The city has launched an effort to expand access to public bathrooms across the five boroughs, Mayor Eric Adams said Monday.
The “Ur In Luck” initiative will fund the construction of 46 new restrooms over the next five years, Adams said in a news release. The city will also renovate 36 existing restrooms with upgrades including more stalls, accessibility improvements and energy efficient features, the release said.
What You Need To Know
- The “Ur In Luck” initiative will fund the construction of 46 new restrooms over the next five years
- The city will renovate 36 existing restrooms with upgrades including more stalls, accessibility improvements and energy efficient features
- Ten of the new and renovated restrooms will be in the Bronx, 23 will be in Brooklyn, 28 will be in Manhattan, 14 will be in Queens and seven will be on Staten Island.
- A new Google Maps feature will allow New Yorkers to locate public restrooms across the city using their phones
Ten of the new and renovated restrooms will be in the Bronx, 23 will be in Brooklyn, 28 will be in Manhattan, 14 will be in Queens and seven will be on Staten Island.
The mayor said he personally understands the dilemma of having to use the bathroom with no place to go.
“I’ve walked into many diners and said listen, I’ll buy a cup of coffee, just let me use the John,” Adams said at a news conference. “It’s just a combination of creative ways just to use the facility, and we’re saying no to that.”
The city is also launching a task force that will work toward bringing 14 “high-tech” self-cleaning automatic public toilets to city sidewalks and plazas, according to the release.
A new Google Maps feature, meanwhile, will allow New Yorkers to locate public restrooms across the city using their phones.
The feature will be updated twice a year and include bathrooms operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Transportation, the MTA, the city’s three library systems and the city’s “privately-owned public spaces,” the release said.
“It is crucial that restrooms are places that people can find throughout the entire city,” Adams said. “The new and renovated bathrooms we’ll deliver over the next five years will make it easier for New Yorkers to embrace the best parts of this city, shared outdoor spaces, and have a place to go when they have to go."
The Parks Department has opened seven new public restrooms at the following locations in the past five months, according to the release:
- Bronx Point/Mill Pond Park, Bronx
- Starlight Park, Bronx
- Wyckoff House Park, Brooklyn
- Frederick Johnson Playground, Manhattan
- Highbridge Park Adventure Playground, Manhattan
- Maspeth Park, Queens
- Lopez Playground, Staten Island
“We all know how challenging it can be to enjoy our public spaces, avenues and parks when you’re suffering from range anxiety, how far can you go and still be in range of a public toilet,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said.
The need for public bathrooms has been around for years, and officials acknowledged creating one restroom can at times take multiple administrations.
At Monday’s event, city officials noted that the Parks Department had completed expanding changing tables to nearly all public bathrooms.
