when you got to go, you got to go

During a recent visit to New York City, I became hyper aware of the disappearance of public restrooms. There’s no polite way to put this: going to the bathroom in New York is a big hassle. Public restrooms in the city are hard to find and are often either out of order or require you to buy something at a store or café to be able to use. The problem is so bad that individuals have created their own resources for finding public restrooms.

new Google Maps layer introduced by the city attempts to tackle this issue. As part of a new program called “Ur in Luck,” the city has introduced a Maps view dotted with 1,000 public restrooms across the five boroughs. Users can view the map on their phones and locate the closest restroom that’s accessible to the public. It’s sounds good, but a recent WNYC public radio show revealed that more than 100 of the advertised facilities is out of order on any given day. And, at least 100 more are only open part of the day and closed on weekends.

The new map will be somewhat helpful, but it’s a drop in the bucket of need.. One thousand bathrooms for 8 million New Yorkers is woefully insufficient. Not to mention the 62 million annual visitors to the city.

Still, if you’re planning a visit, check out the video below on the project:

 

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