New York City is moving forward with an ambitious plan to alleviate its public restroom shortage by installing 17 new high-tech toilets across the city. Announced by Mayor Mamdani at a press conference in Queens, the initiative represents the latest phase in a $4 million effort aimed at providing more accessible bathroom facilities for the city’s 8.6 million residents.
The new restroom units, which cost approximately $235,000 each, will be provided and maintained by Throne Labs, a modular toilet company. The contract includes construction, installation, and upkeep for a one-year period. These toilets are designed to be ADA-accessible and feature modern amenities such as running water, climate control, and diaper-changing stations.
Residents will be able to access the restrooms between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily through multiple methods, including phone text message, QR code, a dedicated app, or tap card. This technology aims to prevent unauthorized or extended use. According to Throne Labs Chief Operating Officer Jessica Heinzelman, the pods provide a built-in safety mechanism that warns users with flashing lights if they have not exited after roughly four minutes and ultimately unlocks the door. Heinzelman noted that this feature has previously helped save lives by alerting staff to medical emergencies inside the facilities.
Mayor Mamdani highlighted the urgency of the project by referencing the common experience of New Yorkers having to rely on purchasing items to access private restrooms or going without during outings. “We have listened intently as a worker in Chipotle whispers the bathroom code to another paying customer,” Mamdani said, illustrating the difficulties faced by many in need of public facilities.
Community response to the new toilets has been mixed. Some residents, like 50-year-old Brooklyn resident Jeffrey Sidnez, welcomed the expansion as long overdue. “I’ve been in places where I held my bladder for how long, and I felt like I was gonna explode,” Sidnez said, speaking near Columbus Park, one of the locations set to receive a new toilet trailer.
Conversely, others expressed concerns over safety and sanitation. Adrianna Mendizabal, 22, a resident of Bensonhurst, said she would only use the units as a last resort and voiced apprehension about possible homeless individuals using the pods for shelter. These worries underscore ongoing challenges related to public restroom management in urban environments.
The city’s existing public bathroom count stands at roughly 1,100 facilities for its millions of residents, a figure many consider insufficient for daily demand. Through this new deployment of technologically advanced toilets, officials aim to provide a more reliable and hygienic option for residents and visitors alike, addressing a long-standing urban infrastructure gap.