Trending...
- The Health Council of West Central Florida announces FREE webinar series: Pathways to Wellness: Accessing Care
- 5 Steps to an Exceptional Presentation
- "Regenerating Life": documentary film challenges current assumptions about climate change
FAIRFAX, Va. - Floridant -- In an increasingly divided country there is one thing everyone has in common – the need for a bathroom. Yet when people need to "go," clean publicly accessible bathrooms can be hard to find. In Virginia, there is only 1 public restroom for every 14,000 people according to the Public Toilet Index.
In the City of Fairfax, VA, a suburb of DC, solving the bathroom crisis became a major rallying cry for Mayor Catherine Read during her November 2022 campaign. "When we don't provide bathroom facilities to visitors, we are forcing them to leave our public spaces," says Read, a mother who recalled many occasions when she'd have to cut park time short due to bathroom needs. "The lack of public bathrooms also puts businesses in a position where they have to hang 'Restrooms for Customers Only' signs. It's not a warm welcoming greeting and not a good look for any downtown," Read added.
Read tapped into an issue that extended far beyond Fairfax.
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to finding cures for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), conducted a national survey which found that over half of the respondents or their family members had difficulty accessing a public restroom within the past week. To address this significant issue, the Foundation launched The Open Restroom Movement, aiming to increase restroom availability for all people with urgent needs.
More on The Floridant
"Restroom access should be a basic human right, but far too many people in the U.S. can't easily find an open public restroom. Our survey results confirm an urgent need to rethink and increase how public restrooms are made available and publicized to our communities," said Michael Osso, President and CEO of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. "We have identified some concrete and straightforward approaches to the situation, and the Foundation looks forward to working with the private and public sectors to create immediate solutions to this public health crisis."
But there is a reason the bathroom crisis hasn't been solved – it's hard! "The high capital cost of installing new bathrooms and the ongoing operational headaches of monitoring and maintaining bathroom infrastructure, has historically made it difficult for cities to quickly install critical bathroom infrastructure," remarked Stacey Somerfied, the Director of Parks and Recreation who was charged with finding a bathroom solution by newly elected Read and the Fairfax City Council.
The City soon found Throne Labs, a DC-based start-up building networks of smart bathrooms that provide a lovable bathroom experience, but that can be deployed anywhere in a matter of hours. Thrones require no connection to water or sewer and leverages technologies such as solar power and internet connected sensors to make bathroom provision fast and flexible while providing a nice bathroom people want to use. Leaning into this locally-developed innovation, the City more launched Thrones at their Old Town Square, Van Dyck Park and along Fairfax Blvd. By adding Thrones, the City of Fairfax tripled the average bathroom availability in Virginia with one public restroom for every 4,800 residents.
More on The Floridant
The Thrones are custom wrapped in art created by Fairfax artists and the City worked with Throne Labs, the Lamb Center and FACETS to ensure equitable bathroom access – providing bilingual instructions and Throne tap cards to enable entry without a phone. Free menstrual products are also available in all Thrones in partnership with Egal that makes getting a pad as easy as grabbing some toilet paper with their innovative Pads on a Roll product. "We're thrilled to be partnering with the City of Fairfax and Throne to create a blueprint for communities to offer equitable access to bathrooms and menstrual products," said Penelope Finnie, Egal CEO.
Since launching Thrones in May 2023, the Thrones have seen an average of 68 uses per day. A City survey found that 67% of Throne users described their experience as "Amazing!" (with another 22% believing it to "be a good bathroom solution"). Seventy-two percent (72%) said they would visit parks more frequently if there were more bathrooms available. The City encourages individuals to submit feedback on Throne bathrooms and share how they are impacting their use of parks and public spaces.
Fairfax is holding a community event on Saturday, September 23rd from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Van Dyck Park where they will celebrate the impact the addition of three Throne bathrooms has had on local bathroom access and collect additional community feedback on the solution. There will be ice cream, cookie decorating, and fun for the whole family. Attendees can meet the artists that designed the three Fairfax Thrones as well as representatives from Throne Labs and Egal.
For photos and other background information download the Throne Press Kit here.
In the City of Fairfax, VA, a suburb of DC, solving the bathroom crisis became a major rallying cry for Mayor Catherine Read during her November 2022 campaign. "When we don't provide bathroom facilities to visitors, we are forcing them to leave our public spaces," says Read, a mother who recalled many occasions when she'd have to cut park time short due to bathroom needs. "The lack of public bathrooms also puts businesses in a position where they have to hang 'Restrooms for Customers Only' signs. It's not a warm welcoming greeting and not a good look for any downtown," Read added.
Read tapped into an issue that extended far beyond Fairfax.
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to finding cures for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), conducted a national survey which found that over half of the respondents or their family members had difficulty accessing a public restroom within the past week. To address this significant issue, the Foundation launched The Open Restroom Movement, aiming to increase restroom availability for all people with urgent needs.
