Taking care of business; Chicago's first self-cleaning public restroom opens in Polish Triangle
Christian Malatesta wanted to go first.
When he heard the 1st Ward, where he lives, was getting Chicago's first self-cleaning public restroom, Malatesta emailed local Ald. Daniel La Spata to ask for the first spot in line.
Malatesta, 35, had used a similar facility in Paris, and was excited to see the technology come to Chicago.
“I don't think you should have to buy a $5 cup of coffee to use the restroom,” he said.
His big moment arrived Wednesday, when La Spata and JCDecaux, the company providing and operating the facility, officially opened it to the public.
Located near the CTA's Division Street Blue Line station, the facility is designed for one user at a time. Visitors press a button to open the sliding door. Inside, there's a bright blue wall and a map of Chicago and plenty of space to move about comfortably. When they've left, an integrated system washes and disinfects the toilet and floor after each use.
The experience, Malatesta said, was straightforward.
“Everything was labeled very clearly, and everything was where I expected it to be,” Malatesta said. “You just press the button, the door opens for you, it flushes for you.”
The facility will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. as part of the city's Coordinated Street Furniture Program, managed by the Chicago Department of Transportation in coordination with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and delivered by JCDecaux.
The restroom is free to use, and JCDecaux is providing and maintaining the facility at no cost to the city. Installation, however, cost more than $400,000, including plumbing. La Spata's office said those costs were covered by the so-called "menu money" allocated to each alderperson to spend on infrastructure projects in their ward at their discretion.
The city will evaluate the pilot based on safety and use, La Spata said. He suggested assessing it after about a year and said the city expects to receive monthly usage statistics from JCDecaux.
“I really believe in a future in Chicago, where we really live into our identity as a global city,” La Spata said. “Global cities provide this amenity to all of their residents.”
This amenity will serve more than just commuters heading to and from the L. It's in a busy area, where Milwaukee and Ashland avenues and Division Street come together in West Town, near Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village.
JCDecaux also has expressed interest in hiring an attendant to supervise the facility, La Spata said.
It could be the start of a movement; other alderpersons and the Chicago Park District have expressed interest in the technology, La Spata said, though whether any more are installed depends on the success of this location.
The opening of the facility does address a basic need for nearby residents. Joshua Chodor, 30, who lives in the 1st Ward, said public restrooms are particularly important in busy commercial areas like Wicker Park.
“I think it is honestly just an element of human dignity,” Chodor said. “If you want to have people out and about, we can't just lock bathrooms behind, you know, pay customers only.”
Chodor said he hopes Chicago would eventually install more facilities near CTA stations and other high-traffic areas.
Jessie Steckling, 26, a Logan Square resident, said the lack of public restrooms can also be an issue for people who exercise outdoors.
“A lot of my friends bike a lot, run a lot. Needing a bathroom ends up being an issue,” Steckling said.
She added the project shows how residents can influence neighborhood investments by contacting their elected officials.
“I think this is an awesome example of the public emailing their aldermen, asking for what they want and it working,” Steckling said.
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