Police order downtown bike kiosks closed

Seventeen BCycle kiosks in the downtown Houston area ordered shut by Houston police and emergency management authorities will remain closed until June 10, operators of the bike rental system said Friday.

“As a nonprofit that seeks to serve as many riders as possible, we disagree with this order and apologize to those who wish to use BCycle during the protests, as well as for the lack of bike share access throughout downtown,” officials said in a release.

The 15 stations in the central business district and two in EaDo were closed Monday at the behest of police as downtown became the focal point of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Authorities earlier this week said the closings were necessary to assure the safety of demonstrators, but did not elaborate.

Police spokesman Kese Smith said Friday officers asked for the shutdown after they witnessed “a few people using the bikes in a way that was dangerous” during protests. Smith said officials did not want to specify further because they did not want to provide methods to cause mayhem.

BCycle officials followed the recommendation because it came from city officials with whom they often work closely, spokesman Henry Morris said.

The closed kiosks join 10 others the bike system took offline to limit risks during the COVID-19 crisis, putting about 20 percent of the system out of operation. BCycle officials increased cleaning and encouraged riders to use gloves and wash thoroughly before and after using the bikes, but said it was important to remain open to give residents options to exercise.

Despite limited service, use of the system is climbing, officials said, as home-bound Houstonians look for new ways to safely exercise and travel through the city.