Investigation of NYC park bathrooms finds alarming rate of litter, missing locks and unsanitary conditions

NEW YORK — It will likely come as no surprise to New Yorkers, but the public bathrooms in city parks are indeed a mess, according to a new report. 

While the New York City Parks Department maintains hundreds of public restrooms, a City Council investigation found two-thirds of those inspected were closed or had some kind of health or safety issue.

Inspectors visited 102 bathrooms — a men’s and women’s in each of the city’s 51 districts — and found nearly 9 percent were closed when they were supposed to be open. They also reported unsanitary conditions at 40% of the restrooms, and many were missing things like trash cans, soap or toilet paper.

Widespread health and safety issues

• Inspectors found litter at nearly 40% of the 102 bathrooms
• 23% had unsanitary conditions, including bodily fluids on surfaces
• 19% had some kind of graffiti

Missing trash cans, soap and more

• 30% of the bathrooms were missing trash cans
• 24% were missing changing tables (30% of men’s, 17% of women’s)
• 10% were missing soap
• 13% of stalls lacked toilet paper, and one in nine lacked functioning locks

How the bathrooms were selected

The City Council report says bathrooms were selected based on complaints they received from constituents, as well as low rankings from the Parks Inspection Program.

The restrooms were inspected between July 9 and July 11 during the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“This is a topic that gets discussed often, but never resolved,” Council Member Gale A. Brewer, chair of the Committee on Oversight and Investigation, said in a statement Thursday. “Many of the restrooms would benefit greatly from simple fixes, such as replacing sinks or toilets. Others need much more.”

“Public bathrooms, just like paved roads, schools, or fire stations, are critical infrastructure for New York City families,” Council Member Shekar Krishnan, chair of the Committee on Parks and Recreation, added. “Unfortunately, the City Council’s own inspections of park bathrooms across the five boroughs frequently found broken locks, empty toilet paper holders, and wet, dirty floors.”

New Yorkers can find public bathrooms using the city’s “Ur In Luck” map. It was rolled out as part of a larger campaign to build and renovate dozens of restrooms over the next five years.