This Tuesday Mayor de Blasio enacted legislation which requires single-occupant restrooms to be made available to all genders. The bill was initially passed by the City Council on June 21st.
The intent of the bill is provide improved availability of gender-neutral restrooms in New York City. The legislation includes amendments to the administrative, plumbing and building codes of the city of New York.
All existing single-occupant restrooms must be made available to persons of any sex by January 1, 2017 with the exception of single-occupant restrooms which are accessed only from gender restricted spaces, such as locker rooms.
The plumbing code amendments allow single-occupant restrooms to be counted as part of the required fixtures for either men or women. These provision should not affect the code compliance of existing buildings. To see how these changes affect your specific project contact your team at Design 2147.
To read the Mayor’s press release click here. To see the full text of this bill click here.