Guide

How far apart should bollards be?

Two numbers decide bollard spacing: the narrowest gap a wheelchair needs, and the widest gap a car can’t squeeze through. Everything else is choosing where between them your site sits.

By the Safety Bollards team · Updated 2026-10-26 · Every spec below links to the manufacturer’s own page.

The short answer

Where	Clear gap between bollards	Why
Anywhere people walk or roll between posts	36 in (915 mm) minimum	The minimum clear width of a walking surface in the ADA Standards (403.5.1), measured from the widest point of each post.
To stop a passenger car	About 5 ft (1.5 m) maximum	Wider gaps “may allow smaller vehicles to pass through” (TrafficGuard).
Crash-rated (anti-ram) lines	48 in (1.2 m) or less, or the spacing in the system’s test report	Delta Scientific gives 48 in as the maximum for effectiveness; a rated line is only rated at its tested spacing.

Measure the clear gap between the faces of the posts (or their covers), not centre to centre. A 6 in post at a 4 ft clear gap sits about 4 ft 6 in on centre.

Why 36 inches

The 2010 ADA Standards set the clear width of a walking surface at 36 in (915 mm) minimum, with short pinch points of 32 in (815 mm) allowed for no more than 24 in of length. They’re a U.S. standard, but they’re the figure manufacturers quote, and TrafficGuard’s install guide puts it the same way: keep at least 3 ft between posts for people with disabilities, measured from the furthest protrusion of the bollard.

In Ontario, public outdoor paths are covered by the Design of Public Spaces part of O. Reg. 191/11, which sets its own path widths. If your bollards sit on a public path in Ontario, check that regulation (and your municipality’s standards) for the width the path must keep.

Why about 5 feet

TrafficGuard’s guidance is to keep bollards no more than 5 ft apart, because larger gaps may let smaller vehicles through; 5 ft covers the minimum width of a car. Inside that limit, tighter is stronger: more posts share the hit.

Worked example: a 12 m storefront

Pick the gap: 4 ft (1.2 m) clear, comfortably between 36 in and 5 ft.
Add the post: 6 in pipe is about 0.15 m, so posts sit about 1.35 m on centre.
Divide the frontage: 12 m ÷ 1.35 m = 8.9, so 9 spaces, which needs 10 bollards (one at each end).
Spread them evenly: 12 m over 9 spaces is 1.33 m on centre, a clear gap of about 1.18 m. Never wider than asked.

The site-plan builder does exactly this for each run you add, and draws the run to scale so you can see it.

Other things that change the spacing

Doors and fire routes. A gap that must let a vehicle through gets a removable or retractable bollard rather than a wider space.
Gas meters, transformers, EV chargers. Protect the equipment on every side a vehicle can reach, and leave the working clearance the utility or the equipment maker asks for.
Crash-rated lines. Use the spacing in the system’s test report; see crash ratings.
Local rules. Building codes, municipal standards and fire-route rules can override general guidance.

Questions

Is bollard spacing measured centre to centre?

Accessibility minimums are clear gaps, measured from the widest point of each post (including any cover). Quote and plan in clear gaps, then add the post diameter to get the centre spacing.

How many bollards do I need for 30 m of frontage?

At a 1.2 m clear gap with 6 in posts, about 24 bollards (23 spaces of about 1.3 m on centre). The site-plan builder works it out for any length, gap and diameter.