Trending...
- Sweater Jam - An Ugly Sweater DJ Party
- Unlocking the Magic of Miami Beach
- Empowering Voices: Houston's Black Authors Illuminate the Blockchain World with 'Chain Reaction'
FAIRFAX, Va. - ncarol.com -- 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 ncarol.com
"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 ncarol.com
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 ncarol.com
- Barrow Farms Grand Opening Announced by Pulte Homes
- Operation Bullpen Stan Fitzgerald hits back on political persecution with "The Fall of Deceit" now available for purchase
- Kuester Management Group Shares Tips for Planning for a New Year in the HOA
- Habitat EJC Assembles National Team for Permanently Affordable Community
- Scott Cooper Miami Project Announces New Scholarship Winner: Aban Khan
"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 ncarol.com
- Incandescent Entertainment Announces New Film, "Portal in the Pines," starring Jamie Kennedy to Begin Filming This Month in Lousiana
- Tella Firma Foundations Partners with Green Clean Solar to Increase Steel Recycling in the Renewable Energy Industry
- Feature film about President Trump's response to the pandemic and the 2020 election – streaming now
- The Society of Voice Arts and Sciences has joined with Audible for the Muhammad Ali Voice of Humanity Honor to be presented to Viola Davis
- First Citizens Serves as Joint Lead Arranger and Joint Bookrunner on Financing for Global Home Care Services Platform
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
0 Comments
Latest on ncarol.com
- Founder Brings Inaugural Event To Braselton Georgia At Legendary Resort and Winery
- HBCUs Among Groups Heading to The Bahamas for Track & Field Competition in March 2024
- Noble World Foundation Proposes UN Security Council Reform to Foster Global Peace
- Krispy Kreme Declares Quarterly Dividend
- India Fest 2024 on Jan 27, 2024 at KY Expo Center
- Blue Source Sustainable Forests Co. Advances Its Carbon-First Strategy and Rebrands the Company Aurora Sustainable Lands™
- Genuine Hospitality, LLC Adds the Hampton Inn - Columbia, MO to Growing Portfolio
- REA 'Peace of Mind on the Move' Study achieves Highly Commended recognition in the category Excellence in Coaching by ABP November 2023
- Revolutionizing FEC Chain Stores with Our Cutting-Edge Ordering& Warehousing System
- Dole Receives Grand Winner Award for Efforts that Support its Workforce and Well-being in Costa Rica
- Media Personality Cyrus Webb celebrates 20 years and over 12,000 guests on Conversations LIVE radio show
- My Glo Announces Breakthrough as First Black-Led Mycelium Lighting Brand Featured on "Snake Oil"
- Save This Holiday Season - Limited Time Offer - A Product Kit for your baby!
- Sweater Jam - An Ugly Sweater DJ Party
- Panovolo for macOS is now available
- Lumena, A New Luxury Oceanfront Condominium Takes Flight on Florida's Space Coast
- Dogs at the Dentist: How an unlikely partnership is helping treat dental anxiety
- SSV Network selects Randamu for Distributed Key Generation (DKG) Grant Award
- Lawmato relaunches its virtual consultation app with enhanced features
- MiBOXER Is Exhibiting At Hong Kong International Autumn Lighting Fair