Chicago could soon see new public bathrooms.
Ald. Daniel La Spata announced to residents last week that the city is on track to begin a new pilot program that would bring public bathrooms to the city. The city is under contract with JCDecaux to build the bathrooms, with four setups “ready for installation.”
“We have never been closer to having a public bathroom pilot in Chicago!” La Spata wrote in a newsletter to constituents. “Meeting with JCDecaux today, they confirmed that the first four high quality public bathrooms are ready for installation as part of their contract with the City. I’m excited to see the City work with such an experienced operator and hopeful that we can determine appropriate locations in the very near term. It’s a great opportunity to bring new services to our residents!”
The news comes years after officials first promised changes to the lack of access to public bathrooms in the city.
A 2021 Chicago Tribune investigation found the city lacked access to free public bathrooms, with “swaths of the city” containing few or even none.
The contract between Chicago and JCDecaux was announced early last year.
“There is a straightforward path to providing clean and safe bathrooms for every Chicagoan, and this remains the most popular policy that I have worked on from 1st Ward residents, advocacy groups, Chambers of Commerce, and other professional associations,” La Spata told residents in May.
Details on where and when the new bathrooms will be available are expected to be announced at a later date.
