Toronto now has its second half-million-dollar public toilet, with 18 more to come.
These deluxe commodes come courtesy of Astral Media as part of its
street furniture agreement with the city, which has allowed them to earn advertising revenue (quite a bit, apparently) from our streets.
The agreement is for 20 toilets over the 20-year life of the Astral contract. The new one, which opened on December 7, is at Lake Shore and Northern Dancer boulevards in the Beach. The first one was built in 2010 at the corner of Queen's Quay and Rees Street.
"There is a need for public amenities where there aren't any at present," says Carly Hinks, the city's street furniture manager. "Part of the results from the public consultation that resulted in the city's request for proposals showed a need for public washrooms around the city that are accessible at street level for all people."
The hours of operation are 8am to 11pm. The toilets cost 25 cents to use, with a time limit of 20 minutes. According to Hinks, they are specifically not intended for the homeless, though it seems they can get around this by paying their 25 cents and getting out within 20 minutes. "Once this time is up, the cleaning cycle will not take place until a person has vacated. If there is a problem, service personnel are dispatched immediately to rectify the issue. This will prevent loitering and unintended use."
The heated facilities will automatically clean themselves after each use, and get three more comprehensive cleanings from staff each day.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Carly Hinks
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