Summary
New Orleans is installing new 10-mph-rated bollards on Bourbon Street to replace failing barriers ahead of the Feb. 9 Super Bowl, despite knowing they can’t stop moderate-to-high-speed vehicle attacks like the deadly New Year’s Day incident that killed 14.
The city prioritized ease of use over crash safety due to maintenance issues with older barriers.
Critics argue the new system leaves vulnerabilities, as the engineering report showed vehicles could still exceed the bollards’ speed rating.
Officials face scrutiny over balancing security and daily operations in the crowded tourist zone.
They have street cleaning down to an art. It’s amazing to watch. Does the French Quarter often smell like a mixture of piss and vomit? Yes, because drunk tourists are consistently doing these things on the streets/sidewalks.
Not to mention all of the leftover trash from the various parades…imagine if there was no regular street cleaning.
It’s truly a spectacle to behold.
Ok. Here’s a crazy idea. We just…stop with the street cleaning and trash collection. First, pass a law that everything must be sold in biodegradable containers. Then, just let things lay wherever they are dropped! Over time, like archaeological sediment, all the trash dumped in the French Quarter will slowly compact, decompose, and turn into soil, thus raising the elevation of the ground. As the French Quarter is already one of the highest elevations in the city, this increased sediment will flow downhill, gradually raising the elevation of the entire city. Eventually, they won’t even need the dyke system anymore, as the whole city will be raised well above sea level! The city will be like one of those ancient Mississippian mound building cultures. Except this mound will mostly be composed of piss, vomit, and plastic beads.
I think the best part of this little thought experiment is that the solution is basically “fill new Orleans in with Garbage”
I wonder if you would be able to smell the different layers unique flavors as eras favor a certain alcohol cocktail over another. Could have a really famous scientist in 1,000 years that could tell you within a 20 year time period what layer some sediment came from by just taking a whiff.
I think microplastics and biohazards would come into play at some point, but sure, why not. Choose your own adventure.
They also don’t have alleys there so all the bar trash is just tossed in the front. It’s really a gross ass place.
I used to live there and yes, Bourbon St. is gross, but I was trying to say that it is cleaned regularly and very well. But it will also continue to be regularly trashed, so the cycle will continue indefinitely.