Fagan added the task force also distributed crisis‑line signage in 2018 and is coordinating awareness efforts during Mental Health Month and Suicide Prevention Month.
Fagan directed residents to crisiscare.org for resources and said Didi Hirsch materials and first‑responder training content are available through task‑force partners. Councilmembers thanked VCTC and the other partners for advancing both the physical and community components of the project.
