New Yorkers are known for being always on the move. It can be difficult to find a good place to go.
Patricia Kennedy witnessed it firsthand on her recent weeklong trip to New York City.
She says, “I was like, “Oh, my God!” It wasn’t urine.
It was human feces. She is certain she was not mistaken.
She says, “We had a pet. It certainly didn’t smell or look like a dogs[‘s]]aEUR” she was referring to. It was horrible.
Kennedy, 40, a financial worker, was in New York to look for work and says that her experience at the subway station did not affect her decision to move to New York. She was shocked to see something like this in Florida and had to consider the consequences if she did move.
“[I]s that what we have to deal? Like, smelly subways or human feces?” She wondered.
According to a 2019 city report, New York City is home to the nation’s largest population, but it also has approximately 1,400 public toilets. At Tuesday’s rally and press conference at the New York City Hall Steps, Mark Levine, President of Manhattan Borough, advocated for more toilets.
He said, “That number, when weighed against a [city] of eight and a quarter million people is paltry.”
Levine is part of a group that aims to improve public access to toilets. Tuesday saw the first hearing of a city council bill, which would have proposed locations for new public toilets in each of 150 zip codes. Advocates consider public toilets a fundamental human right, particularly for those who are homeless or living in the city.
The report states that New York is 93rd in America in terms of the number of public toilets per person. It has just 16 bathrooms per 100,000 people. St. Paul, Minn. is at the top with 210 and Jacksonville, Fla. with 140 restrooms per 100,000. New York’s public toilets are also found to be unsafe, in disrepair and unevenly distributed throughout the city, according to the report.
The pandemic brought attention to the city’s toilet shortage. Many restaurants and businesses were forced to close their doors in lockdowns in 2020. Also, the subway system shut down all its over 450 stations and has not reopened since.
Rita Joseph, a member of the city council and the bill’s lead sponsor, stated that “During the pandemic you couldn’t find a toilet anywhere.” She stated that having more toilets in the city is good for both residents and visitors.
“New York City is a moving place. There are elderly people moving, pregnant women, neighbors, moms and dads. She said that when I go out with my 11 year old and he needs to use the toilet, we need to find a place.
Nicky Smith, a Bronx resident, found the city’s low ranking not surprising. Smith found it much easier to find a restroom in Manhattan than the Bronx and claims that the city’s public toilets are often dirty.
Smith, 28, who is not bisexual, says that “it’s definitely something New York should be investing in.”
Smith stated that they have also observed a low number of public toilets during their time as health outreach managers for homeless people. After the pandemic, many city restrooms were shut down. They had to convince private companies to let homeless people use their facilities. People without toilets were forced to urinate and defecate on the streets.
Smith stated, “At the end, it’s both a public health problem and a policy issue.”
Another attempt to build new restrooms was also stopped. The 2006 agreement to construct 20 new restrooms in the city saw only five of the constructions completed, and the remaining 15 are still in storage. Contractors and the mayor’s office blamed the slow rollout of 20 restrooms on COVID-19, difficulty finding locations and accessing utilities, as well as neighborhood opposition. The effort has remained blocked for many years.
Even the current proposal may take some time to move. The legislation, if passed by the city council and signed off by the mayor would only result in the creation of a report with input from the public as well as neighborhood officials that will identify possible locations for new toilets. Officials explained that the legislation does not finance staffing or construction of toiletsaEUR”, these would require separate council votes.
Ed Graban, a Brooklyn resident, says that in the 19-years he has lived in Brooklyn, he has learned how to locate the restrooms whenever he needs them. He says that it is more difficult for those who live in the city, or are not able to access them regularly. He says the challenge is to make sure people who use the bathroom aren’t uncomfortable or unsafe when they are entering while they are being used for shaving or washing their hair.
Graban, 50, says that they need to find a way for them to be safer and that the city should take steps to improve access to housing.
Graban’s worries are shared by other city residents, who worry that more people will use the public toilets as shelter or not being kept clean.
Samantha Teruel (35), a Manhattan resident, said she avoids public toilets often.
She says that she is always worried about them being dirty and prefers to use the restrooms at restaurants or other businesses. She believes that regular cleaning and more security could be a benefit.
“The truth is that it’s the community who has to take care.”
Local officials who support the bill acknowledge that the issue of restroom access overlaps with deeper issues in the area aEUR”, such as housing. However, Levine stated at the rally that more bathrooms would only help and that the study was just the beginning.
Levine stated that “this will give those New Yorkers the dignity of a place they can go.” “That’s a win-win for everyone.”
