If nature calls while commuting on a bus or train in LA County, finding a public bathroom can be difficult — only three exist in the whole system. So when the agency partnered with Maryland-based Throne Labs to install three brand new high-tech portable bathrooms in October, you’d think the public would shower them with gratitude. That’s not exactly what’s happened.
Instagram commenters wrote, “What if you don’t have a smartphone?” “Why should you need a phone to use a bathroom though?” Some reacted more positively: “Yes! More facilities for all!”
A “Throne” restroom is installed outside Westlake/MacArthur Park station. Photo by Jackson Cantrell.
But out in the real world, this reporter heard no complaining.
Riders at the Westlake/MacArthur Park station found the new restrooms clean and spacious. Each “Throne” is equipped with a sink, toilet, baby changing station, and an automatic exhaust fan. The vibe is boutique hotel meets mobile medical clinic: jungle-themed plant wallpaper, a vanity mirror with LED lights, a red sharps-disposal box mounted on the wall. One thing missing: handles or buttons of any kind.
“The great thing about it is this: You don't have to touch anything,” said a commuter who gave his name as Jermaine, after visiting the Throne restroom at the MacArthur Park station for the first time. “All you have to do ... is wave your hand and the toilet flushes.”
Restroom visits are tied to a visitor’s cell phone number and are limited to 10 minutes, after which the door opens automatically. To access them, you can scan a QR code on the side of the bathroom that sends a text to unlock and open the bathroom door.
Besides MacArthur Park, the new Throne toilets are at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station where the A and C lines meet, and at the Norwalk C Line station.
The pilot is free to Metro, started in October and running through March.
Stephen Tu, who leads the station experience team at Metro, says the complaints about cell phone access are misguided. According to Tu, 92% of Metro riders have cell phones, and that figure is higher among low-income riders.
Meanwhile, tying restroom usage to a phone number encourages accountability, Tu says. Those who misuse the restrooms can have their privileges revoked, which Metro hopes will cut down on the vandalism, drug use, and inappropriate behavior that has plagued the three restrooms Metro currently operates.
“Constantly we are dealing with items that are not plumbing-safe,” Tu says. “That causes massive amounts of damage and maintenance that cost the agency money.”
Metro estimates bathroom security and maintenance at its El Monte station costs over $21,000 a month. The Throne toilets typically run one-fourth to one-third of that cost.
Throne Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Jess Heinzelman says pricing will likely stay at that level, but it could go up a little depending on any unforeseen challenges during the pilot.
Westlake/MacArthur Park is among Metro’s busiest stations. Photo by Jackson Cantrell.
So far, the Throne restrooms have seen 2,500 uses without a major incident.
“When you give a really nice resource to people that aren't used to being given nice things, the majority of them will treat it very well,” says Heinzelman.
On a recent weekday, Gabriel Fury, who is homeless, was glad to see the Throne at MacArthur Park. He says finding a restroom is a daily struggle: “I usually have to look around for like 30 minutes.”
After a quick visit, he described the restroom as “immaculate.”
“Made me feel a whole lot better, where I can actually stay in there and breathe,” he said.