The Friends of the Public Garden is introducing a pilot program for a new addition of restroom facilities to Boston Common. The Friends wishes to thank the Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust for their very generous gift to fund this test program that would increase the availability of restrooms on the Common, given the great need in our parks for such facilities. The restroom will be a trailer, wrapped in an 1870 image of Boston Common and the city surrounds, designed to be compatible with the surroundings., We are still ironing out details, but the start date is currently planned for the week of July 23, 2018 and the facility will be open through October.
We are working, as always. in partnership with Boston Parks and Recreation to make this pilot program a success. The facility will be located along MacArthur Mall, halfway between the Charles/Beacon entrance to the Common and the mid-block crossing of Charles Street. This location allows the unit to be used by Public Garden visitors as well as by visitors to the Common, and is adjacent to the necessary electrical hookup.
The unit will have:
- 3 women’s stalls and a sink
- 1 men’s stall and 3 urinals and a sink
- 1 ADA restroom with toilet and sink
- Baby changing station
- Security person on site, in a kiosk next to the unit, during hours of operation
- Bathrooms will be cleaned every 4 hours, and regularly pumped out
- Hours of operation from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
This will be the first year of the pilot. The Friends is committed to making this a high-quality pilot program, in terms of cleanliness, safety, and security. Depending on what we learn, it will return for one or two more years – while the Boston Common Master Plan process is being undertaken. What we learn during this pilot, and what we hear during the master planning process, will inform proposals for increased permanent restroom facilities on the Common.