Electronic gates installed at TU parking garages
By: Caitlyn Freeman, Editor in Chief and Mikey Olszewski, Staff Writer
Towson University has implemented an electronic gate system for overnight access to its four parking garages, the university announced Wednesday.
Beginning on Aug. 22, access to Union, West Village, Towsontown and Glen parking garages will be restricted to active students, faculty and staff from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. daily, according to a TU Today article. OneCards must be swiped to gain access during restricted hours.
Overnight, the garages can be accessed through the following entrances:
| Parking Garage | Overnight access point |
| Glen | Third level entrance via Cross Campus Drive |
| Towsontown | Ground level entrance via University Avenue (across from the College of Liberal Arts) |
| Union Parking | Ground level entrance via Osler Drive |
| West Village | Ground level entrance via Emerson Drive (across from Marshall Hall) |
All other entrances to the garages will be closed. Further, the university said those without a valid OneCard should utilize surface parking lots during overnight hours.
Any exit can be used to exit the garages.
The university began monitoring the overnight activity within the garages in response to the on-campus shooting injuring three people that occurred on Sept. 4, 2021, during a large, non-university-affiliated event that occurred on campus.
Senior Nathaniel Johnston said he supports the new security measure but is unsure of how effective it’ll be long-term.
“If people really want to be here I don’t think the gate is going to stop them, but sometimes simple deterrents like the gates can make things complicated enough to change people’s minds,” Johnston said. “I think they will probably help to improve campus security to some degree, but I don’t think they should be considered as a stand-alone solution.”
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Similarly, junior Rebecca Kiewe said she doesn’t think the gates will improve campus safety
Before the gates, the garages were monitored by overnight staff, who’d check students’ OneCards before entering the garages. According to Matt Palmer, a TU spokesperson, as the university transitions into fully utilizing the gates, the staff will remain at the gates until the system is fully operational.
The cost of the gates was not available at the time of publication.
