New York City is addressing a long-standing public inconvenience by installing high-tech, modular restrooms designed to provide quick, accessible bathroom access for residents and visitors. The pilot program features 17 automated units equipped with running water, climate control, and family-friendly amenities, with the first units already operational. To prevent misuse, the bathrooms enforce a strict 10-minute limit, using timed warnings and automatic door releases to encourage efficiency. The initiative aims to offer a reliable solution for those in need while discouraging prolonged stays.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is tackling yet another urban annoyance: the city’s lack of public restrooms. As of June 2025, New York City had just 975 operating public restrooms across its five boroughs, or one per every 8,697 residents. To start making it easier to go while on the go, the city is installing 17 new modular bathrooms—aka robotoilets—equipped with amenities like running water, temperature control, and baby-changing stations. The bathrooms, made and operated by Throne Labs, are already being erected around NYC, with the first two open as of this week and two more coming on Thursday. “Too many New Yorkers know what it’s like to have nowhere to go while they’re on the go,” Mamdani said at a press conference on Wednesday. “This pilot is about making sure New Yorkers can count on a clean, safe, accessible bathroom when they need one.” But as Mamdani put it, these bathrooms are “not a place to scroll on your phone.” Users are meant to do their business, then get a move on within 10 minutes—or face the consequences. How do the new bathrooms keep patrons from lingering? There’s a simple fail-safe: After 10 minutes in the bathroom, the doors will automatically open. Users get plenty of warning before that point, with audio warnings playing at the five-minute and eight-minute marks. After 10 minutes, lights flash and an audio message plays in both English and Spanish, saying: “Attention. Your use time has expired. The door is opening now.” After a final 30-second grace period, the doors will open, whether a user is ready or not. There’s currently no way for users to extend their session. Read more on Fast Company. submitted by /u/_fastcompany [link] [comments]
