Imagine you’re on a sightseeing spree in New York City and urgently need to use a public bathroom. You step inside the toilet and hear a warning bell at five minutes, another at eight minutes and then, as you cross the 10-minute deadline, the bathroom door automatically opens while you’re still inside! Well, that is exactly how the city’s new high-tech public bathrooms are designed to work. According to NBC New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has begun rolling out 17 new public bathrooms across all five boroughs, with the unusual 10-minute rule designed to keep the facilities available to more people.Mamdani made the announcement on Wednesday and said, “This is not a place to scroll.”More about these unusual toilets
Free Toilets in NYC (thronelabs)
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the rollout as part of a one-year, $4 million pilot aimed at bringing free, accessible restrooms to busy public areas. The city says the units will be open daily from 7 AM to 10 PM and can be accessed by QR code, text message, the Throne Bathroom Network app or a special tap card.10 minutes 30 seconds, then the door opensPerhaps the most unusual feature of the new bathrooms is the strict 10-minute limit. Users are given warnings when inside. At the five-minute mark, an audio message tells them they are halfway through and then at eight minutes another reminder comes, giving them time to finish up.When 10 minutes arrive, the system becomes more urgent. Flashing lights and an audio warning tell the occupant that their time is up and the door will open shortly. According to Throne Labs, the company operating the units, the door actually opens at around 10 minutes and 30 seconds, giving users an additional short window to exit.The new facilities are fully touchless and ADA-accessible. Each unit comes with a running-water sink, flushing toilet, climate control and a baby-changing station. The bathrooms are also self-contained, meaning they do not need conventional connections to water, sewer or power infrastructure.Mamdani calls finding a bathroom a ‘universal experience’
Mamdani explaining about the Free Toilets in NYC (screengrab)
Mamdani, describing the experience of trying to find a restroom in New York, said, “Many of us have pleaded with baristas and maître d’s, we have listened intently as the worker at Chipotle whispers the bathroom code to another paying customer.”He also described the new facilities as more than just toilets, saying they would “go beyond the simple act of providing New Yorkers a place to go in a pinch.” According to Mamdani, they are intended to become part of the city’s public-health infrastructure.How tourists can access the bathrooms
- The facilities are free and travellers can:
- Use the Throne Bathroom Network app
- Scan the QR code at the unit
- Enter using text messaging
- Use a tap card
The app can also help users locate nearby Throne bathrooms, check availability and view real-time cleanliness information.Where are the 17 new bathrooms located?
Free bathrooms across the city (thronelabs)
The rollout covers all five boroughs.
- Bronx: Yankee Stadium, Admiral Farragut Playground, Mapes Park and Monsignor Raul Del Valle Square.
- Brooklyn: Columbus Park, Milestone Park, Fulton Street and Truxton Street, and Avenue C Plaza.
- Queens: Astoria Boulevard South and 31st Street, Northern Boulevard and 31st Street, Northern Boulevard and 54th Street, and 34th Avenue and 64th Street.
- Manhattan: Cooper Square, Malcolm X Plaza, Delancey Street and Suffolk Street, and Plaza Alianza Dominicana.
- Staten Island: North Shore Esplanade.
A one-year experiment
Free bathrooms (thronelabs)
These bathrooms are part of a one-year pilot programme. The idea is also flexible, because the bathrooms are self-contained, they can be shifted and moved if a particular location proves unsuitable.For visitors, it may sound like a small piece of city infrastructure. But when you’re halfway through a long day exploring New York, carrying shopping bags, travelling with children or simply far from your hotel, knowing there is a free, accessible public bathroom nearby can make a surprisingly big difference to the travel experience.Mamdani put the broader aim simply: “Too many New Yorkers know what it’s like to have nowhere to go while they’re on the go.”
