Update on PHLUSH – Amanda Fritz

The Oregonian today features an article on Carol McCreary, awesome and amazing Old Town/Chinatown community volunteer who has given information here before on work to provide public restroom facilities in Portland, via the volunteer group PHLUSH – Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human. Carol is currently in India, learning more about worldwide work on this basic human service need. Before she left, she gave me permission to post the following, initially sent to me as a personal e-mail. I was especially impressed with the opening of her message to me:

“On Feb 7, 2006, you showed up at the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association meeting for the original PHLUSH report. I owe you an update. Despite no bricks and mortar successes to date, a lot has happened.” I remember the meeting, with dozens of neighborhood residents and business owners in attendance. It makes me smile to see another community volunteer who evidently pays attention to detail, takes notes of who “showed up”, and follows up by providing more information.

Update on PHLUSH – Guest Post by Carol McCreary

1. Going Public: That wonderful group of PSU grad students in urban planning who showed up that night formed Relief Works, partnered with the Office of the Mayor, and by the fall had won a national award from the American Association of Planners for their work. Wow! Please download and read this (pdf).

2. Restroom Implementation Team: Mayor Potter formed the Restroom Implementation Team to support the SAFE (Street Access For Everyone) initiative. Three of the original six PHLUSHers have served on this and allocated resources to upgrading toilets and signage of existing comfort stations and planned a prototype for an attended sidewalk restroom on NW Couch at 3rd. Minutes, plans, budgets etc., are here. The Restroom Implementation Team is looking at toilets for everyone and is independent of the SAFE Oversight Committee.

3. 24/7 Restrooms under SAFE. In July 2007 City Hall was opened at night to supplement existing downtown toilets. Since then Commissioner Leonard has requested additional 24/7 toilets as a condition of SAFE. Plans are underway for the excellently located stalls in the NW Davis St Smart Park between NW 1st and Naito.

4. Why are restrooms such an issue in cities throughout the US? First and foremost, because of federal policy gaps! Employees have access to restrooms under the federal Occupation Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). Outside of the workplace, Americans have no such protection. School kids, transit riders, airline passengers are among those who suffer discomfort and humiliation. Second, because poor design makes most toilets difficult to make safe, manage and maintain.

5. Call to Action. The American Restroom Association has issued a call to action to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) so that they fix the discrepancy. Congressman Jim Moran (Dem Va.) is the first signer of a letter to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. Basic question: What has HHS done to provide all people the protections employees enjoy under OSHA?

6. PHLUSH! We are dead serious about public toilets but try to make it fun. We have cool tee shirts. We marched in the Under the Autumn Moon parade and passed out leaflets and the response was so supportive. No more laughing at us. Our ideas and help have been solicited most recently by Fire and Rescue and Commissioner Leonard. The American Restroom Association is cheering us along and have made our web page. Join us!