Mayor Mamdani Announces Expansion of Public Bathrooms Across New York City

Mayor Zohran Mamdani committed $4 million to a Request for Proposals for high-quality modular public restrooms, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation will release the RFP within the administration's first 100 days; officials also signed approvals for a new accessible, self-cleaning restroom at 12th Avenue and St. Clair Place in West Harlem.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a program to expand access to public bathrooms across the city. The administration is committing $4 million to a Request for Proposals for high-quality modular public restrooms. The New York City Economic Development Corporation is scheduled to release the RFP within the mayor's first 100 days in office and will seek bids to install facilities more quickly and at lower cost than prior projects. Mayor Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin signed approvals for a new restroom to be installed at 12th Avenue and St. Clair Place in West Harlem later this year. What is known: - The city committed $4 million to an RFP for high-quality modular public restrooms. - The New York City Economic Development Corporation will release the RFP within the administration's first 100 days. - Officials approved a new public restroom at 12th Avenue and St. Clair Place in West Harlem. - The West Harlem facility is announced as free to use, fully accessible, self-cleaning, and equipped with a water bottle filler. - There are nearly 1,000 public restrooms in New York City today, about 70% of which are in parks. - City agencies, including the Department of Transportation, will determine locations for additional facilities, and the City Council has passed legislation to double the number of public restrooms by 2035. Summary: The commitment is intended to increase restroom access outside parks by adding modular facilities and to accelerate installation timelines through a competitive RFP. The immediate next step is the NYCEDC release of the RFP within the mayor's first 100 days, and the approved West Harlem restroom is planned for installation later this year. Longer-term placement of new facilities will be decided by city agencies, in line with the City Council's prior legislation to expand restroom availability.