Fri Jan 03 04:38:13 UTC 2025: ## New Orleans Bollard Failure Questioned After Bourbon Street Rampage
**New Orleans, LA** – A deadly vehicular attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, leaving 14 dead and dozens injured, has reignited concerns over the city’s preparedness for such incidents. A 2019 security assessment, obtained by the New York Times, warned city officials that existing bollards designed to prevent vehicle access to the famed tourist street were ineffective and vulnerable to “vehicular ramming.”
The report, commissioned by the French Quarter management group, specifically highlighted the bollards’ failure and urged immediate repairs. It also predicted that “vehicular ramming and active shooting” were the most likely terror attack methods.
While police stated that replacement of the faulty bollards began in November in anticipation of the upcoming Super Bowl, the work remained incomplete at the time of Wednesday’s attack. Authorities acknowledged that the attacker’s unexpected maneuver – driving onto the sidewalk, bypassing a parked police cruiser – was unforeseen. Captain LeJon Roberts, commander of the French Quarter police district, stated, “It wasn’t something that we expected to account for.”
The tragedy has prompted intense scrutiny of the city’s response to the 2019 security warnings and whether sufficient measures were taken to protect Bourbon Street, a major tourist destination, from a predictable threat. The investigation into the attack and the effectiveness of security measures is ongoing.
First Piper 