Removable Crash-Rated Bollards in Fairfield, California Case Study

Founded in 1856 and incorporated in 1903, the city of Fairfield, California sits between the metropolitan cities of Sacramento and San Francisco, and with the construction of the Monticello Dam in 1957 became a centralized hub around the production of crops, raising of livestock, and more. The downtown area, which centers around Texas Street, sees large volumes of daily traffic alongside many events and festivals.

Once a year, the Fairfield Tomato & Vine Festival commences on Texas Street to celebrate California’s Heirloom tomato crop. With nearly 25,000 visitors participating in the festivities, the event has grown to feature multi-cultural food, music, dance, and art installations alongside a variety of special exhibits, with sponsors including Budweiser and the Suisun Valley Vintners and Growers Association.

Just before noon on August 23, 2021, during the 29^th anniversary of the festival, Fairfield Police responded to a vehicle collision in the downtown area. A driver suffering a medical issue had struck several parked cars along Texas Street, but upon approaching the festival grounds where people were gathered, his vehicle was luckily immediately halted by a barrier designed to keep traffic from entering.

This barrier was implemented in February of the same year when Fairfield’s Public Works Department began a citywide public safety project, including the installation of removable bollards in the downtown area.

To source a product that could ensure the safety of Fairfield’s citizens, Bennett Engineering Services selected our R-1009-40-R C40 Removable Crash-Rated Bollards, which are built to withstand a vehicle of up to 2,340 pounds travelling at 40 miles per hour with less than one meter (3.3 feet) of penetration, while simultaneously being simple to place and remove. These bollards were ordered alongside our R-7172 Decorative Plastic Bollard Covers, which protect the bollards from corrosion and wear while improving the aesthetics to suit the surrounding landscape.