Police in Provincetown have started deploying mobile barriers on Commercial Street, the town's main commercial thoroughfare, to give additional protection to the thousands of pedestrians who fill the street on summer weekends.
Commercial Street is a narrow street that runs along the Provincetown waterfront and is lined with shops, restaurants, hotels, and apartments.
Especially during the summer months, the amount of foot traffic on Commercial Street dwarfs the number of cars. As a result, drivers are generally forced to crawl along the street at walking pace, yielding to throngs of bikes and pedestrians (Bradford Street, a parallel two-way street one block away, provides a more practical route for most motorized traffic).
According to a press release from the town government, "barriers will be deployed Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer and will also be used during the Carnival Parade and other major events and gatherings."
The barriers that the town is using are Archer 1200 Mobile Barriers, which are designed to immobilize vehicles that crash into them at high speeds.
The City of New Orleans deployed similar barriers along Bourbon Street this year after an attacker used a Ford F-150 to kill 14 victims and injure dozens of other people on New Year's Eve.
Provincetown officials stressed that its deployment of the new barriers "is not in response to any specific threat to Provincetown, but is a proactive step aimed at enhancing the safety and security of residents and visitors during our busiest months."
Last summer, the Provincetown Select Board briefly considered a proposal to ban bikes and scooters – but not cars or trucks – from the busiest section of Commercial Street downtown. However, an overwhelming amount of negative public feedback prompted the board to dismiss the proposal.
