Washrooms at SkyTrain stations and perhaps even major bus loops could greatly improve the experience of transit passengers, which is why TransLink is now considering such facilities.

See also

TransLink released a new survey today asking the public to provide feedback on whether washrooms could improve passenger experience.

Currently, washroom facilities are for staff only, and only the washrooms at the SeaBus terminals are open to the public.

“We often hear from customers that they would like washrooms on the transit system. This is something we have already pledged to investigate,” TransLink spokesperson Jill Drews told Daily Hive.

But the obstacles with building washrooms for the public to use surround around crime, public safety, and maintenance, including the associated operational costs of keeping the facilities clean and repairing damage from vandalism.

“Transit systems in North America that provide washrooms often struggle with safety and cleanliness concerns of customers and the high cost of maintenance for the transit agency,” she continued.

Drews says some SkyTrain stations already have provisions for the installation of washrooms should a decision be made in the future to provide washrooms to passengers.

The survey follows several public calls over the last few years for TransLink to install washrooms in stations.

Most recently, in late-2017, the City of Vancouver’s Seniors’ Advisory Committee created a letter advising public washrooms be included in the design of the future stations of the underground SkyTrain extension of the Millennium Line between VCC-Clark Station and Arbutus Street.

In recent years, TransLink has added a number of new passenger amenities to the transit system, including in-station retail kiosks, bike storage, cellular reception inside all train tunnels, and luggage racks inside some buses.

Wi-Fi is also available on all SeaBus vessels and terminals, and an announcement on expanded Wi-Fi coverage is expected sometime this year.

See also