Across Boulder’s downtown, many restrooms built for the public have been locked shut for months on end, largely due to vandalism — busted doors, clogged toilets and toppled stalls.
Of the city’s approximate 45 public restrooms, fewer than a half dozen are in the downtown area, including the Boulder Public Library. Those that are not closed for repairs are closed at night because of vandalism concerns.
As a result, a broad spectrum of Boulderites — from business owners on the Pearl Street Mall to families with young children and unhoused people sleeping in Central Park — are clamoring for more publicly accessible restrooms. But keeping them clean and safe has long eluded Boulder and cities across the country.