Different Types of Bollards and Their Uses

Two of seven bollards by St Mary’s Church, Churchyardside, Nantwich, Cheshire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are many different types of traffic posts which serve different purposes depending on where they’re located. Many cities are taking more safety precautions that are more visually appealing and attempting to ease the flow of traffic, all while protecting pedestrians more and more. Some of the bollard innovations towns and cities utilize today are really impressive and surprisingly unnoticeable, which is why I’ll be showcasing some of them here.

Stylized Bollards

In order to encourage more personalization for buildings and unobtrusive protection in general, stylized bollards can be manufactured to appear as works of art instead of security measures. These are great for security while blending in with other pieces in an art district, or simply contributing to a more relaxed environment in a business plaza.

Flexible Bollards

These bollards are used more for temporary purposes than anything else. They are used to test changed curb lines, widened sidewalks, roundabouts and traffic islands. When run over, they will stand back up immediately, bolted to the ground. Many of them even contain bendable lights inside that aren’t affected by impact of any kind.

Breakaway Bollards

This kind of bollard is intended to break off when a car hits it. They deter unauthorized traffic, but allow emergency personnel to drive through them in an emergency situation, particularly in areas with heavier traffic and no other way around.

Planters

While not providing the heaviest security like official bollards, planters are used in certain locations to mark widened pathways, border around streets, or restrict unauthorized vehicles from entry. They’re a more visually appealing security measure, and you may not even recognize them as bollards as much as you would view them solely as environmentally conscious decoration.

Heavy Duty Bollards

While oftentimes not physically intimidating in size, fixed, removable or collapsible bollards can provide great security with both heavy duty strength and deterring colors. These heavy duty bollards fabricated by companies like Traffic Guard can successfully mark off parking lots and garages, pedestrian pathways, store entrances, warehouses and many other locations.

Bell Bollards

These little guys are specially designed in their bell-like appearance to allow vehicles to roll around them, keeping them off of traffic islands in the middle of the road while still permitting U-turns or other tight turns. Vehicles hit the side slopes, where the wheels slide down before they have a chance to go over them.

Rising Bollards

These have become pretty popular in Europe, and are electronically programmed to only allow access for buses and emergency personnel, rising up from beneath the ground to block all other vehicles. They tend to entrap vehicles into crashes with their deceptively slow rising action. Drivers often attempt to drive through right after a bus passes through, only to find the bottom of the car skewered and resting above the ground. They’re a good idea to ease traffic by separating buses and cars, but it seems like they can cause more problems as well by tempting fearless drivers. You can read more about my thoughts on these here.

Telescopic Bollards

These are essentially the same as rising bollards, only not automatic. Sitting in the ground, these posts can be raised and lowered with the use of a key, giving people easy access to a location without having to worry about storage or vehicle clearance requirements. They get their name from their relatively short telescope-length stature.

Temporary Curbs

Some bollards are available in a temporarily-placed curb. The device is comprised of many plastic paddles or bollards that are connected in a single line. They are entirely useful for larger areas that need to be quartered off in emergency situations, or to add more borders for parking lots.

Their Invisibility Says Something

We never seem to realize just how much protection is put into action. Cities, parks and other locations are very good at strategically placing their security posts, keeping them working for us as a transparent army while allowing the environment to consume our attention. We see them everywhere, but it really shows the dedication of the manufacturers and installers when they can be everywhere and seemingly nowhere at the same time.

Cities often seem to be the locations that contain the most security. Everything from terrorist attacks and robberies to drunk-driving incidents can easily be deterred and blocked when offending drivers do finally notice the implemented protection. It’s always impressive when I go out now and actually pay exclusive attention to how so many locations are protecting us. Everything from a seemingly decorative row of plants to dimly-lighted posts illuminating a night pathway are there to see to it that we get to our destinations safe and sound, and is perhaps a reason not to be as fearful about our wellbeing as we’re often led to feel. I know I’m satisfied when I know what my town is doing to keep me, my customers and many others as safe as possible.

