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Does your LIRR bathroom stall stink? Scan this QR code, MTA says.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jun 24, 2024
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Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress via Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Jun 24, 2024
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The perils and risks of entering a train’s public restroom may become a thing of the past for commuters on the Long Island Rail Road.
The MTA announced a new program on Monday that lets travelers report an issue with a bathroom stall in real time.
The walls of these public restrooms will now have posters with a QR code specific to each station. A commuter can scan the QR code on their cell phone and use it to select one of the preloaded options available: bad odor, no toilet paper, towels or soap and if the toilet, floors, sink or walls needs cleaning.
There’s even a box for additional comments. And if a commuter leaves an email, the MTA will give them an update when the job is done.
The MTA said customers would receive an email indicating their survey has been received and LIRR staff will collect and analyze data from received surveys to "help identify efficiencies within the cleaning operation and will adjust cleaning schedules and manpower needs for maximum bathroom coverage."
“The LIRR is laser focused on providing our customers with the best experience every time they ride the railroad and having a clean, functional, and well stocked bathroom is a major part of that,” LIRR President Rob Free said in a press release.
The railroad expects to have the system up and running in early July.
It’s not the first legal move local and state officials have recently made regarding public restrooms, an evergreen issue for the millions of New Yorkers who travel the city by foot or public transit. In May, the city finished installing baby changing tables in most of its public parks restrooms. Earlier this month, Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to renovate 82 bathrooms in the city over the next five years, along with a map of nearly 1,000 public restrooms in the city.
Tagged
transportation
new york city
long island
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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