Cal Poly’s Recreation Center received an upgrade over the 2018 summer, complete with new cardio workout machines, a partially renovated floor mat and most notably, new gates.
The gate installment was completed in late August, but the real test of its efficiency came with the return of students for Fall quarter. Fall quarter is generally the busiest time of the year at the Recreation Center, contributing to an average of 6,500-7,000 entries per weekday.
So far, the new gates have proven to be a success, according to Associated Student Inc. (ASI) Director of Recreational Sports Greg Avakian.
“In the past, during our busy days and rush hour times, the entrance line would be out the door,” Avakian said.
However, during the first week of Fall quarter, Avakian said 275 people entered the gates in just 15 minutes, with no one waiting outside the door.
The new system has sensors, meaning that after entering your password and scanning your hand, the gate opens without any contact- unlike the turnstiles.
In addition, the new system comes with technology that allows for Recreation Center staff to control the number of entry and exit lanes.
“We originally had five turnstiles, three of which were entry and two of which were exit lanes. Now we have a total of six gates, generally set up to have four entry and two exit gates,” Avakian said. “However, all of the gates can change direction at any time to help with congestion in either direction.”
The primary goal of the switch was to ease the entry process for students in order to make the Recreation Center experience a better one.
“The new gates are so much faster and so much more efficient. They remind me of Disneyland,” Graphic communication sophomore Kaylee Kitayama said.
Other than the physical gates, the rest of the entry process remains the same. There are, however, new treadmills, stepmills and a renovated exercise floor on the south end of the building.
While Avakian could not provide a price tag for the cost of all the summer renovations, he said that all changes made to the Recreation Center are made within their budget with the intent of improving the experience for everyone.
“This is something we are really excited about,” Avakian said. “We designed the Recreation Center to be an escape, so having proper access, smooth access, is very important to us.”