Report: Nearly 200 NYC public restrooms closed, dirty or missing basic amenities

NEW YORK - A recent New York City Council report is raising concerns about the condition and accessibility of public restrooms across the city, finding widespread problems in parks and public spaces.

Toilet troubles

What we know:

The report, titled Good to Go?, details the findings of an investigation led by the Council’s Oversight and Investigations Division. Investigators inspected 172 public restroom sites, covering 337 individual restrooms across all five boroughs.

The sites included 156 park locations, 14 libraries and two privately owned public spaces (POPS). At least one restroom site was inspected in every City Council district.

Investigators found that more than one in ten restrooms were closed during posted operating hours. All of the closed restrooms were located in parks. In total, 36 of 337 restrooms were closed when they were expected to be open.

Among restrooms that were open, more than two in five were missing at least one basic necessity, such as soap, toilet paper, a trash can or a way to dry hands. The report also found that more than one in seven restroom stalls lacked functioning locks.

Findings in the facilities

The investigation highlighted additional concerns, including:

• More than one in four open restrooms lacked a diaper changing table.
• Of the restrooms that did have changing tables, more than one in five were dirty or had usability issues.
• Library restrooms were generally clean, with only two showing cleanliness problems.
• Public restrooms were poorly equipped for menstrual needs, with about four out of five stalls in women’s restrooms lacking disposal bins.
• The two POPS surveyed did not list restroom availability on required information plaques.

What they're saying:

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said the findings reflect what many New Yorkers already experience.

"Unexpectedly closed restrooms, unclean conditions, and a lack of sanitary amenities. My hope is that the next mayoral administration makes the maintenance and availability of our city’s public restrooms a priority," Adams said. "I thank the Council’s Oversight and Investigations Division for their continued focus on an area that often goes overlooked in our communities."

Council Member Gale A. Brewer, who chairs the Oversight and Investigations Committee, called public bathrooms "essential infrastructure" and said the lack of basic amenities poses public health and safety concerns.

Council Member Shekar Krishnan, chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee, said the findings underscore the impact of an underfunded Parks Department and the need to improve restroom conditions in city parks.

Restroom recommendations

The Council is calling on the mayoral administration to:

• Ensure public restroom data and maps accurately reflect which locations are open.
• Improve signage and information for restrooms in privately owned public spaces.
• Provide trash cans and address maintenance issues like broken locks.
• Expand access to diaper changing tables and menstrual product disposal bins.