They’ve heard the complaint for years directly from riders, on surveys and from their own board of directors: Why doesn’t LA Metro provide public restrooms at its train stations and bus depots?
That call for rider relief was heard in Washington D.C., where a maker of portable bathrooms is based. Throne Labs made a proposal to Metro that evolved into a six-month pilot that started testing three portable, self-contained bathroom units last week at Metro’s busiest train stations: Westlake/MacArthur Park on the B (Red)/D (Purple) Lines; Willowbrook/Rosa Parks on the A (Blue)/C (Green) Lines; and the Norwalk station on the C Line.
Metro also added a fourth Throne unit, a non-public bathroom for bus drivers and train operators at the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink passenger rail station.
The Throne bathrooms have been used 1,200 times in about one week, and Metro has received no complaints, and no reports of vandalism or misuse, said Stephen Tu, Metro’s deputy executive officer of station experience on Oct. 18.
“This appears to be a very promising start,” Tu said. The key may be that the Throne system only allows access via a cell phone to unlock the door. And there’s a 10-minute time limit on using the facility.
Before the Throne pilot, public bathrooms and LA Metro train and bus stations rarely co-existed. With few exceptions, bathrooms are non-existent at Metro train stations, bus depots and bus stops.
Of the 140 rail and bus transit centers that Metro serves on its 115 miles of rail lines, only three stations had restrooms before the new ones were installed. The three are located at Union Station in DTLA, Harbor Gateway in the South Bay, and the El Monte Bus Station in the San Gabriel Valley, explained Tu. At the North Hollywood Metro station and at Pershing Square, the city of Los Angeles has provided nearby restrooms, Tu said.
Holding it in
Riders often give Metro an earful about having to “hold it in” while waiting for a train or bus to…
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