Metro Police reviewing Lower Broadway safety protocols after deadly New Orleans terror attack

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - More than 220,000 people packed downtown Nashville on Tuesday night for the New Year’s Eve celebration.

Metro leaders have spent the past decade working to keep people safe and prevent an incident like the terrorist attack that killed at least 15 people in New Orleans early Wednesday morning.

New Orleans Police said more than 300 officers were on Bourbon Street when the attack happened, but the terrorist was able to drive around their safety barriers into the crowd.

On Lower Broadway, there are safety measures hidden in the crowd. They have been added since a 2015 study into the best way to handle the growing number of people walking along the road.

Starting in 2017, projects have widened the sidewalks along Broadway and replaced temporary gates with the current bollards to stop cars from going over the curb.

Josie Brown and her mother from Michigan came to Nashville for the first time over the holidays. They were amazed how much stuff happens in the busy downtown area but were relieved to see the safety barriers in place.

“It makes me feel safer,” Brown said. “It makes me feel like I don’t have to worry about anything. It definitely makes me want to come back again because I know they are thinking about these things.”

Parts of Broadway are also closed on weekend nights and for big events starting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Preparing for special events in our city, such as last night’s New Year’s Eve Big Bash, requires extensive planning by multiple police department components and our public safety partners,” Metro Police Chief John Drake said in a statement. “We use mobile barriers/gates as a part of those plans.”

Drake said the Entertainment District Unit was formed two years ago to provide an additional visible police presence along Broadway.

Metro Police are going to review the findings of the New Orleans terror attack investigation and make updates to Nashville’s safety protocols, Drake said.

Brie Ellerbrock and her husband traveled from New Jersey to Nashville for the new year, and said they were shocked to hear about what happened in New Orleans.

Ellerbrock said she felt very safe seeing police on every corner of Broadway and was able to safely cross the road without having to watch out for cars.

She would like to see more of the crossroads also closed near Broadway to keep cars even further away from the crowds.

“You want to feel safe,” Ellerbrock said. “You want to be able to go to all these bars, have a few drinks and know that there are safety measures in place and there are people watching.”

Just off Lower Broadway, there are multiple busy roads that do not have anything to protect people on the sidewalks.

Back in October, a man was killed and three of his family members were hurt when police said they were hit by a drunk driver who lost control on Commerce Street.

There are currently no plans to expand the bollards to other areas of downtown.