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NYC Council committee to vote on bills aiming for more public bathrooms, greenways
By
Gwynne Hogan
Published Oct 13, 2022
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Stephen Chernin/Getty Images
By
Gwynne Hogan
Published Oct 13, 2022
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The New York City Council transportation committee is expected to vote on two bills that would push the city to build more public greenways and restrooms across the five boroughs.
One measure, sponsored by Council member Carlina Rivera of Manhattan, would require the city to develop a greenway master plan and to continually identify new locations to turn into park spaces, reach out to community boards about new areas for development and regularly update the public on the city’s progress.
Mayor Eric Adams recently committed $47.6 million in funding to connect Brooklyn and Queens greenways, and another $723 million for the Manhattan greenway, which aims to fully connect a pedestrian and bike loop around the island.
Despite ambitious goals, the Adams administration has already fallen behind goals on bike lane construction.
Council member Rita Joseph of Brooklyn and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine sponsored the second bill slated for a vote Thursday. It would require the mayor to identify new locations for public restrooms across the city in each of the city’s zip codes.
There are more than 1,000 public restrooms citywide, according to the Council — most of them maintained by the city’s Parks Department — but access to public restrooms, especially for the city’s unhoused population, has been a longstanding issue, particularly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when public restrooms and other establishments were closed.
Council members Joseph and Rivera didn’t return requests for additional comment on the bills right away. It’s unclear when the full Council would vote on the measures, if the bills pass through committee Thursday. Both bills have more than 30 co-sponsors in the 51-member body, meaning they would likely pass if put up for a full vote.
A spokesperson for Mayor Adams didn’t immediately return a request for comment on the bills.
The committee vote is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Council chambers and should be viewable on the Council website.
Tagged
public bathroom
greenway
City Council
parks
Gwynne Hogan
Gwynne Hogan is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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