Pedestrian Access Control Design: Throughput, Accessibility and Anti-Tailgating

Pedestrian access control has to do more than stop unauthorised people entering a building. A well-designed entrance also needs to move authorised users efficiently, accommodate people with different mobility requirements and provide enough physical control to reduce tailgating without creating unnecessary queues.

For offices, commercial buildings, apartment complexes, education facilities, industrial sites and other controlled premises, these requirements can conflict. A narrow or highly restrictive entrance may improve physical control but reduce throughput. An open entrance may move people quickly but rely heavily on monitoring and user behaviour.

The most effective approach is to design the entrance around three factors from the beginning: throughput, accessibility and anti-tailgating performance.

Start with the pedestrian flow, not the gate

Before choosing a turnstile or speed gate, document who actually needs to use the entrance and when they arrive.

A useful pedestrian access control brief should establish:

• Expected number of staff, residents, visitors and contractors.
• Peak arrival and departure periods.
• Whether traffic is primarily one-way or bidirectional.
• Whether users will carry bags, tools or equipment.
• Whether wheelchairs, mobility aids, pushchairs or trolleys need to pass through.
• The credential type, such as card, mobile credential, PIN, QR code or biometric identification.
• How visitors will be admitted.
• The required resistance to tailgating or unauthorised passage.
• What should happen during an emergency, power failure or system fault.

This information determines how many lanes are required and whether the entrance is better suited to a tripod turnstile, speed gate, swing gate, full-height turnstile or another controlled entrance arrangement.

For a comparison of the main formats, see our Turnstile vs Speed Gate vs Swing Gate guide.

Throughput is more than a people-per-minute specification

Manufacturers commonly publish a maximum or typical passage rate for pedestrian gates. These figures are useful for comparing equipment, but they should not be treated as the guaranteed capacity of the finished entrance.

Actual throughput depends on the complete access process.

A user may need to:

1. Approach the correct lane.
2. Locate the card reader or credential point.
3. Present the credential.
4. Wait for the access control system to authorise it.
5. Recognise that access has been granted.
6. Wait for the barrier to open.
7. Walk through the detection zone.
8. Allow the lane to reset for the next user.

Current manufacturer specifications demonstrate why equipment selection matters. Some modern optical speed gates are specified at approximately 20 to 30 people per minute in one direction, while other systems are rated for continuous passage of up to approximately 40 people per minute. The real project capacity can still be lower depending on the access control system, reader technology, user behaviour and entrance configuration.

Design for the peak five or ten minutes

Average daily occupancy is rarely the best figure for sizing an entrance.

Consider an office containing several hundred employees. The building may appear to need only modest access capacity when occupancy is averaged across an entire day. If a large proportion of employees arrive between 8:15 and 8:30 am, however, the entrance has to accommodate that short peak without forming an excessive queue.

The same principle applies to:

• Shift changes in warehouses and factories.
• School or university timetable changes.
• Apartment buildings during morning departure periods.
• Events and conference facilities.
• Transport-related buildings.
• Large commercial offices around normal starting and finishing times.

A practical design should model the busiest expected period and then include some spare capacity rather than sizing the entrance precisely to the theoretical maximum.

The credential can become the bottleneck

A fast speed gate cannot compensate for a slow or confusing authentication process.

Contactless credentials generally allow users to present a card, fob or mobile credential while approaching the gate. PIN entry takes longer because the user must stop and enter information. QR readers can be effective for visitor management but their position, scanning distance, phone screen condition and user familiarity can affect the speed of passage.

Biometrics introduce another set of considerations, including positioning, recognition time and how exceptions are handled.

This is why the reader, credential and gate should be considered as one system rather than separate products.

Essential Security Supplies carries access control readers and mounting solutions as well as a range of access control credentials for professional installations.

Accessibility has to be designed into the entrance

Accessibility should not be treated as an additional gate added after the main entrance layout has already been designed.

New Zealand Building Code Clause D1 covers access routes and requires applicable buildings to provide access that enables people with disabilities to enter and move within the spaces they are expected to use. MBIE guidance also highlights adequate activity space, accessible circulation and door hardware that can be used easily.

For pedestrian access control, practical considerations can include:

• A sufficiently wide controlled passage.
• Room to approach and exit the lane comfortably.
• Suitable reader height and positioning.
• Clear visual indication of the accessible route.
• Minimal thresholds or other obstacles.
• Safe barrier movement and appropriate detection.
• Sufficient opening time for users who move more slowly.
• An operating method that does not require unnecessary reach, strength or dexterity.

