When you have to go and you have nowhere to go, the dearth of public bathrooms in the city can be a challenge for many New Yorkers.

Brooklyn Councilwoman Rita Joseph and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine are trying to change that with a new bill​. 

“It’s important to me as a mom, as a community member,” Joseph said Sunday in an interview with NY1. “It should be accessible to all: unhoused neighbors, moms with babies who want to change, teens who need to use the bathroom, women during monthlies who want to use the restroom to change.”

The bill would require the city to produce a report listing potential sites for public bathrooms in every ZIP code. It would not require the city to construct any bathrooms.

Joseph recalled a community garden run by constituents in her district who complained to her that their garden became the neighborhood bathroom.

“I remember reaching out to MTA and the bathroom was locked and not accessible to anyone,” Joseph said, pointing out “major cities in Europe have been doing this for years.”

Like some European and U.S. cities, Joseph said she would be open to a small fee for access, adding it could help fund the maintenance of the new bathrooms.

Lack of access to public bathrooms rose to the forefront during the pandemic shutdowns. Many bathrooms remained locked even when public areas began to reopen. Delivery workers won the right to use restaurants bathrooms thanks to legislation passed in September 2021.

Disabled New Yorkers are another demographic severely disadvantaged by the lack of available restrooms, Joseph added.

“They all have to be ADA compliant, we also have disabled New Yorkers that we have to serve,” Joseph said. “It has to be equitable and accessible to all”