Pedestrian speed gates

Pedestrian speed gates keep people moving through controlled entrances at a fast walking pace. Glass lanes open on authorisation and close behind each person, which suits stations, offices and venues with heavy peak flows. ArxBridge supplies and installs speed gate lanes across the UK.

• Fast lanesWalking pace throughput
• Glass panelsSwing or sliding leaves
• Reader integrationCard, fob and biometric readers
• UK wideSurvey, supply and installation

Pedestrian speed gates explained

A pedestrian speed gate is a lane formed by two cabinets with glass leaves between them. The leaves stay closed until the reader authorises the person approaching. They open just long enough for one person to walk through, then close behind them.

The difference from a turnstile is pace and feel. There is no rotor to push and no barrier to wait for: the lane reads the credential while the person keeps walking. That makes speed gates the right choice where queues must clear quickly, such as the morning peak in an office tower or the gateline of a busy station.

Wide lanes take wheelchairs, luggage and pushchairs, so an accessible route can run through the speed gate line itself rather than through a separate gate. Standard lanes handle the general flow, and the mix of lane widths is set from the expected profile of users.

Picking the rating for pedestrian speed gates

Speed gates are specified by lane type and detection level rather than a forced entry rating. Match the configuration to the flow rate and the level of supervision.

Speed gates manage authorised flow; they are not a forced entry barrier. Where the entrance must also resist attack, an LPS 1175 rated doorset on the same line carries the rating while the gates handle the people.

Specifier note. Glass leaves deter casual misuse but they are not a security barrier. If the risk assessment calls for resistance to forced entry, put the tested rating on the doorsets and use the gates for flow control.

How pedestrian speed gates work

Each lane has a reader on the entry cabinet, sometimes on both cabinets for two way control. The person presents their credential a step or two before the leaves, and the lane opens as they reach it. Infrared beams across the lane track the person through, and the leaves close once the lane is clear.

Tailgate detection uses the beam pattern to spot a second person entering on one authorisation. The response is configurable: the leaves can close, stay open with an alarm, or alert the control room while letting the flow continue. The choice depends on whether stopping the intruder or keeping the queue moving matters more at that entrance.

On fire alarm the leaves open to give a clear passage. Wide lanes double as accessible escape routes, and the whole line can be set to free passage for evacuation. Power failure behaviour is agreed at design stage to match the fire strategy.

Pairing pedestrian speed gates with other ratings

Speed gates sit inside a wider entrance strategy. Hostile vehicle mitigation outside the building keeps the threat at the kerb, while the gates manage the people coming through the doors. For sites in scope of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, the gates form part of the physical measures considered under the Martyn’s Law guide; the Act does not mandate specific products, so the specification follows the risk assessment.

Where a forced entry rating is needed on the same elevation, rated doorsets carry it. Security portals can guard the route to the most sensitive floors while the speed gates handle the general lobby flow. Doors on the escape routes beside the gate line use fire and security doors where both ratings are needed in one assembly.

Typical uses for pedestrian speed gates

Transport hubs use speed gate lanes at gatelines and premium lounges, where thousands of authorised movements must clear without queues building. Public spaces such as stadia and arenas use them at member and staff entrances.

Corporate offices use speed gates in the ground floor lobby to separate the public area from the lift core. Education campuses use them at library and sports facility entrances where student cards already provide the credential.

What sets the cost and lead time for pedestrian speed gates

Lane count drives the price: each lane needs cabinets, leaves, readers and power. Wide accessible lanes cost more than standard lanes, and bespoke cabinet finishes add manufacture time. The detection level matters too: basic one person per passage lanes are simpler than lanes with full tailgate detection and alarm integration.

Integration with the existing access control and visitor management platforms takes commissioning time, particularly where lift destination control or muster reporting is involved. Floor works for cable routes, power at each cabinet, and the approval cycle with the client team all affect the programme. A site survey and a clear brief are the only reliable basis for a quotation.

Specifying pedestrian speed gates

1. Measure the peak flow. Count the people who must pass in the busiest fifteen minutes.
2. Set the lane mix. Decide how many standard lanes and how many wide accessible lanes the flow needs.
3. Choose the detection level. Basic passage control or full tailgate detection with alarms.
4. Agree the fire behaviour. Confirm how the lanes open on alarm and on power failure.
5. Confirm the interfaces. Readers, the access platform, visitor management and any lift integration.
6. Request a detailed quotation. Send layouts, lane counts and the flow figures for a fixed proposal.

Frequently asked questions