Monday’s Headlines: Focus On Central Park Edition

It’s a big week for Streetsblog readers: You’ve been hearing a lot of stuff (some of it in our pages) about the danger and chaotic conditions inside Central Park, but no other outlet has done the full coverage that Streetsblog will unleash all week.

Starting today — with stories by Sophia Lebowitz and Dave Colon — we’ll be posting stories daily about the conflicts and challenges in New York’s backyard.

And on Tuesday, we’ll not just boast of our “full-team coverage” or just talk of “flooding the zone,” but we’ll actually do it, sending the entire staff into the greensward for a day of reporting and live blogging (yes, we have a new live-blog feature that we can’t wait to show off). If you’re near the park, stop by and chat with the award-winning reporting team of Lebowitz, Colon, Kevin Duggan, Sammy Sussman, J.K. Trotter; smile for the cameras of Henry Beebe-Center and Emily Lipstein; or even stop for frequent rest breaks with your favorite ripening editor.

And if you have any story ideas, drop them here.

Now, to the weekend news:

• Cops deliberately struck a teen on a moped, violating police procedure, a new lawsuit argues. (NYDN)
• We mentioned last week that Citi Bike had expanded to a few new areas, but, of course, that only gave the Post a new news hook for its longstanding issues with one of the most popular forms of transportation in town.
• The Post also has a longstanding beef with rich people who game the system to steal street parking … that the paper forgets doesn’t belong to individuals anyway. But the story of the Real Housewife who drives around with cones to block off spaces was just too good! (NY Post)
• People do indeed sometimes get injured on electric bikes, but, of course, the Post can only blame the victims rather than advocate for safer streets.
• TWU leader John Samuelsen tried to shift the narrative on the coming horse carriage ban, but the facts were not on his side. (City & State)
• Yes, the city really is widening a road on Staten Island. (Advance)
• More violence underground. (NY Post, NY Times, Gothamist)
• It’s unclear what sparked the high-speed car chase, but it ended badly in Brooklyn. (News12)
• And, finally, please set your calendar for some big events coming in the near term:
  • Our own Dave Colon will be a panelist at the monthly “Not In My Backyard!” live show at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade theater on Thursday, Oct. 22. It’s always a fun time wth married co-hosts Cody Lindquist and Charlie Todd (and with Gersh Kuntzman heckling). Info and tickets here.
  • Speaking of Gersh Kuntzman, I’ve been selected as a reader at the upcoming “Power Broker” marathon reading, which will be conducted over three-plus days at Judgy Baby in Gowanus from Nov. 12 to 15. I got myself a primo 10-minute slot on Friday, Nov. 14 at like 6 p.m., so check it out. Tickets here.
  • And if you haven’t gotten tickets for the “War on Cars” live show at Hunter College on the Upper East Side on Nov. 6, what are you waiting for? The no-longer-surprise guest is former DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and there’ll be a movie by Streetfilms auteur Clarence Eckerson Jr. (plus, yes, some heckling of co-hosts Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon by Gersh Kuntzman). Tickets are just $25, and a splendid time is guaranteed (I went last year and it was like an urbanist Woodstock.)