City’s trolley stops have no easily accessible bathrooms

If you’re riding the trolley and feel the urge to go, you’ve got limited options in East County.

Santee has one stop with a bathroom. La Mesa has two.

But El Cajon, the area’s largest city, has no stand-alone option for riders, according to a recent analysis by local officials.

“That’s not actually an ideal situation,” Vince Dimaggio, El Cajon’s assistant city manager, recently told the council.

Restroom access has long been a regional flash point.

A grand jury recently reiterated that the city of San Diego needs a plan for more bathrooms downtown. Some are lobbying state lawmakers to lift a long-standing ban on pay toilets.

The issue is closely connected to homelessness. Advocates often argue that bathrooms improve public health, especially amid a recent bump in Hepatitis A cases.

One tally just found the number of people on El Cajon streets continues to rise, from about 185 last year to more than 200 as of a few months ago.

The city has three trolley stops, and one technically does offer a restroom.

But riders getting off at the Marshall Avenue station need to enter the A-mart, a convenience store. A token is required. A turnstile must be crossed.

And there does not appear to be any signage along the way, according to city officials. “The system is somewhat cumbersome,” Dimaggio said. Riders “could easily miss bus connections or connections to their next stop.”

Mayor Bill Wells agreed, and he and the council voted 4-0 on Tuesday to formally ask the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System to install more restrooms.

The agency is already looking into more housing and parking along trolley lines, and additional facilities could potentially boost ridership, officials said. Last year, MTS announced a plan to build 100 affordable apartments in South Bay.

But a bathroom change in East County could still be years away.

An MTS spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.