By David Shepardson
(Reuters) – The city of New Orleans has begun replacing security barriers along Bourbon Street before Wednesday's truck attack that killed at least 10 people and injured more than 30.
In response to vehicle attacks on pedestrian malls around the world, New Orleans has been in the process of removing and replacing barriers known as bollards that limit vehicle traffic on the Bourbon Street pedestrian zone. The barriers were first installed in 2017 before the NBA All Star Game as part of a $40 million security plan.
NOLA.com reported Wednesday that the old barrier at the intersection of Canal and Bourbon streets was removed several weeks ago and a replacement facility was in place. The newspaper quoted Bob Simms, who oversees security initiatives for the French Quarter administration, as saying the older barriers were “very ineffective.”
A 2017 report commissioned by the city stated that the French Quarter “is often densely congested with pedestrians and represents an area where a mass casualty incident could occur.”
The report said “the area also represents a risk and target area for terrorism, which the FBI has identified as a problem the city needs to address.”
New Orleans, which was the first to install bollards after other drive-by attacks around the world, said it is now installing removable stainless steel bollards that can be securely locked behind each crosswalk.
According to the city's website, the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of January, in time for the Feb. 9 NFL Super Bowl to be played about a mile away at the New Orleans Superdome.
New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver in the New Year's Eve attack was able to drive around the barricades. “Because of the deliberate mindset of this perpetrator – who went around the barricades to do this – he was hell-bent on creating the carnage and damage that he did,” she said.
