Advocates and vendor ask council to fund permanent expansion of "Thrones" public‑restroom pilot

Witnesses representing DC Public Restrooms and Throne Labs told the Committee on Public Works and Operations that a six‑unit pilot of stand‑alone public restrooms has high usage and positive community and business feedback, and they asked the council to provide permanent funding to continue and expand the pilot.

Marcia Birnbaum of DC Public Restrooms said the pilot contract with Throne Labs made five to six units available and that DPW data show heavy utilization. "Data collected by Throne Labs indicate that over [the pilot period] thrones were used 63,000 times," Birnbaum said, adding that 92% of surveyed users rated the toilets good or great. She asked the committee to include funding in DPW's FY26 budget to continue those units through Sept. 30, 2026, and to expand placements in areas of need.

Jessica Heintzelman, co‑founder and chief operating officer of Throne Labs, described performance metrics from a March 2024 pilot and a collaborative business impact study. "Six strategically placed units achieved a 4.15 average cleanliness rating out of 5, 0 instances requiring law enforcement intervention," Heintzelman said. Throne's request to the committee was for $1 million to $1.4 million in permanent funding to expand the pilot from six units to at least 10–15 units and to avoid service disruptions tied to payment delays.

Terrell Monroe, Thrones DC operations manager, gave on‑the‑ground examples of business and community benefit, including reports that 97% of nearby businesses supported adding more public restrooms and that families were staying longer at events when restrooms were available.

Department of Public Works testimony noted the pilot did not have a dedicated program manager within DPW's Schedule A positions. When asked whether DPW would benefit from a full‑time program manager if the pilot became permanent, the agency answered yes. "If it were to become permanent and with some of the suggestions that were made by the witnesses to expand, then yes, it would benefit from having a project manager," Interim Director Anthony Crispino said.

What was decided or directed: There were no votes. Committee members pressed DPW on whether the budget includes line items to continue the pilot and whether a dedicated DPW manager should be funded if the program becomes permanent. The witnesses asked the committee to add a permanent funding line in the FY26 budget to avoid future payment delays and to support expansion.

Ending: The committee closed public testimony and moved to government witnesses; written materials and studies submitted by Throne Labs were entered into the hearing record for committee review.