The Beaux Arts-style public bathroom in Bryant Park is one of the city’s nicest. Photo by SnowFire via Wikimedia Commons.
Finding a public bathroom in New York City may get a bit easier, thanks to new legislation passed this week. The City Council on Thursday voted to approve a bill expanding public restroom access across the five boroughs by doubling the current number of facilities from roughly 1,100 to 2,120 over the next decade. NYC currently has among the fewest public restrooms per capita in the country, with around one bathroom for every 7,800 residents. Proponents of the legislation aim to raise that number to one restroom for every 2,000 residents.
With few clean, accessible options available, many New Yorkers are left with no choice but to relieve themselves outside. In 2024, the NYPD issued more than 1,400 criminal summonses for public urination, as reported by Gothamist.
Compounding the issue, many existing public restrooms are notoriously dirty. A study revealed that 40 percent of sites have garbage on the floor, and 25 percent are considered unsanitary or hazardous, posing health and safety risks, according to NBC New York.
Adding to these concerns, a survey conducted by the City Council in September found that more than two-thirds of public restrooms in NYC parks were either closed or lacked essential items like soap and toilet paper.
To address these issues, the bill, sponsored by Council Member Sandy Nurse, requires the city to submit a strategic planning report every four years outlining plans to create more public restrooms, including the associated costs and measures to keep them clean and safe. At least half of the planned 2,120 restrooms would be publicly owned.
A Deputy Mayor, in collaboration with the Department of City Planning, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Transportation, and any other agencies with applicable experience and expertise, would be responsible for spearheading the effort.
“New Yorkers: Relief is on the way! Whether you’re out with friends and family, a reporter on the beat, someone who’s menstruating, a caregiver, a delivery worker, or are homeless, we have all needed a public bathroom,” Nurse said. “The Bathroom Bill is about planning for basic human needs and making it easier to live and work here.”
Nurse continued: “Our failure to build more public restrooms has resulted in humiliation, racial and class inequities, thousands of criminal and civil tickets every year, and public space that is not welcoming to the public. We are changing that today by adding over 1,000 public bathrooms to the citywide network.”
The average public bathroom costs between $3 and $5 million and takes three to five years to build. To speed up the process, the legislation calls for alternative solutions, such as opening restrooms in public buildings, purchasing affordable pre-made kiosk-like toilets, and partnering with private businesses to lease their facilities.
The bill complements an existing initiative launched by Mayor Eric Adams. Last June, the mayor unveiled “Ur in Luck,” an initiative designed to expand public restroom accessibility across all five boroughs. The plan includes building 46 new public restrooms and renovating 36 existing ones over the next five years. Additionally, the city created a new layer on Google Maps to help New Yorkers locate public restrooms.
Nurse’s bill will enhance the mayor’s initiative by ensuring the city maintains a mobile-friendly map that lists restroom hours, ADA accessibility, and whether a baby changing station is available. It’s up to the city to ensure that the new restrooms maintain a degree of cleanliness and security, Nurse said.
“Access to public bathrooms is essential to New Yorkers’ health, safety and quality of life,” Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said Thursday following the bill’s approval. “This Council is proud to address the longstanding issue of the city’s lack of public bathrooms.”
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