The most recent of those crashes, several of which were recorded on surveillance video, occurred last month, preceded by another one in November.
In 2023, a wild pursuit involving a teenage driver ended in a violent crash that destroyed part of the plaza's landmark fountain.
Video shows 18-year-old barreling through Plaza Park in Orange, crashing into historic fountain
In a 5-2 vote Tuesday, the City Council approved additional crash-rated bollards, boulders, nightly street closures and raised median islands at the location. The cost of the upgrades was estimated at about $900,000, the Orange County Register reported.
Proposed rumble strips on the street were not approved.
"Given the noise that it's going to generate 24-7, I just think it's a bad idea," Mayor Pro Tem Denis Bilodeau said at the council meeting, referring to rumble strips.
Said Orange resident Jordan Ingersoll, who lives near the plaza: "A lot of bars around here, people drinking and driving. So, I don't know really what else to say -- people are crazy."
The city has already installed several safety measures in the area, including reflective pavement markers, added traffic signs, lane markers, and nighttime adjustments to traffic signals.