Mayor O’Connell reviewing options to improve Lower Broadway safety after New Orleans terror attack

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The investigation into the deadly terrorist attack in New Orleans continued Friday as people in Nashville are pushing for changes to protect crowds on Lower Broadway.

Mayor Freddie O’Connell said keeping Nashvillians safe is his top priority, and Metro Nashville is already well ahead of other cities in efforts to protect crowds downtown.

Lower Broadway is lined with hundreds of steel and concrete bollards that are designed to stop a moving 15,000-pound truck, O’Connell said. Projects over the past decade have also widened the sidewalks to handle growing crowds.

Metro Police also close the road on weekend nights and for other big events, but O’Connell said the Nashville Department of Transportation has already been working on plans to replace the current moveable barriers with permanent retractable bollards that will pop out of the ground when needed.

READ MORE: Metro Police reviewing Lower Broadway safety protocols

People WSMV spoke with following the New Orleans attack said they would like to see crossroads closed near Broadway to keep cars further away from people. O’Connell said he is open to the idea to improve safety when large crowds are present.

“I think there is always going to be this question of the balance,” O’Connell said. “Between ensuring that people can celebrate and then making sure everything about the area where people are choosing to congregate in large numbers is as safe as it can be.”

O’Connell spent New Year’s Eve between Bicentennial Park and the city’s emergency operations center. He said it was impressive to see the detailed response that goes into the Metro Police protocols for major events.

Metro Police Entertainment District unit inspector Preston Brandimore said they spend weeks leading up to an event monitoring any possible threats around the world to constantly evaluate plans.

Local, state and federal law enforcements agencies all work together to mitigate risks to people trying to enjoy an event. The response plan for every event is different.

“Each one is specific, and instead of just throwing a cookie cutter approach, we try to really dial in on our planning process,” Brandimore said. “To make sure that what we are applying to it is practical, it’s needed, and if there is something missing, that is when we rely on our partners to help fill gaps.”

There are 30 officers dedicated to patrolling the Entertainment District, Brandimore said, in addition to Central Precinct officers who assist during busy times.

Police use a layered approach to protection. Brandimore said it includes officers in the roadway, small barricades and even police cars blocking possible threats from getting near crowds.

Brandimore and O’Connell said it is unlikely Lower Broadway will ever be permanently closed to cars because it is a state road. Instead, police will work with NDOT to monitor crowds and block off traffic when needed.

“Nashville isn’t the same Nashville it was 20 years ago,” Brandimore said. “There are more residents that live downtown that need access to different parts of Lower Broad and the city. It’s one of those things, I think, like when you evaluate any major event, special event, you are not close-minded about anything. You are always open to conversation and dialogue to see if you have the best practice in place.”

O’Connell said the city is also unlikely to add bollards along other downtown roads, like Commerce Street where a man was killed and three of his family members were hurt after police said a drunk driver went onto the sidewalk in October.

The mayor will continue to focus on the high injury road network and NDOT’s Vision Zero plan. He said they will follow recommendations as quickly as the city can to improve road safety for drivers and pedestrians.