Friday’s Headlines: The Streetsblog Block Party (Canceled!) Edition

You’ve been reading a lot in the press about the upcoming World Cup. As Streetsblog reported, it could have been so awesome if the Mamdani administration had allowed lots of great public events to be held in our greatest public spaces: the streets, small plazas and parks.

But as others have reported, it’s not going to be that way. The Times recently had a piece about how local business improvement districts are panicking (the Post also picked up on the city’s ban on new events during the World Cup).

Which brings us, as it so often does, to Streetsblog. In June, this news site turns 20, which in addition to being cool, is really a testament to the incredible work done by founding editor Aaron Naparstek, the ongoing commitment of his successor Ben Fried, outstanding contributions by our Streetfilms ally Clarence Eckerson Jr., the consistent support of Publisher Mark Gorton, plus a host of contributors from A (Abuse, Placard) to K (Komanoff) to Z (Anna Zivarts).

We wanted to honor all of the aforementioned folks — and welcome the public into our livable streets world — with a street festival on Thursday, June 18. The goal? To merely close White Street between Broadway and Church Street to cars for about six hours. We were going to have some beers, maybe a few BBQs, and a few short speeches. We’d already booked Ghost Rodeo to perform (and they promised to cover my hit song, “Criminal Mischief“). Maybe even Lincoln Restler would show up!

It all fell apart faster than you can say, “Who’s going to loan me a PA system?” First, the city’s Street Activity Permit Office makes it exceptionally difficult for random groups to host events in the street. We applied to host a “street event” only to learn that the $3,100 fee only applies to the sidewalk and curbside lane — not the “street” that a “street event” suggests.

To close the road to car traffic would cost $25,000. Yes, we get a non-profit discount, but that price is so outrageous that it simply prevents groups from being able to host public events in our most valuable public resource: our streets. We have to pay to keep away drivers … who get free use of every inch.

Since car-free space was paramount to us (we’re “Streetsblog” not “Awful Car-Choked Public Space Blog”), we asked the office if we could shift to a “plaza event” (plazas are already car-free). That’s when we learned about the moratorium on all new public events, which a SAPO officer told us was due to “a directive from NYPD to ensure that resources are not strained and everyone can remain safe during the busy period.”

Whenever someone says “NYPD” and “resources” in the same sentence, you should check your wallet. If the city’s recent history has shown anything, it’s that the overtime-hungry police are very good at convincing craven public officials that cops are needed at every event all the time. Remember the original de Blasio administration’s pandemic-era open streets program? Every intersection had four cops (four cops!) assigned to it. It was so absurd that we wrote a parody song about it.

So on Thursday, I sent reporter Max White to ask Mayor Mamdani about whether the ban on public events between June 11 and July 19 was just an NYPD overtime-protection racket. “Why do you think so many cops are needed at street events or street festivals?” White asked. “And could you reduce staffing to allow for more events this summer?”

Mamdani’s answer in full:

I first just want to clarify. There are some who are under the impression that this affects birthday parties or picnics in the parks. It has no such effect. What we’re talking about are large scale events that require permits, that require police presence. Now we are looking forward — we are less than 70 days until the World Cup. It will be an opportunity, not just for New Yorkers to enjoy the eight games that will be hosted in partnership with New Jersey, but also for many to come and visit our city for the first time. We want to make sure that our city is fully prepared for every aspect of this summer, and that means taking these kinds of necessary precautions. I can tell you, as a soccer fan myself, I have seen many a time when municipalities are unprepared for the level of excitement, enthusiasm, and frankly, even the visits that come out of a tournament like this. We want to make sure that we are anything but that.

That wasn’t really much of an answer — “Be prepared” is what Boy Scouts say, but they don’t pay out millions in unneeded police overtime — so I reached out to City Hall with more questions.

And by more questions, I obviously mean, “Will you give Streetsblog a single car-free block for a few hours this summer so we can celebrate great public space?”

I’ll update you if I hear back. (NBC4 also covered the mayor’s response.)

— Gersh Kuntzman

Now that Gersh has mentioned open streets, let’s get to a tiny bit of family business: On Thursday, April 23 at the Brooklyn Winery, our friends at Open Plans will be hosting their fourth-annual Public Space Awards event to recognize the grassroots leaders and collaborative efforts that make our neighborhoods more vibrant, connected, and alive. Get more information here. And Streetsblog readers can get their tickets here.

In other news:

• Some more personal business: Our investigation last year on the shadowy world of “The Moped King” Ou Zhou was named a finalist for a Deadline Club award. We’ll let you know what happens after the big soiree on May 14.
• The World Cup will also require a “partial shutdown” of Penn Station. (NY Times)
• Mayor Mamdani insisted that he, not Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, has final say over NYPD policy. (NY Times)
• DOT is moving ahead with major improvements for tens of thousands of bus riders on Flatbush Avenue north of Grand Army Plaza — so naturally WNYC/Gothamist made the story about drivers.
• Transit advocates want more from the mayor after his first 100 days in office. (amNY)
• Bus right-of-way cameras are coming to the B15 and M31 bus routes. (PIX11)
• An MTA bus driver killed a 32-year-old man on some sort of motorcycle in the Bronx, and several outlets blamed the victim. (Daily News, amNY)
• One person died and two other suffered serious injuries after a driver rammed into a building at Floyd Bennett Field. (PIX11)
• A driver critically wounded a 3-year-old girl in Sunset Park. (Gothamist)
• A hit-and-run driver struck and killed a hardworking immigrant in Elmhurst. (QNS)
• DOT installed bike racks outside the Fairway at W. 74th Street and Broadway. (West Side Rag)
• E. 72nd Street is getting a makeover, Patch reports, just in time for next week’s DOT presentation about W. 72nd Street (which is on the Streetsblog calendar).
• NYPD fired a now-ex-cop after a judge sentenced him to at least three years in prison for fatally tossing a cooler at a suspect fleeing on a moped. (NY Post)
• NYPD also fired an officer whose wrong-way, off-duty vehicular pursuit on the Henry Hudson Parkway killed two people. (Gothamist)
• Spring schedules are going into effect on NYC Ferry. (PIX11)
• The Port Authority is raising the rent on NJ Transit. (NorthJersey.com)
• Remember the green cab? (The City)