D.C. stalls popular public bathroom program amid funding cuts
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A Throne in Oxon Run Park. Photo: Courtesy of Throne Labs
D.C.'s popular public bathroom program is on hold — and people are pissed.
Driving the news: Throne, the startup behind a fleet of luxe loos, shut down its six free toilets on July 5 after the city let its contract lapse over funding issues.
- City officials say they've identified funding to keep the bathrooms running through September, but they gave no timeline for reopening them.
Why it matters: D.C. is desperate for bathrooms, especially with massive events for America's 250th birthday and beyond.
Catch up quick: Throne launched 18 potties in DMV in 2024 — all free, mobile, ADA-compliant, and equipped with baby stations, sinks, AC and menstrual products.
- So yes, popular — D.C. Thrones attracted around 71,000 visitors between the start of the pilot and May.
- The city used six in a pilot program for high-traffic areas like Dupont Circle, Eastern Market and near the Mall.
The latest: City officials told the Washington Post that Throne's funding was wiped after the congressional GOP spending bill slashed $1 billion from D.C.'s budget and forced the city to terminate contracts.
Yes, but: The mayor's office seemingly reversed its decision after pushback from neighborhood organizations and public officials. A Change.org petition to reopen Thrones garnered more than 740 signatures.
- As one Throne supporter told Axios: "There's nothing like the wrath of someone approaching a bathroom and finding it closed."
Zoom in: The D.C. Council is helping fund 10 Thrones in the new fiscal year, Councilmember Brianne Nadeau tells Axios. Nadeau, who championed the program as chair of the Committee on Public Works, says it's still unclear why the contract lapsed.
- Multiple committees pitched in for the pilot in FY26, she says, and council members sponsored their own, covering new Thrones in Wards 7, 8 and 1.
- Claims that Throne funding will cost Public Works jobs are "completely inaccurate," Nadeau tells Axios.
What they're saying: "Ultimately, this is really scalable. They're easy to use, easy to place, people love them," Nadeau tells Axios. Her next step: Introducing legislation to make the pilot permanent.
- "The sky's the limit when it comes to public bathrooms."