Subcommittee reviews bollard upgrade options, cost estimates for Capitol perimeter

Capitol staff reported on a near-term plan to replace and add bollard covers and posts around the Capitol plaza, describing the work as a pragmatic step to remove temporary Jersey barriers and improve pedestrian safety.

Suzanne summarized options for seven existing in-ground bollard posts and a proposal to install six additional posts and new decorative covers that match recently installed LED lighting at ground-level entrances. She described vendor pricing and logistics and said fixed covers are less expensive than removable covers; removal and replacement costs vary depending on whether the cover is removable for temporary vehicle access.

Suzanne said procuring 14 covers and matching posts would cost in the range of “between $30,000 and $40,000” for covers alone (staff cautioned this is an approximate figure and that vendors’ lead times vary). She also cautioned that bollards are a limited mitigation: they deter but do not prevent all vehicle-borne threats, and a more comprehensive perimeter plan requires coordination with the Capitol-area master-planning group, transportation partners and the State Building Commission.

Staff said any purchase and installation could be funded from the Capital Square preservation account if the subcommittee and construction-management staff recommend it; LSO and CMD will coordinate the memoranda of understanding and approvals needed for drawing on those accounts. Suzanne noted procurement lead times (a quoted vendor timeline was discussed) and said she would follow up with firm schedule details; staff said they would try to complete work before the July 10 Statehood Day celebration if schedules and funding allow.

The subcommittee did not take a formal vote on funding but asked staff to continue refining cost and schedule details and to coordinate with the master-plan working group so perimeter measures align with longer-term plans for street closure or plaza redesign.