Lack of public restrooms can be a barrier to using transit — and a devastating problem for those who have no choice but to ride. This company is trying to solve the problem. For decades, American transit agencies have treated bathroom access as an unsolvable problem. But as agencies push to increase ridership and improve the transit experience, innovative solutions to our bathroom access crisis are emerging from an unexpected place: the transit sector itself.
The transformation is already visible in Los Angeles, where LA Metro’s smart bathroom pilot program has served over 100,000 bathroom visits in its first year. The impact extends beyond mere convenience; stations with these facilities have seen a 50 percent reduction in public defecation incidents and significant improvements in cleanliness ratings.
The facilities have been particularly meaningful for riders with medical conditions like IBS, who previously struggled to use public transit at all. Other riders report that reliable bathroom access has made long commutes more manageable, especially for those traveling hours each day on the system.