NYC Council considers public bathroom bill that would make it easier to find one
NEW YORK - A coalition of city leaders and advocates want to make it easier to heed the call of nature in New York City.
They want to improve access to public bathrooms across the Big Apple.
Advocates for seniors, people experiencing homelessness and people with disabilities, along with city leaders, say the lack of access impacts everyone.
They say there's only one public bathroom for every 7,800 New Yorkers right now.
"It shouldn't matter whether you have $5 on you to buy a cup of coffee. It shouldn't matter that you might not present yourself in a way to a private business that allows them to allow you to use the bathroom. You should be able to access, in public, when you are out and about, a public toilet," City Councilmember Sandra Nurse said.
Organizers say the number of public bathrooms hasn't increased since the 1970s, when many were closed due to budget cuts.
A bill being considered by the City Council would allow members of the public to use readily accessible bathrooms in the city's municipal buildings during business hours, as well as requiring signs that point out each bathroom's location, hours and accessibility.
Those bathrooms would be then added to the existing list of all public bathrooms.
"We are asking for the city to take aggressive action, and we would like to see a ratio of one public toilet for every 2,000 New Yorkers," Nurse said.
City officials are looking at underserved and high foot traffic areas and further evaluating the site work and cost.
Back in June, Mayor Eric Adams announced the "Ur In Luck" program to expand public restroom access across the city. As part of the program, the city added a Google Maps integration showing New Yorkers where they can find a restroom near them.