Denver to Open Public Restrooms Downtown

By Robert Davis

Images courtesy of Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure

Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) announced Wednesday the City will open public restrooms downtown near Champa Street and the 16th Street Mall. 

The freestanding unit includes one standard restroom and one American with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant room. DOTI said it anticipates the facilities opening in the spring after the utility connections and other site work details are complete. It measures approximately 18 feet by 7.5 feet and is installed in what was previously a parking lane along Champa St. 

"I'm proud to have worked with city agencies to launch the creative, mobile restroom program that expanded access to sanitation for those who are away from home or living without one in Central Denver," At-large Councilwoman Robin Kniech said in a statement. "I look forward to building upon this success to ensure our infrastructure matches the vibrancy and needs of our city," she added. 

The new restrooms come five years after the City initially piloted a public restroom program. In 2016, the City parked mobile restrooms on Clarkson Street in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood and along East Colfax for 50 days to gather data about the need. 

Each unit was in operation for 12 hours per day. In 2018, the City released its final report about the pilot, which described the data it collected as “compelling” evidence to continue the program. 

It found that some locations would see as many as 200 users per day. One-third of the users were people experiencing homelessness. 

DOTI said the program is designed to offer “convenient, clean, and safe facilities for the whole community.” 

Amenities include a full-time attendant, security cameras, waste and recycling stations, and a micro-mobility station for users to park their bicycles. 

“Providing residents and visitors with access to a comfortable, clean restroom meets a basic and universal human need and we’re proud to deliver this facility to the people of Denver,” said Mayor Michael Hancock. “By making restroom facilities more accessible to all, we increase people’s ability to get out and enjoy our downtown area with confidence and improve quality of life and the way our city looks and functions,” he continued.