CITY OF NEW ORLEANS ISSUES PUBLIC SAFETY
REMINDERS AHEAD OF MARDI GRAS PARADES
NEW ORLEANS — Today, Mayor Cantrell and City of New Orleans public safety officials provided safety, transportation, and parade information ahead of 2020 Mardi Gras festivities. Residents and visitors are encouraged to text MARDIGRAS to 888777 to receive ongoing updates throughout the Carnival season.
Public Safety
Five days of the 2020 Carnival season have been given level-two status in the Special Events Assessment Rating (SEAR) program administered by the federal Department of Homeland Security. While the SEAR level does not indicate any specific threat against Mardi Gras, it does reflect the magnitude of the event, opening up additional federal public safety resources to assist. On the parade routes and in the French Quarter, there will be an enhanced presence of federal law enforcement officers and physical protective measures, as well as public safety support in the air and on the water. Federal assistance will come from the Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. Secret Service, and other agencies.
The New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP) will activate the City’s Emergency Operations Center to monitor all Carnival parades, staffed by representatives from local, state, and federal public safety agencies and infrastructure partners. Light towers, vehicle barriers, cameras, extra public safety personnel, and additional protective measures will be strategically placed throughout the French Quarter and along parade routes. Analysts with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the State Police’s Fusion Center will also be embedded in the City's Real-Time Crime Center to ensure public safety coordination.
Officers with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), Louisiana State Police (LSP), and other law enforcement agencies will be on patrol in large numbers in the French Quarter, Central Business District, and along parade routes. As always, the City is asking residents and visitors to please take care in large crowds and report any suspicious activity to public safety officials.
First Aid Stations
Sponsored by LCMC Health, first aid stations will be located along parade routes and will be staffed by the New Orleans Health Department, Emergency Medical Services, and the Medical Reserve Corps. Parade goers are encouraged to go to a first aid station if in need of medical assistance. However, always call 9-1-1 or find the nearest first responder during a medical emergency. On parade days, stations are open one hour before the first float of the first parade and until crowds disperse. First aid stations will be located at:
- St. Charles Avenue & Napoleon Avenue
- St. Charles Avenue & Washington Avenue
- St. Charles Avenue & Felicity Street
- St. Charles Avenue at the Circle
- St. Charles Avenue & Poydras Street
- St. Charles Avenue & Canal Street
- Orleans Avenue & N. Hennessey Street (on Feb. 22 for Endymion only)
- N. Carrollton Avenue & Bienville Street (on Feb. 22 for Endymion only)
Lost Children Stations
Lost children stations are staffed by the New Orleans Police Department. Because most families are quickly reunited near the area they were separated, the public is encouraged to tell the nearest public safety official if a child is lost. On parade days, stations are open one hour before the first float of the first parade and until crowds disperse. Lost children stations will be located at:
- St. Charles Avenue & Napoleon Avenue
- St. Charles Avenue & Jackson Avenue
- Canal Street & Carondelet Street
- Canal Street & N. Pierce Street (on Feb. 22 for Endymion only)
- Canal Street & N. Broad Street (on Feb. 22 for Endymion only)
- Poydras Street & Loyola Avenue (on Feb. 22 for Endymion only)
Transportation
Residents and visitors should expect heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the areas surrounding the French Quarter, Central Business District, and along parade routes. The City encourages parade goers to use alternatives to driving to get to parades, including by bus or streetcar, by ride share, on foot, or by bike or bike-share via Blue Bikes. As always, be patient, build extra time into travel, and do not drink and drive. Avoid parking illegally to keep intersections clear for first responders in case of emergency. A list of safe travel tips to get to parades is available at ready.nola.gov/mardi-gras.
Street Closures
Before parades begin or when crowd size warrants, the NOPD will close the route to vehicles. Plan ahead and avoid streets that intersect with parades. Additional intermittent closures will be necessary as parade elements travel across the city.
NOPD will also limit vehicles allowed to enter the French Quarter and will close some streets to vehicles completely. Only residents, employees, hotel guests, and taxis/TNCs will be allowed to drive vehicles into the French Quarter within the perimeter of Canal, Decatur, Dumaine, and N. Rampart streets starting 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21 through 5 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26. No vehicles will be allowed on Bourbon Street from Canal to Dumaine streets and on the 700 and 800 blocks of St. Ann, Orleans, St. Peter, Toulouse, St. Louis, Conti, Bienville, and Iberville streets from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. overnight Friday, Feb. 14 through Sunday, Feb. 16, Wednesday, Feb. 19, and Thursday, Feb. 20. These streets will be closed to vehicles 24/7 beginning 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21 through 5 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Road closures associated with the evacuation zone of the collapsed Hard Rock Hotel remain in place, including Canal Street from Burgundy to Elk streets and North Rampart Street from Bienville to Common streets.
