Flushing isn’t just in Queens

Acity with far too few public toilets is set to soon get a few more. That’s progress, but — drip, drip, drip — the process continues to play out far too slowly. How long are New Yorkers expected to hold it? 2019 report by the city comptroller put New York 93rd among America’s 100 largest cities in public comfort stations by population, We’ve got 16 per 100,000 residents in parks and playgrounds, compared to St. Paul’s 210 and Milwaukee’s 113 and Pittsburgh’s 86. And that doesn’t even account for the fact that millions more tourists flood our streets every year.

Now comes word that the city’s Parks Department is readying to roll out five prefabricated bathrooms made by Oregon-based Portland Loo starting in the summer of 2024.

Acquiring such newfangled porta potties was first proposed in 2019, but it’s taken until now for the concept to go around the u-bend. Why? A sales manager for the manufacturer told the online news outlet The City: “I’ve never had this certification problem” anyplace else. “New York City has been the most difficult to have a permit approved for.” The toilets cost $185,000 each; the total could run as much as $5.3. million, since they all need construction prep work and electric and water lines. Still, it’ll be well worth it, especially since they’ll do double duty (pun intended) as baby-changing stations.

Of course, a measly five new toilets won’t spell relief. The city must find more ways to open more toilets to the public, and must keep improving the public restrooms we have, which are far too often just plain gross. That means stretching public dollars far further than the average $3.6 million it cost to renovate a comfort station as of 2019.

Mayor Adams has talked often about the need to make the city’s capital planning and construction process more efficient, and has laid out 39 worthy recommendations for doing so. He can’t wash his hands of this most urgent piece of the problem.