A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-31, regarding coordinating with the MBTA on maintenance issues of the Harvard Square MBTA public restrooms

C I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E Community Development Department Iram Farooq Assistant City Manager for Community Development Sandra Clarke Deputy Director Chief of Administration 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Voice: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] TTY: [phone removed] www.cambridgema.gov To: Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager From: Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Date: May 9, 2018 Re: Council Order 18-31 dated 3/5/18, regarding coordinating with the MBTA on maintenance issues of the Harvard Square MBTA public restroom City staff regularly meet with MBTA representatives to coordinate on a range of issues, including maintenance of MBTA facilities. Harvard Station was discussed in some detail at our MBTA coordination meeting on February 13, 2018, and subsequently, CDD staff asked for an update from the MBTA on the maintenance of the public restroom for the purpose of reporting to the City Council. The MBTA has provided the following information. The maintenance of the Harvard Square Station bathroom, which is located outside of the fare gate and available to the general public, is a constant struggle for the MBTA. The MBTA cleans the bathroom at least once daily, and deep cleans it monthly. In addition to this regular maintenance, the MBTA’s plumbers and cleaners responded 14 times between January 1 and March 30 of 2018 to address issues directly related to facility abuse. These issues include frequently clogged toilets, jet-cleaned drains, and cleaning of feces and urine on the floor. The MBTA indicates that while it expends significant resources to maintain this restroom, they are working to keep this facility clean and available.