Mayor Forces Citi Bike To Close 2 Hours Before NYC Curfew

NEW YORK, NY — Even the thousands of essential workers who have switched to using the bike sharing service won't be able to use Citi Bike to get around for the third night of New York City's 8 p.m. curfew, the company announced.

Citi Bike announced Wednesday that Mayor Bill de Blasio's office has required them to shut down their services at 6 p.m., two hours before the 8 p.m. curfew, until it ends Thursday morning.

It is the third night that the city has required the bike sharing service to shutdown during an overnight curfew, despite pleas from the company to allow them to stay open. More than 5,500 essential workers, who are exempt from the curfew, have started using Citi Bike since March.

"We disagree with this decision and believe it is important for the system to remain open and provide a reliable transportation option," the company said Tuesday. "We know how disruptive this is to everyone who relies on Citi Bike to get home — especially essential workers."

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Those exempted from the curfew include police officers, firefighters, first responders and emergency medical technicians, essential workers, the homeless and individuals seeking medical treatment or medical supplies.

Citi Bike is one of several travel restriction's the mayor has put in place during the curfew, which will be in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. until June 7 in the hopes it will quell looting and vandalism across the city.

The curfew also stopped ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft from being available on Tuesday night and shutdown most traffic below 96th Street in Manhattan. Those restrictions are on top of an existing late-night shutdown of the subway from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for cleaning during the coronavirus pandemic.

De Blasio has said that the ride-sharing services were part of the restrictions “because, bluntly, looters were using them,” according to an interview on CNN.

He added Wednesday the travel restrictions will be in place as long as the curfew remains.

"I do want to say to anyone who was inconvenienced, I am sorry that happened, but it was in the name of addressing a bigger problem," he said during his press conference Wednesday.

Elected officials and police have said that the curfew and car restrictions did seem to reduce the amount of looting at Manhattan stores, but some blasted the mayor for taking away other transportation options for essential workers.

"As someone who represents hospitals and healthcare workers, and someone who relies on CitiBike myself to get around, there must be a better solution than all-or-nothing," City Council Member Keith Powers tweeted about Citi Bike. "Especially two hours before the mandated curfew."