The New Orleans Police Department will be restoring a pedestrian mall along Royal Street in the French Quarter that has been open to vehicular traffic since April 2021.

Beginning on Monday April 25, on the day following the return of the French Quarter Festival, the area of Royal Street between the northern curb of Bienville Street to the southern curb of Orleans Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic Monday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, the closure will be in effect between the hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. The pedestrian mall attracts numerous street buskers and fortune tellers in a stretch that contains numerous shops, art galleries and restaurants.

Businesses in the area will need to make accommodations regarding delivery logistics during these times.

This area of Royal Street was reopened to vehicular traffic in April 2021 to ease traffic congestion in the area due to the collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel at the corner of Rampart and Canal streets. Tourism has robustly returned to the French Quarter and the streets formerly blockaded during the cleanup of the hotel’s demolition have reopened.

Due to the French Quarter Festival’s crowd size, vehicular traffic will be restricted from 12 p.m. Thursday, April 21 through Sunday, April 24, at 8:30 p.m. No on-street parking or vehicular traffic into the French Quarter will be allowed between Iberville, North Rampart, Dumaine, and Decatur streets, except for vehicles vehicles issued special permits. French Quarter residents, employees and hotel guests will be allowed access at the discretion of police officers.

One longtime Royal Street busker, “Grandpa” Elliott Small died on March 8. A second line parade in his honor will be held on Wednesday, March 20, in his honor, concluding at the corner of Royal and Toulouse streets where he performed for decades.

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