New Yorkers desperate for a place to go are getting 17 new public bathrooms across the five boroughs, but the high-tech system meant to keep them clean and functioning is already raising concerns that homeless New Yorkers without reliable cellphone access could struggle to get inside.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday that installation has begun on the free modular bathrooms, part of a $4 million, yearlong pilot aimed at addressing the city’s longstanding shortage of public restrooms.
As of June 2025, NYC had 975 operational public restrooms. That’s about one for every 8,700 residents, according to a January report from the Independent Budget Office. Roughly 85% were located in public parks.
The 17 new ADA-accessible units will operate daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and include running water, flushing toilets, heat and air conditioning, and baby-changing stations. But entry requires a text message, QR code, the Throne app — from the company operating the bathrooms — or a physical tap card distributed through local organizations.
One of the new Throne Labs modular public bathrooms, which users can unlock by phone or tap card,Photo by Lloyd Mitchell 
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
That requirement drew questions at Wednesday’s launch over whether homeless New Yorkers and others without reliable access to a charged cellphone could face another barrier to using a public bathroom.
Mamdani said the city is partnering with neighborhood organizations to distribute tap cards. Throne Labs, which will operate and maintain the bathrooms, said signs at every unit will direct users to a place within a 10-minute walk where they can obtain one.
The Free to Pee Coalition, led by VOCAL-NY and the Coalition for the Homeless, welcomed the pilot Wednesday but raised the same concern.
“Many may not have a smartphone or be able to easily obtain a physical tap card to open these restrooms,” the coalition said in a statement.
The advocates also pointed to the limited number of locations and operating hours and called on the city to seek feedback from homeless-service providers, harm-reduction programs and groups working directly with unhoused New Yorkers.
When nature calls, keep it brief
The bathrooms are designed for quick visits, with a roughly 10-minute limit.
Audio warnings come at five and eight minutes. At the 10-minute mark, lights flash, and an announcement warns that the door will open. Throne co-founder and COO Jessica Heinselman said users then get roughly another 30 seconds.
“If you are still pants down, we’re not going to open the door on you,” she said. After that warning period, however, the door opens.
There is currently no way to extend a session for someone who needs more time, although Heinselman said the company is working on an option for people with mobility challenges or other ongoing needs.
Mamdani offered his own advice: “This is not a place to scroll on your phone.”
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
The city first committed $4 million to the pilot in January, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation selected Throne Labs through a competitive bidding process in June to deliver, operate and service the units.
Unlike conventional bathrooms, the self-contained facilities do not need connections to water, sewer or power infrastructure and can be relocated as needs change.
Mamdani said Wednesday that the 17 units together cost roughly what one traditional public restroom has historically cost the city, pointing to the expense of connecting permanent facilities to underground infrastructure. By comparison, five modular restrooms opened under Mayor Eric Adams in 2025 ran about $1 million per site, largely because of utility hookups and other site work.
Four bathrooms are slated for each borough except Staten Island, which will get one. Locations include Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Columbus Park in Brooklyn, Cooper Square in Manhattan and the North Shore Esplanade on Staten Island.
The electronic entry system is also part of Throne’s maintenance plan. City officials said tracking usage will allow the company to clean each unit roughly every 10 to 15 visits. Users can also submit cleanliness feedback electronically.
Heinselman said the units can detect smoking and warn users, while repeat misuse can result in someone’s access being restricted. Throne staff will also be offered Narcan training, and Heinselman said the automatic door-opening system has allowed workers elsewhere to respond to people experiencing medical emergencies inside.
Jessica Heinselman, co-founder and COO of Throne Labs, speaks Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, as New York City launches a one-year pilot program bringing 17 modular public bathrooms to locations across the five boroughs. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
The pilot comes as advocates are awaiting a much broader city plan for expanding public bathrooms.
The Free to Pee Coalition said the Mamdani administration has not yet delivered the first strategic plan required under Local Law 58 of 2025, which the group said was due Sept. 1. According to the coalition, the administration now plans to release it Nov. 1.
“Modular bathrooms alone will not change the current imbalance in bathroom access,” the coalition said.
Council Member Sandy Nurse, who helped lead the push for the bathroom law, credited the coalition Wednesday for years of organizing around the issue and said the city will ultimately need multiple approaches to expand its restroom network.
Mamdani similarly stressed that the city has not decided future bathrooms will all follow the Throne model. He said officials will evaluate the yearlong pilot while considering other approaches, including automated public toilets.