FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, November 24, 2025
CONTACT: press@ny4p.org
Council Members, Advocates Call on City to Invest $25 Million to Fix NYC Parks Restrooms and Drinking Fountains
Elected officials, New Yorkers for Parks, Play Fair Coalition Rally Ahead of Council Oversight Hearing
2024 NYC Council Survey of 100 park restrooms citywide found two-thirds were either closed during scheduled hours or had significant sanitary and safety issues
New York, NY (November 24, 2025) — Elected officials, New Yorkers for Parks and members of the Play Fair for Parks Coalition rallied today at Foley Square to call attention to the deteriorating state of public restrooms and drinking fountains in New York City parks. The rally preceded the NYC Council Committee on Parks & Recreation’s 1:00 PM oversight hearing, which examined essential maintenance issues and considered Intro 1425, legislation requiring NYC Parks to provide quarterly reporting on Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) staffing by council district.
Advocates urged the City to allocate $25 million to hire additional Parks Department staff dedicated to the cleaning, upkeep, and repair of park bathrooms and drinking fountains. This investment would allow maintenance workers to be on site at 400 heavily used restrooms during peak hours, ensuring issues are addressed promptly and facilities stay open later into the afternoons and evenings. They also emphasized the need for reliable, district-level data on PEP officer deployment, which is critical for addressing longstanding safety and equity gaps across the park system.
“New Yorkers deserve parks with bathrooms and drinking fountains that are clean, open, and functional — not facilities that are chronically closed or falling apart. Fixing this requires a modest but targeted investment in staff who can keep these amenities running and accessible throughout the day,” said New Yorkers for Parks Executive Director Adam Ganser. “We also need real transparency around where PEP officers are deployed across the city, which is why Intro 1425 is so important. Strong maintenance and clear safety staffing data are basic issues of public health, accountability, and equity. City Hall must finally treat them that way.”
"Year after year, we see the effects of an underfunded parks budget for parks workers and for the conditions of our parks, including bathrooms and water fountains. We must finally fund the parks department with the amount of money it needs to not only secure critical infrastructure and protect our parks workers, but also to begin the necessary work to think bigger with New York's parks and green spaces. Our parks bring color and nature to the city we all love; they must have the staffing and resources to maintain the infrastructure New Yorkers rely on when visiting parks," said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Chair of the Parks Committee.
NYC Parks is responsible for maintaining 1,100 public bathrooms and 3,400 drinking fountains, representing nearly 70% of all public restrooms citywide. These facilities are essential for public health, access, comfort, and equity—yet decades of chronic understaffing and underinvestment have left too many in unacceptable condition.
A 2024 City Council survey of 100 park restrooms citywide found:
Two-thirds were closed during scheduled hours or had significant sanitary or safety problems.
Nearly one-quarter lacked baby changing stations.
30% lacked garbage cans.
In 2025, another survey by Council Member Gale Brewer documented widespread broken, unusable, or inaccessible drinking fountains throughout Upper West Side parks and playgrounds—reinforcing the need for a citywide maintenance response.
Elected officials joined advocates in calling for a policy commitment to address necessary fixes:
“Public parks are at the heart of city life. New Yorkers rely on them for recreation but they’re also one of the few places in this city with access to free bathrooms and water fountains. Whether you’re a nanny, an older adult, or someone who simply needs a sip of water, bathrooms and fountains in parks are life savers. Right now our parks are in desperate need of funding. It’s unfair to the Parks workers who maintain our parks and to millions of New Yorkers who depend on them. It’s time to finally support our parks,” said Council Member Sandy Nurse.
“Access to clean restrooms and drinking water in our parks is an environmental justice issue. Years of neglect have left too many neighborhoods with facilities that don’t meet basic standards, and inconsistent PEP coverage has only added to the safety and accountability gaps. Investing in maintenance staff — and ensuring transparent reporting on where PEP officers are deployed — are direct, effective steps to guarantee that every New Yorker has safe, functional amenities. This is about equity, accountability, and taking care of the public spaces we all rely on,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif.
"Every New Yorker should be able to count on clean, open restrooms and working drinking fountains when they visit their local park. These are core services, yet too many of our parks have gone far too long without the maintenance they need. Investing in dedicated staff is a straightforward way to ensure these facilities are safe, reliable, and accessible to everyone who depends on them,” said Council Member Christopher Marte.
