MTA Breaks Seal On Subway Restrooms: 24 More Will Reopen By May

NEW YORK CITY — Toilet service will trickle back to 12 New York City subway stations this spring, MTA announced Wednesday.

Crews will reopen 24 restrooms across the subway by early May, said Richard Davey, head of New York City Transit.

The reopenings will be the second phase — or stream — of a long-awaited push to restore subway bathroom access to straphangers, who have been asked to “hold it” since the coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020.

The first phase began in January when 18 bathrooms across nine different subway stations reopened.

“Interestingly enough, the bathrooms have been used over 35,000 times,” Davey said, noting men made up 27,000 of those visits.

“Our customers are clearly using these facilities and amenities, and that’s why we’re opening this new tranche.”

Bathrooms will reopen in these stations:

• Norwood-205th Street - D line
• Woodlawn - 4 line
• 168th Street - A/C lines
• 72nd Street - Q line
• Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall - 4/5/6 lines
• 57th Street - N/Q/R lines
• Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center
• 36th Street - D/N/R lines
• Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue
• Euclid Avenue - A/B/C lines
• Flushing-Main Street - 7 line
• Queensboro Plaza

“Following the second phase, now, over 30 percent of our bathrooms in the subway system will be reopened,” Davey said.

More bathroom reopenings likely will flush out in the spring, Davey said. He noted the first phase was intended to be a 60- to 90-day pilot.

“Turns out we actually piloted in a shorter period of time because we were seeing success,” he said.