No public restrooms at 9/11 memorial

Those seeking to explore the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in lower Manhattan when it partly opens on Sept. 12 must make sure they secure a reservation -- as well as visit an off-site bathroom -- before they go.

The memorial, which will be dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and open to the public one day later, will use a timed reservation system to manage the millions expected to come pay their respects, according to New York City officials. It will not, however, have bathrooms available to them, officials said.

Public bathrooms will not be added until the museum part of the project opens a year later, in September 2012.

The reserved passes, available through the memorial's website, "will minimize wait times to enter the site," mayoral spokesman Andrew Brent said in a statement Sunday. "People will be provided with information to help plan their visit, including being advised that bathrooms will not be accessible on site."

The ongoing construction at Ground Zero will limit access to the area.

Memorial officials could not be reached for comment, but a source close to the $760-million project said the city does not plan to bring in portable bathrooms to accommodate visitors.

An employee at a nearby Century 21 department store who did not to give her name said Sunday that her fellow staff members at the store will be ready for the onslaught of tourists seeking toilets.

"We're always prepared for ceremonies and events like that, so our maintenance staff will be prepared and we'll move people in and out quickly," she said. "And there's always a line for the women's room, so that's nothing unusual."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg last week said the city is ready for visitors expected to descend on lower Manhattan for the 9/11 anniversary.

"In the beginning, the real problem with the memorial is the construction on three sides so access has to be really carefully controlled," he said Thursday while introducing a global marketing campaign for lower Manhattan's businesses.

"I think we'll be able to handle the crowd," he said. "I always like to have the problem of too many."