U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Public Bathroom

Committee: Community Resources

Cost: $400,000

Location: To be determined based on need, impact, and space availability

Short Description: This proposal will build a third standalone outdoor public toilet that is accessible 24 hours per day.

Long Description:

This proposal aims to fund the building of a fourth stand-alone public restroom in Cambridge. Modeled after the “Portland Loo” of Portland, Oregon, the public toilet is a simple, sturdy, graffiti-resistant, flush toilet kiosk, located on the sidewalk. It is designed with open grating that preserves privacy while discouraging vandalism, crime or “camping out” in the space. The coating on the steel wall panels makes it simple to clean with a hose, and all plumbing and building components are common and easy to replace or upgrade. The current Portland Loos in Harvard and Central Squares see a lot of use from Cambridge residents and visitors. This proposal would provide the funds for a fourth Portland Loo location, increasing the availability of publicly accessible restrooms for residents and visitors.

Pictures of the two Portland Loos in Cambridge

Contact Us

How can we help?

Please provide as much detail below as possible so City staff can respond to your inquiry:

As a governmental entity, the Massachusetts Public Records Law applies to records made or received by the City. Any information received through use of this site is subject to the same provisions as information provided on paper.

Read our complete privacy statement


Service Requests

Enter a service request via SeeClickFix for things like missed trash pickups, potholes, etc., click here