NYC Installs 17 High-Tech Public Toilets With 10-Minute Timers

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced immediate criticism after unveiling a plan to install seventeen new public restrooms throughout the city. These high-tech facilities cost $235,000 each and come with built-in timers that limit usage to ten minutes. The mayor claims these units are necessary for the eight million residents of New York to find relief while on the go. This project adds to the existing 1,100 public restrooms available across the metropolis.

Four of these robotic toilets began operations earlier this week in Brooklyn, with the remaining fifteen arriving over the next few months. The units were manufactured by Throne Labs and feature running water, climate control, baby changing tables, and free dispensers for sanitary pads. Unlike older public facilities, users can unlock the doors via a text message, scanning a QR code, using the Throne Bathroom Network app, or tapping a card.

Supreena Bacon, a school administrator, tried one of the new units on Wednesday. She told Gothamist that the space was clean and modern because occupants do not have to touch surfaces with their hands. However, the experience is strictly monitored. A speaker inside the room announces when time is running out. When the ten-minute limit expires, the automated voice states in English and Spanish: "Attention: Your use time has expired. The door is opening now."

If a user refuses to leave after the timer ends, the door slides open, exposing them to the public. Throne Labs employees can enter to check on the situation, or they may contact police if someone remains inside too long. This enforcement capability sparked debate online regarding safety and dignity. One user asked how slow the closing door prevents injury from people running up behind you. Another worried about a family walking in while someone finished using the facility for eleven minutes.

Adrianna Mendizabal, 22 years old and living in Brooklyn, said she would only use these toilets as a last resort. She told the New York Post that she did not think the idea was safe or sanitary. She also expressed fears that homeless individuals might turn these pods into sleeping shelters instead of using them for their intended purpose.

The project is part of a $4 million pilot program designed to address the city's public bathroom crisis. The Coalition for the Homeless noted that the New York Police Department issued more than 10,000 summonses for public urination in 2025. During his announcement, Mayor Mamdani acknowledged the struggle many face: "Too many New Yorkers know what it's like to have nowhere to go while they're on the go." He added that this pilot is about ensuring citizens can count on a clean, safe, and accessible bathroom when needed. The Daily Mail reached out to a spokesperson from the Mayor's office for further comment but did not receive an immediate response.