Los Angeles city crews hauled more than 70 tons of human waste off public streets in 2025, and only four replacement public toilets are currently operating. Now Councilmember Nithya Raman is pushing a motion that asks city departments to find money and locations for more bathrooms, handwashing stations and drinking water across Los Angeles.
Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced the motion in October, according to Yahoo News, calling for more public toilets, handwashing stations and drinking-water facilities throughout the city. The motion asks for a report back within 60 days with recommendations for expanding restroom access and identifying funding, per the same report. The motion also seeks permanent funding for existing bathrooms in Skid Row.
What the Motion Actually Asks For
The proposal directs staff to explore new facilities on government-owned property, the Yahoo News report states. It also points to potential public-private partnerships. Separately, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's Hydration Station Initiative Program reimburses qualifying non-residential water customers up to $5,000 per indoor hydration station and up to $10,000 per outdoor unit, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Notably, the motion stops short of committing to anything concrete. It does not authorize construction or allocate additional money, and it doesn't specify how many new bathrooms Raman wants, where they would go or how much they would cost, the Yahoo News article notes. The motion also seeks a city department responsible for overseeing public restrooms.
A Contract That Fell Far Short of Its Promise
The push comes after years of disappointment with Los Angeles' earlier attempt at automated public toilets. The city entered a 2001 agreement with Outfront/JCDecaux for the Coordinated Street Furniture Program, which proposed installing up to 150 automated public toilets at no direct operating cost to the city; a 2021 action extended the existing contract for 12 months. Reports diverge on how many were actually built: Yahoo News reports that only 14 were installed under that agreement, while a separate account says the minimum 15 toilets were installed, with one later removed, leaving 14. Because the company owned the restrooms, the city became responsible for replacing the facilities when the contract expired — and only four replacement toilets are operational, according to Raman's motion, which blames funding shortages.
That funding gap is not new. A February 2022 StreetsLA report, filed with the Los Angeles City Clerk, had recommended replacing all 14 automatic public toilets with prefabricated units before January 1, 2023, identifying an initial $1.5 million capital need and a further $3.67 million budget request, for $5.17 million total. StreetsLA reportedly did not include bathroom maintenance in its budget memo for the current fiscal year, according to AfroLA.
Skid Row's Long-Running Shortage
The motion highlights a shortage of public bathrooms in Los Angeles. The ReFresh Spot is a hygiene center in Skid Row.
Raman's motion seeks permanent funding for existing bathrooms in Skid Row.
Looking to Hollywood and Transit Hubs for Models
The motion points to the Hollywood Partnership's bathroom project as one possible template for future public-private partnerships. That business improvement district funds and operates 40 public bathroom stalls on the ground floor of the city's parking garage at 1627 Vine Street. A 2023 report from LA Public Press detailed how the city contributed $1 million toward building the facility inside the LADOT-owned structure, while the business improvement district covers staffing and maintenance.
Transit access remains another gap the motion hopes to address. The same LA Public Press report found that only three Metro transit stations in LA County had public bathrooms as of 2023: Union Station, the El Monte bus station and the Harbor Gateway Transit Center.
What Happens Next
If the motion advances, city staff would have 60 days to report back with recommendations for expanding restroom access and identifying funding. What the final plan will look like remains to be seen.
