New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a $4 million public bathroom pilot on Wednesday in Queens, introducing 17 Throne Labs units that will be placed across all five boroughs to address the city's persistent shortage of public restrooms. The modular, ADA-accessible facilities are free to use and operate daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., opening via text message, QR code, the Throne app, or physical tap cards distributed through community partners.
The most notable feature of the units is a strict 10-minute time limit. According to Throne Labs co-founder and COO Jessica Heinzelman, users receive reminders at five and eight minutes, followed by flashing lights and an audio message in English and Spanish at the 10-minute mark. The door then opens 30 seconds later. «At 10 minutes, there are flashing lights. The audio comes on,» Heinzelman said during a city news conference. «It says, ‘The door — your time is up, the door is opening.’ The door’s opening. That extends for about 30 seconds. So, if you are still pants down, we're not going to open the door on you. But then the door does open.»
Heinzelman told Fox News Digital that the 10-minute limit was chosen after reviewing typical public restroom standards and measuring actual usage. «The vast majority of users across our markets leaving within 3½ minutes,» she said, adding that 81% of users finish within five minutes and more than 95% at one downtown Los Angeles location finish within 10 minutes. The time limit is designed to balance human needs with deterring loitering and extended occupation.
Mamdani framed the pilot as a cost-effective solution to a longstanding problem. «Seventeen costs about what one public restroom has historically cost in New York City,» he said. «And that is part of why we have not built that many, because we've seen the cost of these restrooms just escalate year after year.» The modular units do not require direct connections to water, sewer, or power systems, avoiding major infrastructure expenses. New York City currently has roughly one public toilet for every 8,500 residents.
Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told Fox News Digital that the pilot should be judged against the city's need for basic facilities. «Anyone who’s walked the streets of New York knows the lack of basic public facilities is a real quality-of-life problem,» he said. «If this modular pilot can actually get clean, safe bathrooms on the street for a fraction of that, it’s a victory for municipal common sense.»
The technology is already in use in California. Caltrain's restroom pilot uses Throne units at Redwood City, Sunnyvale, and Palo Alto stations, warning riders that after 10 minutes «a visual and auditory warning will sound before the doors are opened.» Long Beach launched four Throne units in 2025 and later extended its partnership. The city's original announcement noted the units contain 21 sensors that monitor cleanliness, usage, and potential misuse while maintaining user privacy. However, community feedback in Long Beach included at least one complaint about the time limit. «Please make it more than ten minutes. I was almost embarrassed in front of strangers still using the restroom,» one respondent wrote.
When asked about the restriction, Mamdani offered a succinct warning to New Yorkers accustomed to lingering. «This is not a place to scroll on your phone,» he said. «I know that many people do that. This isn't one of them.» The one-year pilot will place units at high-traffic locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment but did not immediately receive a response.