REMARKS
Council Member Sandy Nurse advocates for increased public bathroom access in NYC
0:06:15
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3 min
Council Member Sandy Nurse emphasizes the critical need for more public bathrooms in New York City, highlighting their importance for human dignity, public health, and inclusion. She introduces her bill, Intro 0694, which aims to create a citywide network of public toilets and establish a goal of one toilet per 2,000 residents by 2035.
- Nurse points out that NYC currently has only about 1,100 public restrooms, ranking 93rd out of the 100 largest US cities in public bathroom availability.
- She acknowledges current city initiatives to improve bathroom access, including piloting prefabricated designs and creating a Google Map layer of public restrooms.
- Nurse emphasizes the challenges in implementing public bathrooms, including costs and citing, but stresses the importance of finding solutions.
Sandy Nurse
0:06:15
Thank you, Cher wrestler.
0:06:16
I'll try to be brief.
0:06:19
Thank you for convening this hearing and hearing a ton of bills.
0:06:23
I have one next Friday with that too.
0:06:25
So Public bathrooms are a fundamental part of any modern city's infrastructure.
0:06:33
And when properly planned, they ensure that everyone has the right to fully participate in public life.
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Without sufficient access to public restrooms, we glued entire groups of people from our shared spaces.
0:06:44
In fact, New York City has not meaningfully increased its number of public bathrooms since the 19 seventies, and this ongoing policy failure disproportionately affects our most vulnerable populations.
0:06:55
Seniors, people with disabilities activities, pregnant individuals, families, our own house neighbors, people who are menstruating, and are workers such as delivery workers, street vendors, and taxi drivers.
0:07:05
This is not just about convenience.
0:07:08
It is about human dignity, public health, and inclusion.
0:07:11
With just about 1100 public restrooms across the 5 boroughs, roughly one restroom for every 75100 residents give or take, New York City ranks 93rd out of the 100 largest US cities in public bathroom availability.
0:07:26
My bill intro 0694 aims to change that by creating a city wide network of public toilets and establishing a dynamic goal of one toilet per every 2000 residents by 20 35.
0:07:38
This would nearly quadruple the number of public restrooms and position New York City as a national and global leader in public bathroom access.
0:07:46
By incorporating public restrooms into our city's long term planning processes, we ensure that as New York grows access to public base grows with it.
0:07:55
I do acknowledge the steps this administration is taking to improve bathroom access, like piloting prefabricated and modular designs.
0:08:02
I recognize the Euron Luck initiative and the Google Map layer of all public rest rooms.
0:08:07
I'm still figuring out how to put it on my phone, but that should not represent everybody.
0:08:12
We look forward to the New York City working group to expand access and My district is currently piloting the Portland Lou in Irving Square Park, which we are thrilled about.
0:08:25
It's under construction, and it looks like it's moving really quickly.
0:08:30
So we're just excited to to talk about this, and I'm I'm glad to be partnering with counsel member Rita Joseph on this issue in the borough president, Mark Manhattan borough president, Mark Levin.
0:08:42
Really, this is about how can we make it work.
0:08:45
We know there are so many challenges, costs, citing, it's it's so challenging, but we got to make it work because we all gotta go.
0:08:53
So I just wanna thank my colleagues, cons member Rita Joseph.
0:08:57
As I said, Manhattan General President, my legislative director, Ryan Hickey, Our outgoing legislative fellow, Leticia Depp, vocal New York, coalition for the homeless AARP, Carol Gardens, Nannie Association, Park's Little Parents, Street Fenders Project, List Deliveristas, and many more who have worked tirelessly to push for these changes I look forward to continuing this important conversation.
0:09:17
Thank you chair.
Lincoln Restler
0:09:17
Thank you so much, council member nurse and to our other great bathroom justice champion, council member Joseph.
