‘Not a place to scroll': NYC's new public bathrooms auto-open door after 10 minutes

The self-contained units do not require connections to water, sewer or power infrastructure, allowing them to be deployed, relocated, or removed as community needs change.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday that the installation of 17 new public bathrooms is underway across New York City, part of his previously announced effort to bring free, accessible facilities to public plazas and high-traffic areas that haven't reliably had them.

"Many of us have pleaded with baristas and maître d's, we have listened intently as the worker at Chipotle whispers the bathroom code to another paying customer," Mamdani said at a press conference.

Each bathroom will have a running-water sink, flushing toilet, climate control, and a baby-changing station. They're mobile. They're touchless. They'll play music.

Just don't dawdle. There's a 10-minute time limit. And the door opens at the bell. (There are flashing lights, too. Breakdown around the 25-minute mark in the press conference below.)

As Mamdani said at Wednesday's announcement, "This is not a place to scroll."

Mamdani publicized the Request for Proposals for the city's $4 million modular public bathroom pilot in January. In June, the New York City Economic Development Corporation selected Throne Labs, which operates public bathroom networks in other major cities, to deliver, operate, and service the bathrooms.

The self-contained units do not require connections to water, sewer, or power infrastructure, allowing them to be deployed, relocated, or removed as community needs change.

Don't worry, you'll get plenty of warnings that your 10 minutes are almost up, and then one final one before the door opens. It's on a slight delay. Risky.

The new bathrooms are part of a year-long pilot program.

"New York City’s number one place to go number two. Or number one. You don't need to tell me or anybody at City Hall," said Mamdani, who said he believes the new bathrooms will be popular.

Currently, there are only 1,000 public restrooms citywide — one of the worst ratios in the country. Most the city’s existing public restrooms are in parks, but even the parks commissioner said there simply aren’t enough.

"I too am a parent of a 4- and a 7-year-old, and also a New Yorker who likes to stay my parks as long as possible. And the only way that you can do that is when you know that you have a public restroom nearby," said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura.

People enter the bathrooms by text message, QR code, through the Throne Bathroom Network app or a tap card distributed by local community partners. The app also allows users to find the nearest bathroom, check real-time cleanliness ratings and see whether a unit is available.

Here are some of the planned locations for the rollout:

• Bronx: Yankee Stadium, Admiral Farragut Playground, Mapes Park and Monsignor Raul Del Valle Square
• Brooklyn: Columbus Park, Milestone Park, Fulton Street and Truxton Street and Avenue C Plaza
• Queens: Astoria Boulevard South and 31st Street, Northern Boulevard and 31st Street, Northern Boulevard and 54th Street and 34th Avenue and 64th Street
• Manhattan: Cooper Square, Malcolm X Plaza, Delancey Street and Suffolk Street and Plaza Alianza Dominicana
• Staten Island: North Shore Esplanade

The administration is hoping to address a problem that previous administrations have failed to deliver solutions to. In 2008, the administration for then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg rolled out a coin-operated stall in Madison Square Park, which similarly had a time limit.

If the first batch of 17 modular toilets is successful, the mayor said the city will be buying more at the end of next summer.

This story originally appeared on NBCNewYork.com.