The New York City Council on Thursday launched an investigation into the cleanliness, conditions, functionality, safety and accessibility of 102 public restrooms within New York City parks.
The investigation, led by the Council’s Oversight and Investigation Division, found that two-thirds of inspected restrooms were closed or found to have health or safety issues, according to a press release.
“This is a topic that gets discussed often, but never resolved,” said Council Member Gale A. Brewer, Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Investigation. “Many of the restrooms would benefit greatly from simple fixes, such as replacing sinks or toilets. Others need much more."
Among the persistent issues observed were the prevalence of litter in 40% of restrooms and unsanitary conditions in 23% of restrooms. Additionally, there was a lack of garbage cans in 30% of the locations visited, and only 8% of restrooms had menstrual product bins.
The inconsistent availability of required amenities in Parks bathrooms was notable, with nearly one in four restrooms missing baby changing stations. The survey found 30% of men's restrooms lacked baby changing stations, while 17% of women's restrooms did not have them.
“Public bathrooms, just like paved roads, schools, or fire stations, are critical infrastructure for New York City families,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Chair of the Committee on Parks and Recreation. “Unfortunately, the City Council's own inspections of park bathrooms across the five boroughs frequently found broken locks, empty toilet paper holders, and wet, dirty floors. The solution to this mess is clear: to provide the safe, clean public bathrooms that New Yorkers deserve, we need to stop cutting and start investing in our NYC Parks.”
Accessibility, functionality and amenities were major concerns of the investigation. Nearly 9% of the restrooms were closed during scheduled hours, while one in every nine stalls inspected by Council staff lacked functioning locks. Lack of amenities like 30% of restrooms not having a garbage can, 10% percent of restrooms not having soap, and 13% of stalls not having toilet paper, affected the overall cleanliness.
Health and safety concerns included litter in 40% of all restrooms and 23% of restrooms having unsanitary conditions, such as bodily fluids on surfaces. About 19% of all restrooms had graffiti on walls and other surfaces.
