Increase Campus Safety and Security

It’s game day and the campus is bustling with excitement. Students are hurrying to class, bicyclists are speeding down the pathway and a large group of marching-band members are heading towards the stadium.

This all-too-familiar scene illustrates a huge threat to campus safety and security; how can a campus safely integrate pedestrians, bicycles, wheelchairs and vehicles? Events in the past five years show that there are numerous records of crashes involving distracted drivers, vehicle intrusions into bike lanes and pedestrians struck, injured or killed by impaired drivers. More worrisome are the many cases involving the deliberate use of a vehicle to damage property or harm students and faculty.

There are many methods and products that can be effective in preventing vehicles from entering into protected areas on campus. One of the most common and effective solutions is the use of bollards. While barriers, gates and landscape features can also be used for protective measures, they often interfere with the flow of pedestrian traffic and can be difficult to navigate around, especially for bicyclists and handicapped individuals. Bollards however, are easily navigated around and do not hinder the movement of pedestrians, bicyclists or wheelchairs.

Bollards are offered in a wide range of styles, dimensions and colors. Furthermore, they can be installed with a variety of features. Lighted bollards illuminate pedestrian areas and help distinguish walkways from roads and vehicle areas. Retractable and removable bollards allow for emergency vehicle access. Fixed bollards provide a quick and cost-effective solution for protecting pedestrian areas.

Installing bollards throughout your campus not only creates a safe and secure environment for students and faculty, but also protects vulnerable buildings and equipment from potentially devastating damage.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Carlos Gonzalez is bollards product manager for Calpipe Security Bollards (www.calpipebollards.com). He can be reached at 877/283-8518.

Featured

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Lawrence Group Announces Three New Hires

    Integrated planning and design firm Lawrence Group, based in St. Louis, Mo., recently welcomed three new staff members, according to a news release.