Dollars for bollards: State rep. invokes New Orleans terror tragedy for road barriers

A Democratic lawmaker from Ann Arbor pointed to the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans in a pitch for new spending on road barriers.

Rep. Jason Morgan requested $5 million from state taxpayers to install retractable bollards for city street events. The money would be awarded to Ann Arbor’s Downtown Development Authority.

Bollards are vertical posts used as barriers. They are often found in parking lots and near storefronts.

“The recent tragedy in New Orleans highlights the importance of effective protection for both streets and sidewalks,” Morgan stated in his request. “The purpose of the bollard project is to provide a safe, cost effective, and efficient way to protect the public when downtown Ann Arbor streets are closed for events, gatherings, and seasonal activities.”

The New Year’s Day attack left 14 people dead, after Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck into Bourbon Street pedestrian traffic. Jabbar had an Islamic State of Iraq & Syria flag in his vehicle, according to a statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Ann Arbor development authority reported $31.7 million in revenue in 2024, according to its latest financial report, of which $31.5 million was unrestricted.

The authority also noted in its report that its evenue increased by $2.9 million in 2024, while expenses decreased by approximately $4 million — which would give it a net position increase of about $6.5 million.

Morgan did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Residents question how the public entity has spent money in the past.

Patricia Lesko is the founder of the Ann Arbor Independent and was a candidate for mayor in 2010, according to The Ann Arbor News.

“Former Ward 3 Council member Stephen Kunselman used to refer to the DDA as a ‘shadow government’ for good reason,” the Independent wrote in January 2022. “The DDA is skimming money from Ann Arbor’s downtown tax base and throwing it at ‘affordable housing,' 'land use,’ and ‘local food.’ Meanwhile, downtown sidewalks go uncleared of snow and ice in winter and are garbage-strewn in summer.”

The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority did not respond to a request for comment.

Editor’s note: CapCon characterized the Ann Arbor Independent as defunct. Subsequent to this article’s publication, Lesko reached out to CapCon. “The A2Indy is alive and well and has 276,000 readers,” she said. “I wrote about Morgan's $5M ask for the Ann Arbor DDA for bollards on May 20, 2025,” she added. CapCon regrets the error.