Canal at Bourbon has bollards which are big metal polls that retract into the ground so that they can let traffic through during the day. They exist all the way down Bourbon on the intersections. Some of the bollards were being repaired in preparation for the Super Bowl. I'm not sure if the bollards on Canal and Bourbon were up or if they were being repaired. But, there normally isn't an NOPD car blocking Bourbon on most nights. So I don't know if the car was there because the bollards were being repaired or if it was just extra security. WDSU New Orleans is reporting the bollards were down to be repaired for the Super Bowl, but I don't know if that has yet been confirmed.
Either way, the bollards would not have stopped this guy since he went up on the sidewalk. There has never to my knowledge ever been anything blocking the sidewalks on Bourbon and Canal or any other intersection with Bourbon.
My guess is that the result of this will be that the French Quarter becomes essentially exclusively pedestrian. Maybe they will allow residents to drive on the streets and/or delivery trucks but it is going to be severely restricted and the general public will not be able the drive in the Quarter.