City leaders are considering installing a permanent barrier system along Bourbon Street more than a year after a terror attack prompted temporary barricades to be placed along the famous French Quarter corridor.
Officials say the proposed swing gate system could cost about $1.5 million and would allow the city to more easily control when vehicles can enter Bourbon Street.
Right now, every night New Orleans police officers manually move temporary barricades into place along Bourbon Street to prevent cars from driving down the busy corridor after crowds gather.
Vehicles are not supposed to drive along Bourbon Street after 6 p.m., but cars can still cross the corridor at certain intersections. Officers often have to push and reposition the barricades to allow vehicles to cross before closing the street again.
City leaders say permanent swing gates could make that process faster and more secure.
According to city plans, the gates would be crash-rated at 40 miles per hour and designed to swing open in both directions. The system would allow officers to quickly open and close access points while still allowing emergency responders, deliveries and nearby hotels to access the corridor when necessary.
The Department of Public Works would be responsible for opening and closing the gates, while officers from the NOPD 8th District would respond to any emergency issues involving the barriers.
Maps presented by city officials show the gates being installed at multiple intersections along Bourbon Street to control when vehicles can enter the corridor.
City leaders estimate the project could cost about $1.5 million. That includes roughly $1.3 million for the barriers themselves and about $190,000 for installation.
The proposal comes after taxpayers have already spent significant money on temporary security barriers along Bourbon Street.
State records show Louisiana leased 32 SecureGuard barriers for nearly $28,800 per week ahead of Super Bowl festivities and the Mardi Gras season in 2025. Those rentals cost taxpayers about $900,000.
After Mardi Gras, the City of New Orleans took over the cost of renting the barriers.
Public records obtained by WDSU also show the city paid more than $158,000 to rent barriers used along Bourbon Street and in the French Quarter over a nine-month period in 2025.
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser criticized the continued use of temporary barriers during an interview last year.
“Renting these things at twenty-eight thousand a week is a waste of money. Somebody’s getting rich off it,” Nungesser said.
Nungesser said installing a permanent solution earlier could have saved taxpayers money.
“If we’d done a permanent solution right after the terrorist attack, we would have saved probably millions of dollars,” he said.
One Bourbon Street business says it was about time and said the sooner the better.
Employees at Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar say they regularly see close calls as pedestrians move through the crowded corridor while vehicles still cross intersections.
Tourists visiting the area also said they have noticed the challenges of navigating the busy street when cars and crowds mix together during the day.
A security report commissioned after the Bourbon Street attack also recommended more permanent changes to how the corridor is used.
The report by security consulting firm Teneo suggested the city consider making Bourbon Street permanently pedestrian-only in order to reduce the risk of vehicle incidents in crowded areas.
The report recommended creating a hardened perimeter along Bourbon Street that would restrict most vehicle access while still allowing emergency vehicles, deliveries and other essential traffic.
Security consultants noted that temporary barriers, such as those currently used along Bourbon Street, are not designed to stop a determined vehicle and require constant manpower to move and monitor.
City officials have not announced plans to make Bourbon Street permanently pedestrian-only, but the proposed swing gate system would allow leaders to more easily control when vehicles can enter the corridor.
City officials say the permanent gates are still under consideration and no timeline has been set for installation.
The mayor’s office confirmed Mayor Helena Moreno and Deputy Mayor Michael Harrison recently met with the New Orleans Police Department to discuss the proposal.
For now, officers will continue using temporary barricades each night while city leaders evaluate whether to move forward with a permanent system.
READ MORE:New Orleans considering $1.5M swing gates for Bourbon Street to replace temporary barricades
