Restroom ruckus: Light rail has few places to go

The issue isn't such a big deal in downtown Phoenix, downtown Tempe and other bustling areas, but some riders at either end of the line feel inconvenienced by the lack of facilities.

Passengers who frequent stations in central Phoenix and Mesa have been making beelines to JB's restaurant at Christown Spectrum Mall in Phoenix and to an IHOP in Mesa, only to be met by signs indicating the restrooms are for customers only.

"We were madder than hell," said Donna Love of Prescott, who recently checked out the light rail with her two sisters. "When we got off, most of the businesses had signs on the door saying 'customers only. "

Light-rail officials decided not to build public restrooms at stations to avoid attracting vandalism and other crime, and to spare the expense of building and maintaining facilities, Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said.

Jeff Pesaturo, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston, said that while there are restrooms at major stations there, it's an industry standard to have public restrooms only where employees can supervise them.

Along the Phoenix area's light-rail line, the only public restrooms are at the stations near Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe and at a major downtown Phoenix station.

Those facilities are operated by Tempe and Phoenix, not Metro light rail.

That leaves restaurant managers to deal with the fallout.

Michael Binek, assistant manager at the IHOP in Mesa, said he's tired of light-rail riders making a mess and monopolizing his restrooms, and tells them they must at least buy a bottle of water to use the facilities.

He said as many as 50 riders have come through the doors at a time to use the facilities, some lying about planning to eat at the restaurant.

"We just had no choice. We had to put up the (customers only) signs," Binek said.

"It's public transportation. There should be public restrooms."