NYCEDC Selects Throne Labs to Pilot High-Quality, Modular Public Restrooms Citywide

Throne Labs Inc. Selected to Lead Installation and Maintenance of 17 High-Quality Modular Public Bathroom Units, Expanding Equitable Access Across Five Boroughs

$4 Million Contract Will Deliver Mamdani Administration Promises to Improve Quality of Life for Working New Yorkers

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NEW YORK, NY-New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today announced that after a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, Throne Labs, Inc. (Throne) has been selected to produce, deliver, install, and maintain high-quality modular bathroom units in neighborhoods across New York City. Through this $4 million pilot program, Throne will roll out 17 modular bathroom units across all five boroughs, prioritizing access in high-traffic public spaces. These high-quality units will be free to use and fully accessible. First announced in January, this milestone marks a major step in delivering Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first-100-days commitment to expand public restroom access citywide and improve the lives of working New Yorkers.

"Building a city around the needs of the New Yorkers means bringing high-quality public restrooms to the neighborhoods in which we live, work, and play," said Mayor Mamdani. "New Yorkers young and old know all too well the anxiety of trying to find a public restroom in a pinch. My administration is committed to closing the gaps in this public health infrastructure and delivering a network of restrooms that are clean, accessible, and most importantly, close by."

"For too long, limited access to public restrooms has been a challenge across the city and by rolling out these innovative modular units we are delivering the everyday infrastructure that meaningfully improves quality of life for New Yorkers-residents, workers, and visitors alike," said NYCEDC Interim President & CEO Jeanny Pak. "Together with Throne, and our city government partners, we're expanding equitable access to public restrooms with practical, cost effective solutions that can be deployed citywide."

"This announcement is an important step forward in creating welcoming public spaces that allow New Yorkers to get where they're going with dignity and feel cared for. Public restrooms improve the quality of life for everyone, especially our seniors, parents with young children, delivery workers, people with disabilities, and so many more," said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. "We look forward to partnering with NYCEDC and Parks to help site future public bathroom locations."

"New Yorkers deserve to have easily accessible public restrooms available to them as they traverse the five boroughs. As the largest provider of free facilities in the city, Parks is happy to support this creative approach to build bathrooms more quickly and efficiently," said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. "These innovative modular units by Throne Labs will ensure that clean, fully accessible restrooms are available everywhere, and we look forward to collaborating with our agency partners to identify the best sites along our park perimeters for these units."

"Throne started with a personal frustration of too many frantic searches for a clean bathroom and a belief that this was a solvable problem," said Throne Co-founder and CEO Fletcher Wilson. "Nobody should have to buy a latte or join a gym just to find relief, especially not the delivery workers, parents, and commuters who keep this city running. We're thrilled to bring Throne's proven solution to a city where eight million people are always on the move, and a clean bathroom shouldn't be a luxury."

This $4 million pilot program will deliver public restrooms faster and cheaper than traditional versions that require extensive underground construction to sewer and water lines that can take years to complete.

Throne will provide the physical units and all cleaning and maintenance services. These high-tech and solar-powered units are designed for cleanliness and accessibility. They feature touchless entry, flush and faucets, as well as free menstrual products and changing tables. The units are ADA-compliant, weather-proof, odor-managed, and use 21 sensors and ratings from users to monitor real-time data on the restroom's status, cleanliness, and usage. This data-driven approach has enabled Throne to maintain a 90%+ uptime and 4+ star cleanliness ratings across over 1.7-million-bathroom visits in other cities. Restroom users can access the units via text message, QR code, mobile app, or phoneless tap card.

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) will determine Throne locations in coordination with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks). Installation is expected to begin in late summer and be completed by this fall. Once locations are selected City Hall will kick off a robust strategy to ensure that New Yorkers without cell phones can easily access tap cards from nearby nonprofits, community-based organizations, homeless outreach teams, and other partners.

Founded in 2020, Throne provides clean, accessible public restrooms across the United States. After launching its first permanent installation in Washington, D.C. in March 2023, the company has expanded to downtowns, parks and transit stations in Greater Los Angeles, Michigan, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

"Access to a public restroom shouldn't be a daily challenge. This pilot takes a practical, data-driven approach to improving a basic public service that millions of New Yorkers rely on every day. By combining accessibility, cleanliness, and real-time performance data, Throne's model has the potential to set a higher standard for public restroom infrastructure. I applaud the Mayor's Office and NYCEDC for advancing this innovative pilot, and I am excited to see how it helps expand restroom access and informs future investments across the five boroughs," said Council Member and Chair of the Committee on Economic Development Virginia Maloney.

"Free public bathroom access is a fundamental human right that far too many New Yorkers lack," said Council Member Sandy Nurse. "With the announcement of these 17 new fully accessible, menstrual-friendly, and solar-powered public toilets, New York City is moving closer to realizing my bill, Local Law 58, to double the number of public restrooms by 2035. This is a win for all the public health and homeless advocates, taxi drivers, street vendors, elders, and nanny groups who helped craft and pass this bill, and I commend the Mamdani Administration for moving quickly to realize the bill's goals."

"Access to a clean, safe restroom is a matter of dignity. For too long, New Yorkers have been forced to navigate a city without this basic necessity," said Council Member Rita Joseph. "I applaud NYCEDC and Mayor Zohran Mamdani for taking this important step to expand free, accessible public restrooms across all five boroughs. When we invest in essential infrastructure, we build a city that truly works for everyone."

"The Worker's Justice Project applauds the Mamdani Administration for its commitment to expanding public restroom access in NYC," said WJP Executive Director Ligia Guallpa. "Public restroom access is important for all New Yorkers, including hard-working deliveristas and other essential workers whose workplace is the streets of NYC. Although Local Law 123 guarantees access to restaurant bathrooms for delivery workers, many restaurants still refuse restroom access to deliveristas, making public restroom availability a critical issue for app delivery workers citywide. We look forward to the launch of this important pilot project and hope that it heralds an era of widely available public restrooms for all NYC residents, workers and visitors."

This project is a part of the Mamdani Administration's broader efforts to improve the public realm and to ensure New Yorkers can move through the city safely and with dignity. New York City currently has nearly 1,000 public restrooms, roughly 70 percent of which are located in parks. Throne units will increase the number of public restrooms available citywide, helping close long-standing gaps in access across neighborhoods.

About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About ThroneThrone Labs is revolutionizing public restroom access by delivering, operating, and maintaining data-driven, inclusive smart bathrooms that prioritize cleanliness and user experience. Their innovative, utility-free units can be deployed rapidly at a fraction of traditional costs. Throne's turnkey service uses sensors and real-time user feedback to optimize cleaning and maintenance, typically cleaning every 11 to 15 uses. The result is consistently sparkling restrooms backed by transparent performance data. Thrones serve parks, transit hubs, and business districts, where they delight users and transform expectations for public restrooms. Learn more at https://www.thronelabs.co.

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