Two toilets destined for the city center are said to be indestructible
Two restrooms will be installed at the Medford bus station this fall. [Courtesy photo]
Two indestructible Portland-style toilets will offer relief this fall to weary commuters and the homeless at the Medford Bus Station on Front Street.
“It would probably take a significant stick of dynamite to blow it up,” said Julie Brown, general manager of the Rogue Valley Transportation District.
The Medford Urban Renewal Agency on Thursday unanimously approved an agreement with RVTD, which will install the restrooms.
MURA is working with city officials to spend up to $100,000 to route utility connections and other site preparations for restrooms on MURA property.
A bicycle parking area at the corner of Front and Novena streets will be removed to make room for the new restrooms.
RVTD had already bought one of the $120,000 baths and ordered a second, which has seen an inflationary increase to $130,000. The installation of at least one of the toilets is expected to be completed in October.
Last year, RVTD received approval from the city to install a restroom, but realized that one wasn’t enough, so plans were changed to include two to manage the expected volume.
The bus station has a bathroom in the back of the Greyhound building, but it is closed at night and has been the subject of vandalism over the years. RVTD cleans it four times a day.
“The vandalism that’s going on is ridiculous,” Brown said. “The doors have been opened and they cost $5,000 each.”
He said all kinds of things are being flushed down the toilet, it’s clogged with cell phones and other items.
The existing toilets are not available round the clock, so RVTD has to deal with another inconvenience.
“They go right into the bushes or into the facility,” Brown said. “They will use the property as a bathroom.”
Bathrooms downtown are a necessity, Brown said. On a Saturday morning, homeless residents and others line up waiting for the bathrooms to open.
“People in the community know where they can use the bathrooms,” she said.
Greyhound buses roll into town in the middle of the night and commuters can’t find a place to do their business.
Portable potties are out of the question because they are easily vandalized or destroyed by fire. Plastic baths can also be tipped over.
The new stainless steel toilets were developed in Portland to address the need for a hard-to-vandal toilet.
They are designed to help the police identify criminal behaviour. Open grilles at the top and bottom of the toilet allow you to see how many people are inside and provide constant airflow.
The interior of the toilet is spartan, not very comfortable and with a lot of air current. The wall panels are graffiti proof and the entire toilet can be wiped clean for easy cleaning. The bathroom is wheelchair accessible and a curved steel door is at the front.
Clay Bearnson, a MURA board member and city councilman, said the restroom should be useful for downtown business owners like himself.
“I’m really excited about it,” he said.
Tim D’Alessandro, a MURA board member and advisor as well as an RVTD employee, said the restroom will be a boon to downtown Medford and to RVTD.
“I think it’s a great partnership,” he said.
Contact freelance writer Damian Mann at dmannnews@gmail.com.
