NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — After the deadly terrorist attack on Jan. 1, a petition is now being organized to turn parts of the French Quarter into "around-the-clock" pedestrian-only malls. "It is a surreal thing to happen right in your backyard," said French Quarter resident Chris Olsen. Olsen lives and works in the French Quarter and he says the deadly terrorist attack must not be glossed over by city leaders. Louisiana remembers Drew Dauphin "The status quo left 14 people dead and we can't let that happen again. For a long time we've seen stagnation and we want to see something change," he said. (WGNO) So he started a Change.org petition to make both Royal and Bourbon streets pedestrian only. Currently, Royal is supposed to be pedestrian-only from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Bourbon Street is supposed to be closed to cars from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly. "This might be new for New Orleans, but it is not something new in the world. There are Scandinavian, European, and South American countries that have pedestrian zones that are just as big as the entire French Quarter," Olsen said. New Orleans barriers to prevent vehicle attacks were in the process of being replaced Olsen believes that the reality is that he needs to at least try to put up a good fight. "I think that having cars or allowing cars can prevent this type of attack in the future," Olsen said. Olsen plans to take the petition to the New Orleans City Council next week. City Council Vice-President JP Morrell says he and his staff considered turning the French Quarter into a permanent pedestrian mall after last 2024s French Quarter Fest. If you are interested in signing the petition, visit the Change.org website. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts 1800s Shreveport ads could be blueprint for attracting history lovers to region Map shows hazardous air quality due to California fires Environmental activist from Arcadia, La. missing since Dec. 21 Tren de Aragua gang linked to murder of immigration agent High-speed DPS pursuits of smugglers put residents' lives at risk, Escobar agrees