The average person doesn’t really think about going to the bathroom. It is a very mundane, everyday task that is simply part of our biological makeup - and is not exactly a great conversation starter! In order to keep the restroom off of most people’s minds, many behind-the-scene actions are at play. Businesses typically provide bathrooms for guests, the workplace has one for employees, we all have one at home - everywhere we need to go, there is typically a place to, well, “go.”
Let’s change the scenario. Say you’re in a new city and unfamiliar with the local businesses. You feel that urge and are forced to spend time searching for the nearest public restroom. Perhaps your an expecting mother, and sometimes, when you have to go, you HAVE to go! Other times, children will need to use the restroom urgently and unexpectedly. We should also think about the many homeless people in our country who don’t have access to these basic amenities. Where do they go when they need to?
With these many questions to address as neighborhood, town, or city managers, a common solution has been portable restroom rentals. They provide that quick and easy solution to all those bathroom questions, and more and more cities are realizing the importance of providing a public restroom that is accessible to all. Below, we will examine a bathroom study done in Washington DC and reference a few other cities that have found that providing public restrooms with portable restroom rentals has improved their hometown. We use this article from CityLab as a reference.
A CLEAN SOLUTION WITH PORTABLE RESTROOM RENTALS
Over the course of three months in 2014 and 2015, Washington D.C. lawmakers went around the city asking local businesses if they could use their restroom. This is what they discovered: “ [after visiting] 85 food and coffee restaurants in the downtown area... only 43 businesses said yes, they reported. In 2016, they asked those 43 spots again, and only 28 let them in. By 2017, that number was down to 11 of the 28.
This unofficial survey of five D.C. neighborhoods was paired with a citywide inventory of public restrooms. These, too, were scarce. Of all the public bathrooms available in the entire city, only two are open 24/7. They’re located in the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, far from pedestrian traffic, and totally unmarked.”
This raises the question: if businesses are no longer opening their restrooms to the public, what are people supposed to do when they have a restroom emergency? Many cities avoided the use of public restrooms for many years, fearing that they’d become hot spots for vandalism, wrongful use, and overall dirtiness. Permanent public bathrooms and portable restroom rentals in San Francisco proved that theory wrong.
“San Francisco, where 311 complaints regarding feces on the streets have peaked, installed a fleet of portable public bathrooms called Pit Stops in strategic locations.” The city began to see cleaner streets and has since expanded this pilot program.
D.C. has chosen to follow in San Francisco’s footsteps. “legislation, approved unanimously by the D.C. city council this week, puts the city on track to explore a two-pronged approach with a pair of one-year pilot programs: One to determine where and how to install “clean, safe, stand-alone public restrooms” that operate 24/7; and the other, a program to encourage private businesses to open their restrooms to the public by creating an incentive program.”
As more and more cities get on board with public restroom policies, perhaps it’s time for you, or your city managers, to consider a program of your own, and our portable restroom rentals are here to make your job easier. Our units are durable, easy to clean, and are designed with elegance so that every guest who enters feels comfortable.
Consider using portable restroom rentals for these three key city purposes and see your city streets get more clean.
1. Events
From concerts in the park to movie nights on the lawn, the range of free city events that bring the public together are exciting, engaging, and rising in popularity. As you begin to discuss future public space activations, consider upgrading those porta potties to portable restroom rentals.
2. Public Access
For those bathroom options that are available to the public on a regular basis, portable restroom rentals are a quick solution. Ideal for families, tourists, and even to provide those displaced with a basic amenity, we have seen our trailers used as a quick and affordable option. Instead of investing in pricey construction and plumbing upgrades, considering portable restroom rentals kicks off your public bathroom process quickly and efficiently.
3. Cleanliness
At the end of it all, the conclusion around the nation is that not providing public restrooms leads to dirtier streets. From the homeless man with no where else to go to the group of rowdy college students on their way home from the bars at 2 a.m., there will always be someone who could benefit from having access to that public restroom. Keep your streets clean for locals and tourists alike by providing portable restroom rentals as dependable options!
We would love to begin a conversation with you about your city. Is your community ready for a change? Need to clean up the dirty streets. Portable restroom rentals can help. Contact us to chat with our knowledgeable staff, and see some great rental options here.
