During major events such as New Year’s or Mardi Gras, the source said, city security plans call for parking large vehicles at the ends of Bourbon Street that are most vulnerable to high-speed vehicle attacks. But such measures, the person said, are not practical on a daily basis in the crowded tourist zone.

The quiet in New Orleans' famous French Quarter early Thursday morning was first cut by crews sweeping up trash -- then power washing Bourbon Street. The goal was to reopen it to pedestrians by the time the Sugar Bowl kicked off nearby,