One of the things I've learned working in Downtown Management is that we rarely notice when city services are working well. On the flip side, we all notice immediately when they aren't. 

A pressure-washed sidewalk. 

A repaired streetlight. 

Graffiti removed before anyone sees. 

A tree that's properly maintained. 

A public restroom that's clean and operational. 

None of these projects generate ribbon cuttings or headlines. But together, they shape how people experience Downtown San José every single day. 

This week, City Council approved an extension of the City's agreement to continue operating and maintaining Downtown San José's five Automatic Public Toilets (APTs). The facilities have served downtown since 1988 and are located at Plaza Park, St. James Park, South First Street, Market & Santa Clara, and North First Street. 

Here's why that matters. 

In 2025 alone, these five public restrooms recorded more than 120,000 flushes. 

That's more than 330 flushes every single day. 

That's 120,000+ instances where someone didn't have to use a small business restroom without making a purchase. It's 120,000+ times we helped prevent human waste from ending up on our sidewalks, in our parks, or in our alleyways. It's 120,000+ moments that contributed to a cleaner, healthier, and more welcoming downtown. 

These are the kinds of investments most people never think about, until they're gone. 

As Downtown San José continues (especially during the World Cup) to welcome more people downtown, reliable public amenities become even more important. These facilities are just as much a part of downtown infrastructure as sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, and benches. 

The data tells an encouraging story. Downtown San José's five APTs have recorded more than one million flushes over the past eight years, including 120,842 in 2025. Plaza Park alone accounted for 34,376 flushes last year. That's the highest annual flush count recorded by any Downtown APT since the City's available records begin in 2018.

This is what downtown management looks like. 

It isn't always about a skyline-changing development, a ribbon cutting, or a major event. More often, it's about ensuring the fundamentals are in place so Downtown San José functions the way a great downtown should. 

The Downtown Management Team spends a tremendous amount of time focusing on these operational details because they compound over time. Cleaner streets. Better lighting. Reliable public amenities. Well-maintained parks. Faster graffiti removal. Safe, welcoming public spaces. Individually, they may seem routine. Collectively, they shape how hundreds of thousands of people experience our downtown each year. 

Sometimes, the work that matters most is the work no one notices. 

To us, that means making sure more than 120,000 flushes continue to happen where they are supposed to: not on our streets and not in a way that burdens our small businesses. 

In Community,
Michael Lomio