Albuquerque adds public restrooms at two major transit hubs

The city has added two public restrooms where people are most likely to need them: the Alvarado Transportation Center downtown and the Central and Unser Transit Center on the west side. Both new single-stall Portland Loos were built to handle the daily churn of bus riders, downtown workers, pedestrians and visitors who often have few other options nearby.

Each restroom came with heated water, handwashing stations, soap dispensers and accessibility features. Construction on the Alvarado unit began in January 2026 and finished in May, while work at Central and Unser started in February and also wrapped up in May. The city now has a second transit-hub restroom network alongside the Portland Loo that opened at Civic Plaza in late 2025.

That Civic Plaza unit sits on the south side of the plaza near Tijeras and Fourth Street, close enough to downtown foot traffic to matter to people moving between government buildings, transit stops and nearby businesses. Jennifer Turner, director of the Department of Municipal Development, said Portland Loos are “easy to clean, easy to use, and accessible for everyone,” and the city has described them as a long-term investment in keeping downtown clean and safe. The modular restrooms include heavy-gauge stainless steel walls, a graffiti-proof coating, blue motion-sensor lights and arrive pre-assembled.

The new restrooms also fit into a much larger transit picture. ABQ RIDE says its fixed-route bus service is Albuquerque’s main public transit system, and the next phase of ABQ RIDE Forward launched on May 16, 2026. For riders trying to make connections across Bernalillo County, a functioning restroom can be as practical as a bus schedule.

The city has said it maintains 89 public bathroom facilities across Albuquerque, including restrooms at libraries, community centers, parks and golf courses. Even with that network, the new additions stand out because they are placed directly in the places where people wait, transfer and linger. At Central and Unser, the restroom also adds a piece to a broader west-side redevelopment vision that has been in the works for years, one that was originally imagined to include a meeting room, outdoor play area and micro-restaurants.