More on The Floridant
- Florida Takes Action Against Four Florida Schools with Ties to the Chinese Communist Party
- Florida: Governor Ron DeSantis Highlights Hurricane Idalia Recovery Resources
- ARC Group Medical Announces New Chief Operating Officer
- Patrick O'Neil Media Network Inc. announces Breaking News Services and Links to Bargains on its site
- SalusCare partners with FISH of Sanibel-Captiva to provide mental health services
"Restroom access should be a basic human right, but far too many people in the U.S. can't easily find an open public restroom. Our survey results confirm an urgent need to rethink and increase how public restrooms are made available and publicized to our communities," said Michael Osso, President and CEO of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. "We have identified some concrete and straightforward approaches to the situation, and the Foundation looks forward to working with the private and public sectors to create immediate solutions to this public health crisis."
But there is a reason the bathroom crisis hasn't been solved – it's hard! "The high capital cost of installing new bathrooms and the ongoing operational headaches of monitoring and maintaining bathroom infrastructure, has historically made it difficult for cities to quickly install critical bathroom infrastructure," remarked Stacey Somerfied, the Director of Parks and Recreation who was charged with finding a bathroom solution by newly elected Read and the Fairfax City Council.
The City soon found Throne Labs, a DC-based start-up building networks of smart bathrooms that provide a lovable bathroom experience, but that can be deployed anywhere in a matter of hours. Thrones require no connection to water or sewer and leverages technologies such as solar power and internet connected sensors to make bathroom provision fast and flexible while providing a nice bathroom people want to use. Leaning into this locally-developed innovation, the City more launched Thrones at their Old Town Square, Van Dyck Park and along Fairfax Blvd. By adding Thrones, the City of Fairfax tripled the average bathroom availability in Virginia with one public restroom for every 4,800 residents.
More on The Floridant
- Surgical Healing Arts founder Dr. Moses Shieh receives cosmetic surgery certification
- Florida: MEMORANDUM: Flags at Half-Staff in Honor of Former Representative Dale Patchett
- Engel & Völkers Tampa Downtown Welcomes Royce Williams
- Sheila Stubbs Taylor of Detroit music royalty is "Chasing" on new single
- Sidow Sobrino Announces 12th Album, "Seminal"
The Thrones are custom wrapped in art created by Fairfax artists and the City worked with Throne Labs, the Lamb Center and FACETS to ensure equitable bathroom access – providing bilingual instructions and Throne tap cards to enable entry without a phone. Free menstrual products are also available in all Thrones in partnership with Egal that makes getting a pad as easy as grabbing some toilet paper with their innovative Pads on a Roll product. "We're thrilled to be partnering with the City of Fairfax and Throne to create a blueprint for communities to offer equitable access to bathrooms and menstrual products," said Penelope Finnie, Egal CEO.
Since launching Thrones in May 2023, the Thrones have seen an average of 68 uses per day. A City survey found that 67% of Throne users described their experience as "Amazing!" (with another 22% believing it to "be a good bathroom solution"). Seventy-two percent (72%) said they would visit parks more frequently if there were more bathrooms available. The City encourages individuals to submit feedback on Throne bathrooms and share how they are impacting their use of parks and public spaces.
Fairfax is holding a community event on Saturday, September 23rd from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Van Dyck Park where they will celebrate the impact the addition of three Throne bathrooms has had on local bathroom access and collect additional community feedback on the solution. There will be ice cream, cookie decorating, and fun for the whole family. Attendees can meet the artists that designed the three Fairfax Thrones as well as representatives from Throne Labs and Egal.
For photos and other background information download the Throne Press Kit here.
Source: Throne Labs
Filed Under: Technology, Government
0 Comments
Latest on The Floridant
- Trinity Prairie Real Estate Lists Mesmerizing 16.78-Acre Estate in Colleyville, Texas
- One Magical Weekend Unveils the Official Pride Party of Orlando Pride 2023 at The Abbey
- The Health Council of West Central Florida announces FREE webinar series: Pathways to Wellness: Accessing Care
- GreenPointe expanding Community Amenities at TrailMark
- Rhody Rug Revolutionizes Online Shopping Experience with the Launch of their New Direct-to-Consumer Website
- Long Island businessman turned recording artist, John Beyer, to release his first love song aptly titled, …"Love You More"
- Elite DNA Behavioral Health expands with new mental and behavioral health center in Tampa
- Lee Health employees donate $225,112 during Team Member Giving Campaign
- National Football League to Host 4th Annual Madden NFL x HBCU Tournament with Finalists to Compete during Pro Bowl Games in Orlando
- The 2023 CGI Integrated Care Conference Explores Opportunities in Healthcare Improvement Discovered as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Jacksonville: Mayor Deegan to Appoint Michael Fackler as General Counsel
- Better Together, Cedar Bay Baptist Church to host community job and resource fair Oct. 19
- The Preserve launches 'Coffee for a Cause'
- Exploring the World of Web3? Lympid Puts Users Front and Center
- Local SIERRA CLUB to Host New Member Orientation/Meet & Greet in Boynton Beach, October 21
- Writer Elizabeth Sharland Launches THE BRITISH THEATRE GROUP for Local Anglophiles
- ARTS GARAGE in Delray Beach Announces 2023-2024 Theatre Season
- Florida: MEMORANDUM: Executive Order 23-185 (Executive Order of Suspension)
- "Regenerating Life": documentary film challenges current assumptions about climate change
- First Lady Casey DeSantis Announces Hope Florida – A Pathway to Promise, Expanding the Hope Florida Model to Support Youth Aging Out of Foster Care