Design and hardware help to make a bar that opens both top and bottom latch of gate at same time

Trying to figure out how to make it easier to open my gates. Not sure why all residential gates get made with annoying latches but anywho….I was going to head to the store and get a wooden dowel and then drill new holes into the latches and connect said dowel. I may need to use little extenders to make the dowel squared off or however you term the wording for the dowel to be straight vertically even if it is attaching to two indirectly lined up points. Going to attempt it this morning and only now thought to post on this website as I’m a brand newbie to permies! Any input is greatly appreciated! *I still want to be able to use the big holes to lock the gate so I won’t be using those to attach the dowel.

Why do you need both latches?
Are the gates a bit 'wonky' and twist?
Would a small chain help?

From the apparent positions of the two different latches' hinge points, it looks like the connector rod would have to be on the street side of the gate. The lower latch looks like it has a clear attachment point for the connector at the end of the movable arm, but I don't see a place where the upper latch arm could be connected unless the pivot was dead flush with the arm surface (like a flat head screw). It doesn't look like there is any clearance on the post side of the latches for a connector rod, so it would need to be flat like a piece of steel bar, or somehow offset toward the gate side of the latches. It also looks like the two latches may need different amounts of vertical travel to operate; this could be addressed with the amount of extension beyond the catch point, but you do need to allow for any difference in travel required.

It doesn't seem like having the connector rod on the public side of the gate is a good idea, even from an esthetic standpoint. Functionally, the rod would be exposed to whatever is passing through the gateway and possibly snag or break on something. If you have access to welding, I think the best solution would be adding arms to the inside of the latches so the travel is safe from traffic and clear of the gatepost.

If I see the situation correctly, the hinges are on the inside and the gate swings into the yard rather than swinging outward towards the street. A connecting rod that you can pull up from either side and operate both latches seems to be the solution. Unless of course you just want to toss those latches and make a new system from scratch. I would not recommend a wooden connector rod as it will tend to warp in the weather over time. You can probably buy a short piece of square steel tubing and some self-tapping sheet metal screws and have a much more stable rod that will last forever. The screws may turn themselves loose over time, so a couple of cotter pins or clevis pins put through a drilled hole might be a better idea. Just drill through the latch and the tubing. Then slide the pin through the holes and secure.

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