Health
Chicago’s First Self-Cleaning Public Toilet Debuts in West Town
The city’s first automated public toilet is located at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, Ashland Avenue and Division Street, commonly referred to as the Polish Triangle, in West Town, Nov. 11, 2026. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
Chicago’s first automated public toilet opened Wednesday as part of a pilot initiative to improve access to public restrooms in the city.
Officials and community members gathered in West Town to celebrate the grand opening of the public toilet, located at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, Ashland Avenue and Division Street, commonly referred to as the Polish Triangle.
The free public toilet features a self-cleaning system that automatically initiates a washing and disinfection cycle following each use. The restroom has a 15-minute limit for each guest. The self-cleaning cycle takes about 2 minutes after each use, according to officials.
The restroom is available for use between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
It features automatic door operation, grab bars, an accessible interior layout, hands-free functionality, non-slip flooring and an emergency call button. During the self-cleaning process, the toilet seat is retracted to be washed, disinfected and air dried, and then comes back out for the next user, said Alan Sullivan, co-CEO of JCDecaux North America.
JCDecaux, an outdoor advertising and street furniture company, has provided the public toilet and is covering the costs to maintain the unit, according to Sullivan. The installation, covered by the city, was approximately $500,000, Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st Ward) said.
Staff will check on the restroom four times a day to ensure it runs properly, according to Sullivan.
The Polish Triangle, just outside of Wicker Park and steps from the Division Blue Line station, was chosen for the pilot program for its significant pedestrian activity, proximity to public transportation and neighborhood businesses, according to officials.
The city’s first automated public toilet is located at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, Ashland Avenue and Division Street, commonly referred to as the Polish Triangle, in West Town, Nov. 11, 2026. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
“We couldn’t have picked, frankly, a more difficult location,” Sean Wiedel, Chicago Department of Transportation deputy commissioner for citywide services, said during the grand opening ceremony Wednesday. “As you can imagine, the power’s behind the Chopin Theatre, the water’s behind us, so it was incredibly complicated. … It took a little bit longer but we’re here today to open it for the first time.”
The first member of the public to use the restroom was Wicker Park resident Christian Malatesta, who said he emailed La Spata’s office about being given the opportunity. Malatesta said the experience was straightforward and the restroom was well designed.
“Having a safe, clean, accessible place to use the toilet is a human right,” Malatesta said. “You shouldn’t have to go and buy a $5 cup of coffee to use the restroom. … I hope I get to see more of these across the city.”
About four or five additional public toilets are expected to be installed in the city over the next two to three years, pending authorization from the city, according to JCDecaux spokesperson Paul Stewart.
La Spata announced the city’s first automated public restroom in October 2025. Installation was completed in late October of this year, according to a news release. The pilot initiative is part of the city’s coordinated street furniture program, managed by the Chicago Department of Transportation in coordination with the Office of the Chicago Chief Financial Officer, according to a news release.
As part of the program, the city and JCDecaux will evaluate several performance measures, including daily and hourly usage, maintenance and repair frequency, operating costs, sanitation-related complaints and feedback from nearby businesses, residents and community organizations, according to a news release.
“The first metric of success is always first and foremost safety,” La Spata said.
JCDecaux’s automated restroom systems are in operation in other cities including Paris, Berlin and San Francisco, with additional installations underway in New York and Boston, according to a news release. The company has partnered with the city of Chicago for more than 20 years, managing the city’s bus shelters.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
