Posted inLocal Government

In downtown Boulder, it’s hard to find a public restroom. City councilmembers are considering taking on the elusive problem.

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.