“New Yorkers deserve a city that meets their basic needs, including access to safe, clean public restrooms and drinking fountains. As we work to open more free public restrooms across the city, we must also ensure that the ones that exist in public parks are properly maintained and open during their scheduled hours. The City must invest in upkeep and necessary maintenance personnel so our parks remain vibrant, accessible, and safe for everyone,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson.
"New Yorkers and visitors rely on the more than 1,000 public bathrooms in our NYC Parks, but far too many of them are closed or in disrepair because of decades of underinvestment," said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. "The City must fully fund our Parks and our public bathrooms, including the staff who are essential to maintaining this vital infrastructure. I look forward to continuing to fight for a parks system that serves the needs of all New Yorkers."
“Parks must be funded as the vital infrastructure they are. That means investing in the maintenance staff who keep our green spaces clean, safe, and welcoming. It also means ensuring that when a child needs a bathroom or a senior needs water, those facilities are available, sanitary, and in good working order,” said Heather Lubov, Executive Director, City Parks Foundation.
"Parks and open streets work best when the broader system has reliable basic infrastructure, especially well-maintained bathrooms and drinking fountains. These amenities are essential to keeping communities active, safe, and connected. Fixing them requires having adequate staff to take care of what we already have. The City should invest now so our public spaces can truly serve the public," said Jim Burke, Co-founder, 34th Ave. Open Streets Coalition.
“A park that has broken benches, no water fountain, and a bathroom that doesn't work is a vacant lot — not a park,” said Michael Ring, Vice President of Disabled in Action Greater NY.
Earlier this year, my office surveyed drinking fountains across Upper West Side parks and playgrounds and found too many were broken, unusable, or inaccessible. We found similar results for parks restrooms (and shocking price tags for their renovation). This is a story about how day-to-day upkeep impacts access to our most beloved public spaces. I am proud of the Council’s investments in new parks infrastructure - at the same time, the City must invest in proper maintenance and staffing so that all New Yorkers can rely on functioning necessities like restrooms and fountains,” said Council Member Gale Brewer.
“We strongly support Int. 1425 Safer Parks for NYC and thank Council Member Susan Zhuang for bringing attention to this critical issue. Park Enforcement Patrol Officers are the first line of defense in protecting the public in our City’s parks, yet in every budget, these workers are often the first to face PEG cuts or hiring freezes. The city must be held accountable and be required to inform the public about the staffing levels of our parks system,” said Henry Garrido, Executive Director of District Council 37.
“Access to bathrooms and drinking fountains is a public health necessity, especially in communities already burdened by environmental inequities. When these facilities break down or close, the impact falls hardest on neighborhoods that have been underserved for generations. Investing in maintenance staff is a crucial step toward addressing park disparities and ensuring everyone has access to safe, serviceable infrastructure,” said Sasha St. Juste, Senior Manager of Organizing, WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
"New Yorkers deserve parks where you can find a working toilet and a drink of water—every day, in every neighborhood. Bathrooms and drinking fountains are the most basic pieces of public infrastructure. But in New York City, that infrastructure is failing because the City has asked NYC Parks to maintain a century-old system without the staff or capital to do it. We need to fund the people, lower the capital costs through smart standardization, and treat bathrooms and fountains like the core infrastructure they are,” said Merritt Birnbaum, President & CEO, Riverside Park Conservancy.
Local Laws 92 and 93 require the city to add 50 drinking fountains in parks and increase the number of public restrooms citywide to 2,120 within the next 10 years, underscoring the need for proactive measures to maintain existing/planned facilities.
About New Yorkers for Parks
New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) is the citywide independent organization championing quality parks and open spaces for all New Yorkers in all neighborhoods. For over a century, NY4P has led the movement to protect, invest in, and celebrate New York City’s parks.
About Play Fair Coalition
Play Fair for Parks is an advocacy campaign and 400+ member coalition pushing for #1Percent4Parks and elevating parks issues across the five boroughs. Play Fair was co-founded by New Yorkers for Parks, the New York League of Conservation Voters, and District Council 37—the union representing NYC Parks workers.