Can Bourbon Street go car-free? City leaders to decide
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Many people skip the sidewalks and walk on the roadway on Bourbon Street. Photo: David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Bourbon Street's fate is in the hands of Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the New Orleans City Council.
Why it matters: Security experts say vehicles should be permanently banned from the majority of the city's most famous street.
The big picture: The pedestrianization of Bourbon Street is a controversial move that was decried by residents and street entertainers at a French Quarter town hall last month.
- NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, who led that meeting, acknowledged Wednesday that a full closure is the "gold star" for security, but local leaders will have to decide what's acceptable for the community.
- The proposals will most affect French Quarter residents and businesses, she said, so their voices will be centered in the conversation going forward.
Catch up quick: The New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation hired Teneo on behalf of NOPD to advise the city on counterterrorism after a man drove a truck through Bourbon Street on New Year's Day, killing 14 people and injuring 57 more.
- Teneo's report offers pages of recommendations for improving security in the French Quarter and elsewhere in the city during Mardi Gras.
- The report also highlights the need to increase NOPD's staffing levels and improve its intelligence-gathering efforts.
Between the lines: NOPD has struggled for years to bolster its ranks.
- Kirkpatrick did not appear surprised when speaking at a press conference Wednesday about the recommendations in Teneo's report, saying department leaders are working through those weaknesses.
How it would work: Teneo recommends permanently closing the first nine blocks of Bourbon to vehicles, including cross streets, from Canal to Dumaine streets.
- That would extend the current entertainment district on Bourbon Street by a block.
- Barricades would be installed at all entry points to block vehicles. Security gates like those used at Kensington Palace are one of the proposals.
- Deliveries would happen during a specific window, Teneo suggests, with exceptions for emergency vehicles, hotel drop-offs and "other essential services."
The friction point: About 3,000 people live in the French Quarter, says Erin Holmes, executive director of the Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents and Associates organization.
- Residents need access for deliveries, repairs and other day-to-day life tasks, she said. Same for businesses.
- She's also concerned about structural damage if heavy delivery vehicles are concentrated on a specific route through residential areas.
- The current proposal of a hard 24/7 closure is "not realistic or attainable," she said, adding that Teneo focuses on security, not urban planning concerns.
Zoom in: The decision to close Bourbon Street would ultimately have to come from Cantrell and the City Council, Kirkpatrick said.
- Councilmember Freddie King III represents the French Quarter. His spokesman says they are reviewing the recommendations and talking with stakeholders.
- Cantrell on Monday also said she is reviewing the report.
- Neither had a timeline available for next steps.
Meanwhile, Teneo also recommends fully closing St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street while parades are rolling.
- Those kinds of temporary closures fall under NOPD's purview, Kirkpatrick said.
- NOPD thought about making the change last Mardi Gras, she said, but went with a serpentine course instead after St. Charles residents pushed back.
What's next: Cantrell and City Council members say they are reviewing the recommendations.
Go deeper: Full report