NEW YORK (PIX11) — When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. In New York City, more public bathrooms made it difficult to do nature’s bidding in 2025.
On Monday, the New York City Council released its 2025 “Good to Go?” report, which highlights several negative trends in restroom accessibility, included necessities, cleanliness (or lack thereof) and upkeep.
Report shows it’s harder to go in NYC
Over 330 individual restrooms were visited by Council staff in August and September to conduct the report.
Of the 337 individual bathrooms visited at 172 public sites, 11 percent of them were closed during posted operating hours. One in nine of restrooms run by the NYC Parks Department were closed during posted hours, according to the report.
Stall locks aren’t working as they should
Nearly 15 percent of the restroom stalls observed either had locks that didn’t work or had no lock at all. In 2024’s “Nature Calls” report, the number was 11 percent.
More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State
Not enough diaper changing tables
More than a quarter of the 301 open restrooms visited did not offer a diaper changing table. Of those that did, over 25 percent of them “had significant usability issues or were dirty,” according to the report.
The NYC Council also noted that menstrual needs are not met in many stalls and restrooms, stating only four sites had product dispensers.
Soap, toilet paper and garbage cans
There was an increase from 2024 to 2025 in the lack of soap in bathrooms, up three percent year over year. As for toilet paper, there was a six percent drop in the absence of the essential product.
Roughly the same number of restrooms did not have a garbage can to dispose of waste in 2025 as there were in 2024, sitting near 30 percent.
“My hope is that the next mayoral administration makes the maintenance and availability of our city’s public restrooms a priority,” Mayor Eric Adams said about the Council’s findings.
Editor’s note: The video in the player above aired on April 10, 2025.
Spencer Gustafson is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered New York state and city news since 2023. See more of his work here.
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