New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the city is starting a program to offer more access to public bathrooms.

Mamdani announced Saturday that the city is committing $4,000,000 to a Request for Proposals for high-quality, modular public restrooms.

“In a city that has everything, the one thing that is often impossible to find is a public bathroom,” the Mayor told reporters in West Harlem. “In the greatest city in the world, you should not have to spend $9 to buy a coffee just to be able to find a little relief.”

The city says there are nearly 1,000 restrooms across the five boroughs. Mamdani pointed out that the number adds up to about one public restroom for every 8,500 New Yorkers. Roughly 70% of the restrooms are in parks.

“There’s a lot of infrastructure underneath our feet,” Mamdani explained. “Installing them means finding sewer lines and water hookups. This pilot, however, will allow us to install public bathrooms even where we cannot drill into the bowels of the city.”

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani signs legislation creating a new program expanding access to automated bathrooms around the city. (Image: New York City Mayor’s Office)

The mayor appeared on 12th Avenue and St. Clair Place in West Harlem. He and New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin signed final approvals for the city’s Department of Transportation to install a new public bathroom at that location later this year.

“I think of the New Yorkers for whom this will make this will make a meaningful difference in their lives,” said Mamdani. “I think of the ‘deliveristas,’ who work across the city without having an office to go back to. I think about the parents whose child is on the verge of having an immediate emergency and they are frantically looking for anywhere that they can go.”

“New Yorkers should not have to be worried about where to go, when they have to go,” said Speaker Menin. “We are literally flushing that worry away.”

“Every public bathroom brings dignity and accessibility to its location, meaning New Yorkers can be out enjoying their neighborhoods more,” added City Council Member Shaun Abreu, who had requested the West Harlem restroom.

Mamdani says the Request for Proposals is designed to add 20-30 additional toilets, with a timeline for the process to be unveiled later. The West Harlem location is among sites that were already available but languishing, which means they can go into use sooner.