Mayor Mamdani Announces $4 Million Plan To Expand Public Restrooms

NEW YORK, NY – Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a new program aimed at expanding public bathrooms access across the city, committing $4 million to fund a Request for Proposals for “high-quality modular public restrooms.”

Mamdani said the New York City Economic Development Corporation will release bids for faster and more cost-effective bathroom installations within the administration’s first 100 days in office.

“Everyone knows the feeling of needing a bathroom and not being able to find one," said Mamdani at the announcement event on Saturday in West Harlem. "With this new commitment to public toilets, we're ensuring New Yorkers can travel through our city with a little less anxiety."

He and New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin signed the final approvals for New York City Department of Transportation to install a new public bathroom at 12th Avenue and St. Claire later this year.

Currently, the city has completed nearly 1,000 public restrooms in New York City, roughly 70% of which are in parks, according to a news release.

Mamdani said his program will significantly grow the number of public restrooms elsewhere in the city, including public plazas. City agencies including the New York City Department of Transportation will determine where the additional new facilities will be located, according to a news release.

Speaker Julie Menin said access to public restrooms remains a “quality-of-life issue,” and the City Council passed legislation in February, Local Law 92 of 2025, to reach 2,120 public restrooms in the city by 2035.

The new public restroom at 12th Avenue and St. Clair Place will be free to use, fully accessible, self-cleaning and contain a water bottle filler.