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

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Dallas-Area District Debuts Three New Facilities

    The Duncanville Independent School District in southwest Dallas, Texas, recently held ribbon-cutting ceremonies for three new facilities that resulted from a $170-million bond program passed in 2023, according to a news release.

  • Secret to Efficient, On-Time School Infrastructure & Modernization Projects is All in the Preparation

    Warmer weather and longer days make summer the ideal time for construction and modernization projects at educational facilities. School boards and construction firms must coordinate effectively to ensure that these projects do not extend even a single day into the school year and impede classroom operation.