# Bar gate > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bar_gate > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bar_gate.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_gate > Source revision: 1348530018 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{more citations needed|date=October 2025}} {{Short description|Bar that is used to block a road or passageway}} {{about|barriers for land vehicles|chains or other barriers to block rivers or harbours|boom (navigational barrier)}} {{distinguish|text=a [crossbuck](/source/crossbuck), which often accompanies a bar gate}} [[File:Animation of level crossing barriers lowering.gif|thumb|Animation of [level crossing](/source/level_crossing) booms lowering in [Queensland](/source/Queensland), Australia.]] thumb|right|A bar gate in the Netherlands. A '''bar''' ('''post''', '''pole''', '''beam''', or '''boom gate''',{{cite book |last1=Sinaga |first1=Rijoi |last2=Sihombing |first2=Filbert |last3=Muttaqin |first3=Maraghi |title=Automatic Parking Portal Mechanical System Design with DC Motor Development |page=255 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rvGGEAAAQBA |access-date=26 October 2023}} also known as a '''boom''' or a '''boom barrier''') is a beam or bar on a pivot used as a [gate](/source/gate). The boom is lowered to block vehicular or pedestrian access through a controlled point or raised to permit such traffic.{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/boom-barrier-to-jaywalking/cid/1410167 |title=Boom barrier to jaywalking |last=Chaudhuri |first=Monalisa |date=2018-07-02 |access-date=2019-03-17}} Typically, the bar has a 90° range of motion with a vertical raised resting position and a horizontal lowered resting position. Bar gates, especially manually operated ones, are often [counterweight](/source/counterweight)ed to allow easier manual control.{{cite book |last1=Sen |first1=Ar Prof Indranil |title=Theory of Architecture: Concept to Commissioning |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-93-5206-696-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yI6dCwAAQBAJ |access-date=26 October 2023 |language=en}} Bar gates are frequently paired end to end or closely offset to block traffic in both directions. Some bar gates also have a second arm which hangs 30 to 40 cm below the upper arm when lowered to increase approach visibility. This underbar typically hangs on links, so it lies flat with the main bar as the barrier is raised. Some barriers also feature a pivot roughly half way, where as the barrier is raised, the outermost half remains horizontal, with the barrier resembling an upside-down L (or [gamma](/source/gamma)) when raised. ==Automatic bar gates== There are various technologies for an automatic bar gate. One of them is electromechanical, which is widely used due to its reliability. The other technologies are often manufacturer specific. These electromechanical devices come with 24-volt direct-current drive units which can run continuously without generating heat, so electromechanical bar gates can be operated continuously and in an intensive duty cycle. An automatic bar gate can be operated through: * Push button * Key Selector * Remote control * [Radio-frequency identification](/source/Radio-frequency_identification) (RFID) tags / RFID reader{{cn|date=April 2025}} * Loop detectors{{cite book |last1=Chaulya |first1=Swadesh |last2=Prasad |first2=G. M. |title=Sensing and Monitoring Technologies for Mines and Hazardous Areas: Monitoring and Prediction Technologies |date=10 June 2016 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-12-803195-7 |page=114 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lvReBwAAQBAJ |access-date=26 October 2023 |language=en}} * Optoelectronic sensors * Automatic Number Plate Recognition Systems * Interlocking System with a parking management system * Bluetooth Access Control – Allows users to open the gate via a mobile app or paired Bluetooth device. * Biometric Access (Fingerprint/Face Recognition) – Enhances security by granting access based on biometric authentication. * Time-Based Access Control – Automatically opens or restricts gate access based on pre-set schedules. ==Usage== [[File:Münster, LVM -- 2017 -- 6272-8.jpg|thumb|Bar gates at the entrance and exit of a parking garage in [Münster](/source/M%C3%BCnster), Germany]] Bar gates are typically found at [level crossing](/source/level_crossing)s,{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Michael A. P. |title=Climate Change Adaptation for Transportation Systems |date=29 September 2020 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-12-816647-5 |page=244 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9WvqDwAAQBAJ |access-date=26 October 2023 |language=en}} [drawbridges](/source/Bascule_bridge), [parking facilities](/source/parking), checkpoints and entrances to restricted areas. They are also the usual method for controlling passage through [toll booth](/source/Toll_house)s,{{cite book |title=Innovative Business Strategies |publisher=Archers & Elevators Publishing House |isbn=978-93-83241-95-8 |page=180 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f41wEAAAQBAJ |access-date=26 October 2023 |language=en}} and can also be found on some [highway entrance ramp](/source/entrance_ramp)s which are automatically controlled to drop to restrict traffic in the event of accident cleanup or road closures without the need to dispatch road workers or law enforcement to use a vehicle to block the way. Some bar gates are automatic and powered; others are manually operated. Manual gates are sometimes hung in the manner of a normal gate (i.e. [hinge](/source/hinge)d horizontally). In some places, bar gates are installed across suburban streets as a [traffic calming](/source/traffic_calming) measure, preventing through traffic, while allowing [authorised](/source/Authorization) [vehicle](/source/vehicle)s such as [emergency service](/source/emergency_service)s and [bus](/source/bus)es to take advantage of the shorter and more direct route. ==See also== {{Commons category multi|Boom barriers|Level crossing barriers}} * [Four-quadrant gate](/source/Four-quadrant_gate) * [Toll collection technology](/source/Toll_road) ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} Category:Street furniture Category:Level crossings Category:Protective barriers Category:Railway buildings and structures Category:English inventions Category:Road infrastructure Category:Traffic calming Category:Types of gates --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bar gate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_gate) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_gate?action=history)). 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