National Post (Vancouver Sun) on Vancouver's new public toilets (my emphasis in article)
Link to article
Toilet genius
But don't linger: Automatic door opening in Vancouver's public loo is among the safeguards
Anupreet Sandhu Bhamra
Vancouver Sun
Friday, April 27, 2007
VANCOUVER - With a touch of a button, an automated door slides open for a unique washroom experience.
On the bustling downtown corner of Main Street and Terminal Avenue, right next to a bus stop, the automated washroom provides a relatively peaceful refuge as the SkyTrain roars above and traffic whips by.
It looks slightly futuristic, even industrial. Inside there is an instruction button. Press it and an automated voice tells you what to do.
You don't have to touch the taps to wash your hands; the sensors do the job for you, drying and all.
The washroom, opened earlier this week on one of the busiest intersections of the city, is the latest weapon in Vancouver's attempt to reduce bad behaviour, including incidents of public urination and defecation. It is the first of eight such public facilities to be installed in the downtown area.
"This project will meet one of the goals of Project Civil City which is to decrease [these] nuisance activities," said Grant Woff, an engineer with the City of Vancouver.
To deter drug use and other illicit activities inside the washroom, the manufacturers have built in precautionary measures.
If more than one person steps on the washroom floor, sensors detect the added weight, prevent the door from closing and trigger flashing lights.
"For the first week, we are going to have our staff on site or near the site to make sure there are no problems," said CBS spokesman David Struthers.
"It is the first of its kind in Canada."
The washrooms are provided at no cost to the taxpayer. CBS/JC Decaux recovers its revenue through the advertising on the exterior of the facilities.
The city will also be monitoring the washrooms to see if they are being used for any illicit activities.
"This is a pilot project and there are going to be some challenges, but we are going to monitor," Woff said.
There is also a time limit for users. After 20 minutes, the washroom door automatically slides open, exposing the occupant. The city has plans to reduce that to 12 minutes. Visitors are given a two-minute warning before the door opens.
The cubicle -- 3.6 metres by 2.4 metres -- is also accessible to those in wheelchairs.
The washroom is currently open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but beginning May 3 it will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
One of the first individuals to use the new john was suitably impressed.
"It's like going to Mars in a spaceship," said Anthony Righello, a construction worker who has had "nasty" experiences with public toilets. "It is very futuristic, you don't have to push anything, it is very good.
"Business owners wouldn't let you use their restrooms, so this is pretty [good] and it's free," he said.
The washroom also has an emergency button that will connect the occupant to a 911 operator.
The facility got a lot of attention Thursday as people rushed by: inquisitive looks and plenty of stares. One woman even snapped pictures of the washroom on her cellphone.
The toilet has an automated cleaning cycle after every use, which lasts around a minute, during which time the facility is inaccessible. The toilet bowl is lifted, the contents emptied, and the bowl pressure-washed, disinfected and dried. The entire floor goes through the same process -- cleaned, disinfected and dried.
The washrooms are supplied, owned and operated by CBS/JC Decaux, which also provides bus stop shelters, garbage cans, benches and bike racks.