Lawmakers push effort to increase public toilet access across NYC

Council Member Nurse, who proposed the legislation, says she wants these bathrooms to have necessities that New Yorkers need, including sinks, trash cans and changing tables.

News 12 Staff

Aug 3, 2023, 9:51 PM

Updated 496 days ago

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A new City Council bill introduced Thursday aims to quadruple the number of public toilets in New York City by 2035.
The bill requires one public toilet for every 2,000 city residents, which would result in over 4,000 available toilets.  The city currently has just over 1,000 toilets across the five boroughs.
"You need access to the bathroom - when you got to go, you got to go," said Council Member Sandy Nurse.  "Most New Yorkers would be surprised to find or to learn that New York City doesn't really have a plan to increase and expand access to public bathrooms. So right now, our bill that we're introducing today would essentially fix that."
Nurse says she also wants these bathrooms to have necessities that New Yorkers need, including sinks, trash cans and changing tables.  She said these are missing from many city restrooms but are vital to New Yorkers on the go.  
The bill would also require the city to issue a more formal bathroom plan every four years.