Exact compliance requirements depend on the building and project, so the applicable Building Code requirements, access route design and relevant specialist advice should be confirmed during the design process.

A wider lane should still be a controlled lane

One common mistake is to install several controlled speed-gate lanes and then place an ordinary manually operated gate beside them for wheelchair users, deliveries or trolleys.

If the wider route can simply be opened without the same access-control logic, it can become the easiest way to bypass the entire entrance system.

A better solution is usually to make the wider passage part of the controlled access system.

Depending on the selected equipment, a wider swing-gate or speed-gate lane can accommodate wheelchair users, mobility aids, pushchairs and some trolleys while still receiving an authorised access command and monitoring passage through the lane.

What is tailgating?

Tailgating occurs when an unauthorised person follows an authorised user through an access-controlled entrance without presenting their own valid credential.

It is one of the limitations of a conventional access-controlled door. The access control system may correctly record that one employee presented a valid card, but the open door can physically allow another person through behind them.

Pedestrian entrance-control equipment can reduce this gap by combining credential authorisation with controlled physical passage.

Detection and prevention are not the same thing

Anti-tailgating solutions should be evaluated according to what happens when an additional person enters the lane.

An optical system may use sensors to detect that more than one person is attempting to travel on a single authorisation. Depending on the product and configuration, the system can trigger an alarm, provide a local warning or generate an event for security staff.

A speed gate adds moving barriers that provide a stronger physical indication that passage is controlled.

A full-height turnstile provides significantly greater physical restriction because the pedestrian has to move through a rotating structure. This can suit perimeter and higher-security applications, although it changes the accessibility, throughput and user-experience requirements of the entrance.

The important distinction is whether the project needs to detect, deter or physically restrict unauthorised passage.

Do not solve tailgating by making the entrance difficult to use

Increasing security does not automatically mean making a gate slower, narrower or more intimidating.

In busy commercial environments, poor usability can create behaviours that undermine the security design. Users may hold gates open, crowd the detection area, use an accessible lane incorrectly or ask another person to badge them through.

A better design makes the correct process obvious:

• Readers are positioned where users naturally expect them.
• Credential feedback is immediate and understandable.
• Direction indicators clearly show available lanes.
• Barrier movement is predictable.
• Accessible lanes are obvious.
• Rejected credentials provide clear feedback.
• Visitors have a separate and understandable process.

Security and usability are not opposing objectives. A well-designed entrance can improve both.

Separate regular users from visitor exceptions

Employees or residents normally pass through an entrance quickly because they already have a credential. Visitors create a different workflow.

If every visitor has to stand beside a speed gate while reception manually determines how to admit them, congestion can develop directly in front of the controlled lanes.

Where visitor volume is significant, consider a separate visitor process using options such as:

• Reception verification.
• Video intercom.
• Temporary QR credentials.
• Time-limited mobile credentials.
• Temporary PINs where appropriate.
• Pre-registered visitor credentials.

Our guide to modern visitor access using intercoms, PINs, mobile credentials and QR codes covers these options in more detail.

Plan entry and exit separately

Entry and exit do not necessarily require identical control.

A site may require strong credential verification on entry while allowing free or automatically authorised exit. Another facility may need controlled movement in both directions so occupancy or anti-passback rules remain meaningful.

Bidirectional lanes also need clear signalling so people approaching from opposite sides understand who has priority.

The required operating mode should therefore be documented for:

• Normal entry.
• Normal exit.
• Visitor access.
• Deliveries.
• Accessible passage.
• After-hours operation.
• Emergency conditions.
• Power or network failure.

Emergency operation must be part of the original design

Pedestrian access control equipment sits on a route used by people, so emergency operation cannot be an afterthought.

The required behaviour depends on the equipment, building design, evacuation strategy and applicable compliance requirements. Gates may require fire-alarm integration, fail-safe behaviour or another defined emergency operating mode.

The security integrator should coordinate these requirements with the building designer, fire-system contractor and other relevant specialists rather than independently deciding how an entrance should behave during an emergency.

Integrate the gate with the access control platform

The physical gate is only one layer of the solution.

A complete pedestrian access control system may include:

• Access control controller.
• Card, mobile or biometric reader.
• Pedestrian gate controller.
• Position and passage sensors.
• Alarm outputs.
• Fire-system interface.
• CCTV coverage.
• Visitor management system.
• Network infrastructure.
• Backup power.
• Management software and audit logs.