Omvergereden paaltje Compromized bollard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Why We Need More Bollards for Parks and Pathways

Bollard with mill Mill “Rijn and Lek” in the background, Wijk bij Duurstede in The Netherlands. (Photo credit: dirkjankraan.com)

English: Internally illuminated bollards, Orpington High Street. Picture taken by James Gray 14th Jan 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are unfortunately a lot of people out there who believe they truly are the kings of the road. Some are so desperate to get wherever they’re going that they’ll voluntarily drive down pathways meant only for authorized vehicles or even pedestrian trails. One of the problems I had in my neighborhood park involved teenagers who at night would drive down a narrow walkway as a shortcut to the parking lot, when they were really supposed to drive around to access it. Nobody ever got injured, thankfully, and bollards were set up soon after the township discovered what they were doing, but it was inexcusable behavior; how hard is it to drive fifty extra feet on an empty road, anyway?

Today I’ll describe why I believe bollards should be at every single park and pathway, where vehicles and people can be a little too close for comfort.

They may not move in the way of a moving vehicle, or follow us around if we fear a reckless vehicle driving near us, but we can be certain that traffic bollards (such as those manufactured by a company that specializes in them – an example: Traffic Guard), will not allow anything to drive through them without a fight. Stainless steel bollards work excellently in protecting everyone in parks, and one of the best things is: they don’t need many. A large group of bollards can be unsightly, but the nice thing about pathways is that they only typically require one at either end. Parking lots may require a few more, but I’d rather have added protection than worry about how it will look, not that they’re that obtrusive.

Collapsible posts are great because if emergency vehicles need to get through, all emergency personnel need to do is unlock and lower the post. They’re not high maintenance, either, because many models have locks on the top that avoid freezing and other weather conditions. They’re economically sound security measures—if a vehicle drives onto park property and damages trees, fences, or other property, it could cost a lot more to repair than when you simply have a couple of bollards to maintain. Bollards also don’t look as terrible as a torn up park.

Protecting People Should Always Go Above Aesthetics

Park owners might be reluctant to have bollards constructed at parking lots or on pathways because they’re worried about ruining the natural environment. Again, protecting the park and its visitors (and possibly nature’s inhabitants if it’s a forest preserve) should be top priority. A few strategically placed bollards won’t leave a huge visual scar on the property, and if they’re removable posts they can be taken out of the ground if necessary. Besides, even if they can sometimes be obtrusive, I’d much rather have to endure an eyesore than have to imagine what could’ve happened here.

Certain paths for authorized vehicles can even contain bollards at potentially dangerous twists and turns, leading into a swamp or other unsafe or preservation areas. People won’t be the only ones protected; the wellbeing of wildlife is just as important.

More Protection for Bikers

One thing about parks will never change: Bikers love them. Few things are more enjoyable than taking a bike to a forest preserve or recreational park, following designated trails that run for miles. Few things can be more devastating than a car accident that could have been avoided. At bike path entrances, different kinds of posts can be set up to allow only bikers to enter, so if the paths are wide enough there’s no confusion for drivers about whether or not it’s a road for motorists.

At areas where motorways and bike paths intersect in parks, sturdy bollards can stand at either side of the intersection, keeping motor vehicles from ramming into a biker about to pass. Simply having a stop sign won’t do much for overly eager drivers, and if a bike’s front wheel happens to stick out into the roadway, the bollards can help prevent the car from clipping it if they’re driving too close.

There Can Never Be Too Much Protection in Parks

That may sound like a bold statement, but the truth is that parks will never stop being a place for kids to run wild, walkers and joggers to enjoy themselves, and bicyclists to travel freely. This kind of place is exactly where safety measures should be maximized, effectively keeping cars and other vehicles away from pedestrians and wildlife using not only separate roads, but also physically resilient traffic posts.

These are simply my main reasons why Parks and Recreation departments everywhere should do what they can to install this kind of security system at all of these locations.

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