Advocates Push For Return Of East Harlem Public Restroom: Report

EAST HARLEM, NY — A group that advocates for New York City's homeless is making a push to re-open a public restroom located under the Metro North viaduct in East Harlem, according to reports.

Picture the Homeless will meet with the city Department of Transportation this month and hopes to work with the city agency to establish a long-term plan for an out-of-use restroom on East 125th Street and Park Avenue, the group told AM New York. The area surrounding the 125th Street Metro North station attracts many homeless New Yorkers during the day.

The advocacy group's efforts to re-open the defunct restroom began about five years ago, AM New York reported. At the time, the powers that be weren't amenable to the proposal, Picture the Homeless organizer Nikita Price told AM New York.

"Conversations had come up about defecation, public urination, things like that — and we were like, ‘Well, is there not a bathroom right there?’" Price told the newspaper. "We were told, ‘Well, that’s not really in our plans.'"

With an upcoming expansion of a nearby event space and the extension of the Second Avenue subway to East 125th Street, Picture the Homeless believes the restroom must either be preserved for future use of reopened sooner rather than later. Price, an organizer with Picture the Homeless, said that expanding access to public restrooms is a new priority for the group.

Read the full AM New York article here.

Photo by terrylg/Shutterstock.com