The New York City Council is pushing forward with a plan to open restrooms in New York City government buildings to the public. The ordinance, recently introduced by New York City Councilwoman Rita Joseph, is aimed at making restrooms in city government buildings accessible to the public as part of efforts to expand public restroom accessibility.
According to the ordinance, New York City government buildings must post instructions on the location and hours of restrooms in the building so that they are available for use by the public during business hours, as well as instructions on how to access the restrooms for people with disabilities.
In addition, the status of restroom operation must be reported to the City Council every quarter. “Currently, there is only one restroom for every 7,800 people in New York City, which is very poor,” said Councilwoman Rita Joseph. “With the implementation of the ordinance, the goal is to increase this to one restroom for every 2,000 people by 2035.”
Councilman Joseph added, “Last year in New York City, 4,000 summonses were issued for public urination. In order to reduce this waste of administrative power, it is urgent to expand access to public restrooms.”