NEWARK LIBERTY AIRPORT UNDERGOING MAJOR RESTROOM UPGRADES, PART OF BROADER PORT AUTHORITY COMMITMENT TO FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT ELEVATE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

United Airlines spending $25 million for new and enhanced Terminal C restrooms; Port Authority is investing $19 million during 2020 in new Terminal B bathrooms

At a time the Port Authority is investing billions in new facilities, the agency also continues to prioritize customer service with world-class upgrades at all of its existing facilities

Real-time monitoring of Port Authority restrooms for cleanliness, customer satisfaction are a key element of the Project Clean initiative

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, and is investing $19 million in restroom upgrades at the airport’s Terminal B.

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 agency 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.

“Customer satisfaction surveys have consistently shown that restrooms rate among the top issues for travelers using Port Authority transportation facilities,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “Our investments in the new Newark Liberty Airport are raising the quality of service for all of our customers.”

“Improving the customer experience for everyone using Port Authority facilities is one of our highest priorities,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “The restroom enhancements we are making at Newark Liberty, and across all of our facilities, are an important part of that effort.”

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.

“Achieving a higher standard of service and cleanliness for our customers is an integral part of the experience we’re creating in United’s Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport,” said Jill Kaplan, United’s President of New York and New Jersey. “This includes the completion of phase one of our $25 million restrooms project to upgrade existing restrooms and creating entirely new locations, which will more than double our restroom capacity in Terminal C by the end of the year. We look forward to continuing to work on the Port Authority’s Project Clean initiative to insure a world-class experience for travelers throughout United’s Terminal C.”

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. This information is reported back to the operators who can deploy custodial staff accordingly. To date, the Port Authority travelers have provided some 10 million ratings. Overall satisfaction, as measured by the results from the feedback buttons, stands at 85 percent. Additionally, random inspections are made to ensure cleanliness and functionality.

The Port Authority’s $19 million planned investment in Newark Liberty’s Terminal B will add restroom capacity to the terminal while updating existing restrooms, prioritized by utilizing public feedback scores, through the end of 2020. Terminal A has undergone a nearly $2 million renovation of its 10 restrooms and the addition of 10 fully functional temporary restrooms.

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.

As part of a $110 million quality-of-commute program at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, renovations with additional lighting and mirrors were completed earlier this year in the terminals’ 14 bathrooms were completed earlier this year. Attendants were also added at most of the bus terminal’s restrooms.

In addition, the Port Authority opened new, thoroughly modern restrooms at the Jamaica AirTrain station in the fall of 2019, and restroom upgrades as part of Project Clean at JFK terminals have produced sharp increases in customer satisfaction rates. JFK Terminal 4 leads the agency’s overall airport restroom satisfaction response with a ranking of more than 90 percent, thanks to remodeled facilities, new aesthetic designs and other amenities.

# # #