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It’s been six weeks since NYC’s $4M toilets made their debut —what do New Yorkers think of them?
New York City’s 17 high-tech public toilets have drawn positive reviews from users and a trial visit found one clean, well stocked and quiet. The pilot matters because the city has few public restrooms relative to its population, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani is considering a major expansion.
The toilets cost about $235,000 each and are free to use from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with entry by QR code, text, app or a pass from community partners. Each visit is limited to 10 minutes, with warnings before the door opens; Throne Labs says staff clean the units every 11 to 16 uses or sooner if needed. The 17 toilets have been used more than 20,000 times and hold a four-out-of-five user rating, while critics have raised concerns about cost, time limits and upkeep.
In short
- NYC’s 17 public toilets cost about $235,000 each.
- Users have flushed them more than 20,000 times.
- The city may add 2,000 more toilets.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
New York has too few public restrooms for its population, and clean, accessible facilities can make daily life easier for residents and visitors alike. Early user feedback and more than 20,000 visits suggest the toilets are meeting a real need; investing in a pilot could help the city judge whether wider access is worth the cost.
The case against
At about $235,000 each, the toilets are a substantial public expense, so residents can reasonably ask whether the money would deliver greater benefit through cheaper facilities or other services. Their limited hours, ten-minute cap and reliance on digital or partner-issued entry may also make them less useful to some people, while upkeep and long-term performance remain open questions.