$25 Million for Bathrooms? EWR’s T-C Gets Showered by UAL

As part of a larger effort across all Port Authority facilities to improve the customer experience, the agency is teaming with United Airlines to bring new and modernized restroom facilities to Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport. The airport will also see some $19 million in restroom upgrades in Terminal B. The news complements announcements earlier this month at ATL where the airport is testing new tech-forward toilets that monitor flow and communicate with service managers.

The rollout of brand-new restrooms, redesign of existing restrooms and more rigorous cleaning schedules at Port Authority terminals, including Newark Liberty, is part of a broad array of specific initiatives the Port Authority has introduced to improve the customer experience across all of its facilities.

At the same time the Port Authority is investing billions to build new world-class facilities, the agency continues to prioritize improved services that include free Wi-Fi at the airports, real-time information for air, rail and ground travelers, and a broad array of other passenger-focused initiatives, in addition to the restrooms initiative. The Newark Liberty Terminal B and C upgrades are part of a nearly $80 million investment overall in restroom facilities at Port Authority airports.

“Restrooms rate among the top issues for travelers using transportation facilities,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.

United’s Presence Growing Fast

The overall investment at Terminal C by United Airlines is approximately $25 million for additional restroom locations, as well as newly renovated restrooms. By the end of 2020, United will have increased the number of facilities in Terminal C by 57 percent since 2018.  The work is being done in two phases. The first phase has meant the opening of four new bathrooms, while phase two will add one new restroom and the redesign of two additional locations. New features include a variety of customer-friendly amenities such as a private nursing room, a separate family restroom, and larger stalls with room for luggage.

The Port Authority launched Project Clean in 2018, implementing the agency’s first-ever set of restroom standards for airport terminals. These new standards are based on industry research, best-in-class class practices and changing demographics designed to exceed customer expectations.

Real-time feedback buttons have been added to all airport restrooms to track cleanliness and customer satisfaction.

Meanwhile, the  36 restrooms in LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B eastern concourse, which opened in December 2018, feature modern technology, a series of new hands-free fixtures, and wider, ADA-compliant stalls. Nursing rooms complete with a comfortable lounge chair are also available, in addition to family-friendly facilities.

In addition, the Port Authority opened new, thoroughly modern restrooms at the Jamaica AirTrain station in 2019, and restroom upgrades as part of Project Clean at JFK. JFK’s  Terminal 4 leads the agency’s overall airport restroom satisfaction response due to remodeling, new aesthetic designs and other amenities.

In addition, the Port Authority opened new, thoroughly modern restrooms at the Jamaica AirTrain station in 2019, and restroom upgrades as part of Project Clean at JFK. JFK’s  Terminal 4 leads the agency’s overall airport restroom satisfaction response due to remodeling, new aesthetic designs and other amenities.