Back in 2004 when the City of Seattle installed five automated public toilets throughout the downtown area, including one on the waterfront near Pike Place Market, the project was deemed a "humane investment" for tourists and especially for the city's homeless. With automatic doors, toilet seats that retract for high-pressure cleanings, and a high-tech system to scrub down the floors, the $6.6 million toilet project was definitely a pricey one.
Time has shown, unfortunately, that these things are more useful for prostitutes and drug dealers than for anyone else, and with total cost of about $760,000 to operate a year, Seattle Public Utitilies is encouraging the City Council to "flush" them.
Chuck Clarke, director of Seattle Public Utilities says,"removing these automatic public toilets will provide a safer environment for the use of public toilets to residents of Seattle who need them."
