[Pangloss62]

....wonder what they cost?

According to the below, 12 toilets for $1.1 million.

I hope that's not money down the drain. Today I will take another try if an evacuation is needed; yesterday's experience was actually quite pleasant.




MARTA flushes in a new era
12 automatic toilets open for business at Five Points station
By PAUL DONSKY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/19/06

Edwina Pearson emerged from one of the stainless steel pods lined up at MARTA's Five Points rail station, rubbing her hands and chuckling.

"What an experience," she said, smiling broadly. "It's like the space age."


John Spink/AJC
(ENLARGE)
Marcus Wright emerges from one of the 12 self-cleaning toilets opened Tuesday at the MARTA Five Points station. The toilets are popular in Europe.

Pearson had just finished going to the restroom. Not just any restroom, mind you, but a computerized, talking, self-cleaning machine that, indeed, would not have looked out of place in George Jetson's home.

MARTA on Tuesday opened 12 automatic toilet stalls at the downtown Atlanta train station, flushing in a new era for the transit system.

The German-engineered toilets, each the size of a small closet, clean themselves after each use. The toilet bowl flushes and then retracts into the wall, where the disinfecting begins. Tiny jets spray the bowl with a bright pink cleansing solution before rinsing with water.

The bowl slowly moves back into the stall, sliding under an air dryer. The tightly choreographed process takes about two minutes and resembles a drive-through car wash, though on a much smaller scale.

MARTA is paying $1.1 million to install the toilets. They're replacing the existing, traditional men's and women's restrooms, which were often dirty and smelly — and avoided by many riders.

"It's clean, it's cool," Atlanta construction worker Jermaine Robb, 28, said as he walked away from the stall.

The old restroom was just nasty, he said.

Each automatic toilet stands about 7 feet tall and contains a stainless steel toilet bowl and sink.

Users have 20 minutes to finish before the door opens, with a warning given at the 17-minute mark. MARTA officials said they would probably set a 10-minute deadline soon.

If the automatic toilets prove popular, MARTA may install units at several other stations.

The new restrooms stand side-by-side like oversized lockers on the rail station's top floor. The toilets are free to users, but they're located inside the fare gates, so only paying customers will have access.

MARTA officials say the toilets are part of an effort to make the system more appealing for existing riders and a way to attract new users. MARTA also is restoring all of its old train cars, rebuilding all 48 miles of track and has installed a new electronic fare gate system at all rail stations.

Automatic toilets are popular in Europe but are only beginning to be seen in the United States, mainly on street corners in urban centers like Seattle. MARTA is believed to be the first transit system in the country to outfit an entire station with the units.

On Tuesday, a steady stream of riders decided to try out the new facilities. At several times, all 12 units were occupied and a short waiting line formed.

First-day problems appeared. Many users struggled to get inside the stalls, not understanding they first had to press a button on the door to release the latch. One unit had to be shut down after the water wouldn't quit running. A plumber was called.

The toilets offer a science fiction-like experience. After stepping inside, the door closes automatically and a low, humming piece of synthesizer music begins playing. A female voice, speaking in a slightly German-inflected accented, gives instructions.

"Welcome. The entrance door will be locked automatically. But please, don't worry, as you can open the door at any time," the recording starts.

More helpful, reassuring messages follow: "The toilet seat was cleaned and disinfected after the last use."

Upon leaving, the voice offers a farewell: "Have a pleasant day. Goodbye."

The stalls still sparkled at midday, though bits of toilet paper that managed to escape the cleaning process were seen on the seat and floor of several units. Maintenance workers manually clean each unit twice a day, picking up trash and refilling the toilet paper racks.

MARTA's state-imposed spending guidelines make the big-budget toilets a sound investment, transit system officials say.

MARTA must spend 55 percent of its revenues on operations and the rest on capital projects like new buses, fare gates and even toilets. While MARTA is having a tough time balancing the books on its operations side, the capital account is relatively flush.

The automatic toilets will allow MARTA to cut down on maintenance costs at the Five Points station, saving up to $75,000 from the operations budget.

The new toilets were a hit with Rhonda White, a 44-year-old retail worker from Atlanta.

"I want one of these at home," she said with a laugh. "It was very nice, a very good experience."