Finally, Google Maps shows New York City public restroom locations

New Yorkers will no longer be forced to buy something they don’t need in order to use the restroom at a shop or drugstore, thanks to a new layer in Google Maps that shows New York City public restroom locations.



The map layer , created by New York City as a MyMap , a tool to make your own maps online, shows public restrooms across all five boroughs operated by either NYC Parks, the city’s Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, New York’s three public library systems, or privately owned public spaces like the Lincoln Center and Trump Tower.



[Screenshot: NYC/Google Maps]



This layer, which can be accessed through on.nyc.gov/restroom, shows up on Google Maps as restroom sign icons to mark the location of nearly 1,000 public restrooms. The icons are color-coded, with green for restrooms operated by NYC Parks, light blue for transit locations, black for public libraries, and gray for privately owned public spaces.



Clicking on the icon reveals the location name, operator, hours, restroom type (single-stall, all gender, or multi-stall women’s and men’s restroom), and whether the location has a changing station. The map is up to date as of June 3, 2024. The city will maintain it and says it will be updated biannually.



[Screenshot: NYC/Google Maps]



“If you’re a New Yorker, we all know it, finding available restrooms is a real challenge, particularly if you have children,” New York Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference. “That’s why we made a new Google Maps layer that you can access on your phone. This will allow New Yorkers to know where to go when they have to go.”



Before the city could get to making its own map, individuals took matters into their own hands. The TikTok account got2gonyc has been sharing information about where to find public bathrooms (and related door codes) to its nearly 200,000 followers. The account’s owner, Teddy Siegel, who is a performer and activist, also created a crowdsourced NYC bathroom map of her own . As far back as 2006 someone tried to map the bathrooms on Google Maps . NYC Parks has a map , too, although it’s accessible through its website and not in an app.



Back in the present, New York City is running a “Ur in Luck” campaign to promote the new map layer, which shows toilet illustrations and a QR code and will appear on LinkNYC kiosks and on Taxi TVs through September.







As the Google map shows, there are parts of town, like East Harlem and Lower Manhattan, without any public restrooms, and advocates say the city needs more .



The group Alliance for Public Space Leadership, which promotes equity and effective management of New York’s public spaces, said in a statement that the new Google map “will make our public realm more accessible for everyone” but added that New York City has far too few public restrooms.



“These facilities should be easy to find and abundant so all New Yorkers can enjoy public space with peace of mind,” the group said.



Adams said during the press conference that the city is building 46 new public restrooms over the next five years and renovating another 36 locations for accessibility and the addition of stalls and energy-efficient features. Thankfully, when the facilities open New Yorkers will know exactly where to find them.