When you gotta go, you gotta go.
Orlando has started a year-long pilot program called DTO Go, to test out a portable restroom and, from there, determine where more spots should go.
There are two locations: At Central and Rosalind, and at Gertrude and Jefferson. The test has shown that the program is giving people a place to go when they’re in a rush, and has made for a cleaner downtown.
“It doesn’t stink when you in there like a Port-a-Potty,” resident Cheyanne Pickney said. “I gave it a 10 each time. There aren’t many around the city that they let anybody use.”
Read: What a relief: Pilot program brings public restroom facilities to downtown Orlando
In the first month, the bathroom has been used 1,500 times, which means the city’s clean team is spending less time being “pooper scoopers.” The city cleaned up 50% fewer cases of human waste on sidewalks in DTO Go’s first month.
“I think anybody that’s frequenting the rights of way is seeing, can notice,”said Thomas Chatmon with the Downtown Development Board.
Channel 9 stopped by the two locations several times on Sunday and Monday, and found that they were both closed for your business. The city said the spots are only closed when the attendant takes a break.
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Pickney, who identified herself as being in the homeless community, praised DTO Go.
“If we have to go, we put our pride to the side,” she said. “We will happily go behind this bush and do our business.”
Restaurant and shop staff in the area said they’ve also noticed a noticeable decrease in the number of non-customers since the restrooms were installed.
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