Turnstile installed at 64th Street

by ZACH VEILLEUX

A new full-height turnstile at Rockefeller’s 64th Street pedestrian entrance, installed August 3, has allowed the university to restore 24/7 access to the south campus from York Avenue. As a result, the existing entrance gate, which had been locked on nights and weekends since last November, has been reopened.

Pedestrians entering via 64th Street at any time must now swipe their ID cards twice, once to access the pedestrian ramp near Sophie Fricke Hall and a second time to reach the stairs leading to Peggy Rockefeller Plaza. “We closed the gate last fall after determining that the suspect who stole cash from a pocketbook in Weiss was able to gain access to the campus by tailgating a member of our community through the 64th Street gate,” says Michael Murphy, security operations manager. “It was clear that the existing gate was the weak point in our perimeter, so we shut it down until we could address the deficiency.”

More than 600 people use the gate on an average weekday and over 200 on a Saturday. Security and Plant Operations evaluated several options for restoring round-the-clock access, but ultimately chose the combination of the gate and turnstile in order to best accommodate as many people’s needs as possible, including residents, staff and families who need to access the Child and Family Center with strollers. Those carrying bulky items that do not fit easily through the turnstile can bypass it by going through Sophie Fricke Hall.

“We work to strike a balance between convenience and protection, and we believe this solution significantly enhances security while also restoring overnight and weekend access to workers and residents,” Mr. Murphy says.