RTA Impacts
The Regional Transit Authority has planned detours and service adjustments to help navigate during Mardi Gras. All parade detours start two hours before the parade start time and detours will remain in place until clean-up crews finish cleaning the parade route. All bus and streetcar lines not affected by parades will be on their regular routes. Due to increased traffic and pedestrian movements, bus, and streetcar routes may be delayed. The Algiers Point-Canal Street ferry will have extended hours starting February 14, while the Chalmette Ferry will operate on an adjusted schedule during the Mardi Gras season. A complete list of detours and maps is available in the 2020 Mardi Gras Guide.
Parking Restrictions
Numerous temporary no-parking zones will be in place throughout Carnival events. Parking is restricted along all parade routes two hours before and after parades to be sure parade elements and sanitation crews can access the street. Large enclosed vehicles will also be prohibited from parking on public streets within two blocks of a route four hours before and after each parade. That includes box trucks, cargo vans, trucks with port-a-lets, campers, recreation vehicles, and trailers.
Use the following tips to avoid getting ticketed or towed:
- Pay close attention to posted signs.
- Do not block hydrants, driveways, sidewalks, or fire lanes.
- Do not park within 20 feet of a crosswalk, intersection, or stop sign.
- Do not park on the neutral ground.
- Do not park for more than two hours without a permit in a Residential Parking Permit Zone.
- Park in the direction of travel on one-way streets and with the right wheel to the curb on two-way streets.
- Do not park on or block trails, including the Lafitte Greenway and Jefferson Davis Trail.
- A Parking Lot Event permit is required to charge people to park on your property during Mardi Gras. A property is only eligible for this permit if it is zoned commercially or is owned and occupied by a legal, non-residential use in a residentially zoned area.
Safe Crossings
New this year, the NOPD will offer "safe crossing" locations to allow pedestrians, bicyclists, and emergency vehicles to cross the parade route — as long as it is safe to do so — before and immediately after parades. Parade goers are reminded to always follow the instructions of emergency personnel on the route. On the Uptown route, the safe crossing will be located at Poydras Street. On the Endymion route, the safe crossing will be located at Galvez Street.
On the Parade Route
Again this year, the City will track the lead and tail of each parade in real time at its mobile-friendly website, routewise.nola.gov, which also displays the locations of permitted food vendors, first aid stations, lost child stations, and public restrooms. Plan ahead to enjoy parades.
Setting Up
New regulations this year outline the placement of personal items, including ladders, canopy tents, and grills on neutral grounds and sidewalks. Those items must not be placed earlier than four hours before the start of a parade and must not block intersections. Ladders need to be at least six feet from the curb and cannot be fastened together. Enclosed tents are not allowed at all. Any items left on the public right-of-way after the final parade of the day will be subject to removal by the Department of Parks and Parkways and the Department of Sanitation. Residents and visitors are also reminded that it is prohibited to fence or rope off public property, including areas of the neutral ground and sidewalks.
Public Restrooms
The Department of Property Management provides over 650 portable restrooms for public use along parade routes, whose locations are depicted on routewise.nola.gov. Portable restrooms are allowed on private property, however, a permit is required if you plan to charge a use fee.
Prohibited Items
Parade goers are reminded not to bring weapons to parades. Drones are also prohibited and the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary flight restriction during specific carnival activities.
Also new this year are regulations that ban krewe members from throwing boxes, non-biodegradable paper streamers, and empty, single-use plastic bags for bulk items from floats. To the extent possible, the City hopes to limit these items from clogging catch basins, blighting trees, and going into the landfill.
Trash & Recycling
In 2019, 1,080 tons of Mardi Gras trash were transported to the landfill. As a protective measure, the Department of Public Works will install “gutter buddies” — barriers that block solid objects from entering drains — along each parade route. Parade goers can also do their part to keep trash off of the streets, out of the drainage system, and away from the landfill.
Clean up your area before you leave, deposit trash in public receptacles, or bag, secure, and leave your trash on the curb for clean up crews to remove. Parade goers are asked to clear the neutral ground in advance of the cleaning crews immediately after the last parade of the day in an area. Stay away from heavy equipment used to clean up after parades and don't attempt to drive past clean-up crews. Volunteer groups, including Grounds Krewe and YLC Recycles, will also be collecting recyclables along the route during select parades this year. Details are at ready.nola.gov/mardi-gras.
Additionally, the Army Corps of Engineers has installed safety fencing and netting to protect newly planted trees on the neutral ground on Napoleon Avenue from pedestrians, beads, and other throws. Float riders and parade goers are asked to take care and help ensure the safety of the young trees.
Baby Rest Stop
Healthy Start New Orleans will be providing a free baby changing and breastfeeding station for families along the uptown parade route on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Baby Rest Stop will be located at Watson Memorial Teaching Ministries, at the intersection of St. Charles and Napoleon avenues.
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