New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani walks on the day of a press conference at NYPD headquarters in New York City, U.S., January 6, 2026. REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis
(New York, NY) – Mayor Mamdani wants to make it easier for New Yorkers who have just got to go. During a news conference on Saturday, Mamdani announced a pilot program to install more public restrooms across the city. He was joined by City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Councilman Shaun Abreu and Assembly Member Jordan Wright. Menin and Mamdani signed a letter for a RFP, request for proposals, to bankroll $4 million that would fund 20-30 new public modular bathrooms.
Mamdani said that a big obstacle for increasing access lies beneath the streets. The mayor said city infrastructure made it challenging to drill the typical 5-10 feet for bathroom sewage systems. Officials say there are only 1,100 public toilets for a city of 8.5 million people. The timeline for the pilot program is unclear as it is still in the early stages of development.
