Public washrooms coming to transit

TransLink customers looking for public restrooms on Metro Vancouver’s transit system could soon find relief.

The transit authority’s board of directors on Thursday approved a recommendation from management to increase the number of washrooms available for public use.

“This is a very big change from where we’ve been in the past, and I’m really pleased to see us moving in this direction,” said board member Larry Beasley.

Public washrooms have been a hot-button topic over the years, and TransLink did not previously have a policy. The new one was developed in 2018. In the past, TransLink has cited the high cost of maintenance, and passenger safety and security as reasons to avoid adding washrooms on transit.

Currently, the only public washrooms are found at both SeaBus terminals and on West Coast Express trains, and they are required by federal transportation regulations.

A survey conducted as part of the review asked more than 2,000 people about washroom availability, and 72 per cent said that more washrooms would improve their transit experience. About 25 per cent said they would use transit more often if there were more washrooms.

“We do see this as an important ridership growth, ridership development objective,” said Andrew McCurran, TransLink’s director of strategic planning and policy.