Leading Pure IP Access Control Manufacturer Helps the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition Improve the Safety of NJ Commuters

Founded in 2009, The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition (NJBWC) is a statewide advocacy organization that provides a collective voice for those who believe that a safer, easier way to ride and walk in New Jersey will create a more livable and sustainable state. New Jersey is one of the most densely populated states in America, and it has become critical to protect its road users and provide additional transportation options to keep up with the volume of people who commute. NJBWC was formed to tackle the issues of commuter volume along with the overall safety of people when they are commuting in New Jersey.

For this purpose, the NJBWC introduced the bike depot at the Bay Street NJ Transit Station in Montclair, New Jersey. A bike depot is a location where commuters can safely secure their bikes in a weatherproof storage facility. “This is a real opportunity for the state and New Jersey Transit. There are 162 parking garages at train stations, and 99% of them are sold out of parking spaces. Days of moving to the suburbs and driving to the garage are over. People are driving to the shopping center or a mall, then parking and taking a shuttle, and then getting on the train to commute to work,” states Cyndi Steiner, Executive Director of the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition. “The bike depot really opens commuting options for people who live outside of the area—it’s more than a bike rack at a typical station.”

Security Challenges Faced:

The introduction of the Montclair bike depot came with some concerns regarding safety, theft, vandalism, and fraud. Bicycle thefts are very common in highly populated areas, so safety and security were a top priority for the NJBWC. With five more bike depots in planning development around the state of New Jersey, the NJBWC needed a centralized system to handle the surveillance and security for multiple locations. The timeliness of the resolution was also important, as the Bay Street NJ Transit Station parking garages are currently sold out with a 5-year waiting list.

In addition to a simple and complete solution, the NJBWC required a membership fulfillment process that is convenient for both commuters and the coalition. The ability for commuters to self-serve and register online for memberships freed up the coalition’s resources to provide cards to the commuters in a timely manner. A simple and efficient process would encourage more commuters to utilize the bike depot before taking the train into New York City.

ISONAS Provides The One and Only Solution:

To ensure there was complete security, NJBWC installed a fish-eye HD camera at the entrance of the bike depot that runs a live feed 24 hours a day and records the footage that is taken. Along with the camera, ISONAS PowerNet™ Reader-Controllers were installed directly on the entrance door of the bike depot. This provides exclusive access to any members that have the appropriate credentials. The ISONAS card reader stores all of the entries remotely, and the ISONAS software allows the coalition to monitor all access points in real time and access reports for all activity throughout the facility.

The ISONAS PowerNet’s pure IP technology provides the coalition with a true sense of security. The Pure IP technology is simpler and easier to install and provides flexibility and scalability one access point at a time. On this project, ISONAS partnered with a local dealer, Kintronics, to work with NJBWC on a smooth installation.

During the search for an access control solution, Steiner found ISONAS to be the only manufacturer that offered the NJBWC a centralized access control system with the flexibility to install in a remote garage as well as manage multiple bike depots from a centralized location. “The ISONAS solution gives us the level of security that we were looking for to help protect our bike depot members. In addition, it allows us to implement a membership fulfillment process that is efficient, easy to use, and makes the best use of our limited time and resources,” states Steiner. The ISONAS system provides the coalition the ability to print out ID cards for members creating a one stop shop for all of their needs.

“Helping the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition fully secure its commuters using this bike depot is something we are proud to be a part of. The pure IP technology that ISONAS provides gives customers the ability to control more than just doors. They can secure data racks, medical cabinets and even bike racks. Anywhere a CAT 5 cable can be installed, you can provide ISONAS Pure IP access control,” states Rob Mossman, CEO of ISONAS.

The ISONAS patented technology easily integrates with its Crystal Matrix windows-based software to deliver more simplicity, greater value, and total flexibility over physical access-point security. “With the pure IP access control system that we have designed, adding additional bike depots to the original system is an easy job to fulfill,” states Mossman. With the development of the first bike depot, all future additions will be connected remotely to the central command center via wireless access to the Internet. New depot additions will only require camera and card reader installations to make equipment set up and connection to the command center an easy task.

The Advantages of The New Access Control System For Commuters & The Coalition:

The ISONAS Pure IP access control system comes with multiple advantages, not only for the commuting people of New Jersey, but for the NJBWC as well. The ISONAS solution allows the NJBWC commuters a safe place to secure their bicycles, and creates peace of mind knowing the chance of theft is significantly reduced if not eliminated. Commuters and the NJBWC mutually benefit from a smoother membership fulfillment process, which is quick and efficient with the ISONAS system running in the background. The ISONAS system provides lower operating costs for the coalition with an effective membership process, a central point of management for all depot stations, and an ability to scale one depot at a time in the future. As more depots are added, the NJBWC will move to the ISONAS EasyWeb 2015 browser-based software that allows users to manage their credentials and monitor access points in real-time from anywhere.

Together both the NJBWC and ISONAS will surely assist the state of New Jersey to become a place where people can commute safely and properly secure their bikes without worry on a daily basis. Since the project initiation, more towns in the state of New Jersey are approaching the coalition requesting bike depots in their neighborhoods. The value and flexibility of the ISONAS pure IP access control system is capturing a wider audience than just New Jersey. The New York Bicycling Coalition has spoken to Steiner about their interest in beginning their own bike depots in New York City and providing the same commuting benefits to their citizens. As our communities and cities continue to grow, the need to seek alternative modes of transportation increases. The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition is at the forefront of this transition to new commuting options, and ISONAS is the solution to help them meet their goals efficiently and effectively for many more bike depots to come.