Confirm how the gate receives an access-granted signal, what events are returned to the access control system, how forced or abnormal passage is reported and what functionality remains available if communications are interrupted.

See the Essential Security Supplies access control range for controllers, readers, locking products, credentials, mounting solutions and related equipment.

Consider CCTV at important pedestrian entrances

Tailgating detection tells the security system that something unusual may have occurred. CCTV can provide the visual context needed to determine what actually happened.

Camera placement should allow an operator to see the approach to the gates and the controlled side of the entrance without the gate cabinets, pillars or people consistently blocking the relevant view.

Where access control and video platforms support integration, an alarm or access event can also provide a useful reference for locating the corresponding video.

A practical pedestrian access design process

For most projects, the design process can be reduced to the following sequence:

1. Measure demand. Establish normal and peak pedestrian numbers.
2. Classify users. Separate staff, residents, visitors, contractors and deliveries.
3. Define accessibility requirements. Identify the controlled route and required passage arrangements.
4. Select the credential method. Consider how long real users will take to authenticate.
5. Determine the security objective. Decide whether the system needs to detect, deter or physically restrict tailgating.
6. Calculate lane requirements. Base this on realistic peak throughput rather than theoretical maximum capacity.
7. Plan exception handling. Cover invalid credentials, visitors, large items and assistance requirements.
8. Define emergency behaviour. Coordinate this with the appropriate building and fire specialists.
9. Integrate monitoring. Consider access events, alarms and CCTV.
10. Test the finished entrance. Test with different users and realistic peak traffic, not just one installer repeatedly presenting a card.

Common pedestrian access control design mistakes

Problems frequently begin before installation. Typical specification mistakes include:

• Choosing gates entirely from manufacturer throughput figures.
• Ignoring morning or shift-change peaks.
• Providing too few lanes.
• Adding accessibility only after the main layout is complete.
• Using an uncontrolled side gate as the accessible route.
• Positioning readers awkwardly.
• Allowing visitors to queue in front of regular users.
• Assuming every anti-tailgating system provides the same level of physical control.
• Failing to define emergency and power-failure behaviour.
• Installing CCTV without checking whether it actually captures the pedestrian passage.

Frequently asked questions

How many speed-gate lanes does a building need?

There is no universal number. Lane quantity should be calculated from peak pedestrian demand, realistic passage time, credential type, entry and exit patterns and the required spare capacity. Manufacturer throughput figures are useful inputs, but they should not be the only calculation.

Can a speed gate detect tailgating?

Many modern speed gates use optical or other sensor systems to monitor people moving through the lane and identify abnormal or unauthorised passage. The exact detection capability and response vary by model, so the manufacturer's current technical documentation should be checked for the selected product.

Can pedestrian access gates accommodate wheelchairs?

Suitable wider passage options are available for many pedestrian gate systems. The complete route, gate width, approach area, reader positioning, operating behaviour and applicable accessibility requirements all need to be considered rather than relying on passage width alone.

Are turnstiles better than speed gates?

They solve different problems. Tripod and full-height turnstiles provide different levels of physical restriction, while speed gates can provide faster and more visually open controlled passage. The correct choice depends on throughput, accessibility, security level, environment and user profile.

What is the difference between anti-tailgating and anti-passback?

Anti-tailgating relates to detecting or preventing multiple people passing on one valid authorisation. Anti-passback is an access control rule that tracks credential use and can prevent the same credential being used again in an invalid sequence. They address different problems and may be used together.

Design the entrance as a complete system

The best pedestrian access control installations balance security with the way people actually move through a building.

Throughput determines how many people the entrance must process. Accessibility determines whether the controlled route can be used appropriately by the people who need it. Anti-tailgating determines how effectively the system deals with someone attempting to pass without their own authorisation.

None of these should be specified in isolation.

Essential Security Supplies works with New Zealand security installers, integrators, electrical contractors and project teams supplying professional access control, pedestrian entrance control, intercom and related security equipment.

Planning a pedestrian access control project? Contact Essential Security Supplies to discuss the access control hardware, readers, credentials, mounting equipment and pedestrian gate options required for your installation.

Technical references

• New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Building Performance - Building Code Clause D1 Access Routes and accessibility guidance.
• Boon Edam - current Lifeline Speedlane and pedestrian speed-gate technical information.
• Gunnebo Entrance Control - current SpeedStile pedestrian gate technical information.
• Product-specific manufacturer documentation should always be checked during final system design and specification.