TO YOU.

>> THANKS.

CHICAGO HAS A CRITICAL SHORTAGE

WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC

BATHROOMS ACCORDING TO AN

INVESTIGATION BY THE "CHICAGO

TRIBUNE" THAT FOUND CITY

GOVERNMENT FAILED TO PROVIDE THE

PUBLIC WITH EASY ACCESS TO FREE

TOILETS WITH SCANT INFORMATION

AVAILABLE ABOUT THOSE THAT DO

EXIST.

THE STORY FOUND NOT ONLY A

PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE BUT A PUBLIC

SAFETY ONE WAS WELL.

AND JOINING US IS ITS AUTHOR,

EMILY HOERNER A REPORTER WITH

THE "CHICAGO TRIBUNE"'S

INVESTIGATIVE TEAM.

EMILY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

HOW MANY AVAILABLE RESTROOMS

PUBLICLY ARE THERE IN THE CITY

AND WHERE DO THEY TEND TO BE

LOCATED?

>> SO I FILED A BUNCH OF

INFORMATION REQUESTS TO COMPILE

ALL OF THE BARRIER FREE

RESTROOMS.

PUBLIC RESTROOMS THAT DO NOT

REQUIRE YOU TO GO THROUGH

SECURITY OR PAY FOR ENTRANCE, BE

A CUSTOMER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT

AND AND WE FOUND THERE WERE

FEWER THAN 500 OF THESE

BARRIER-FREE, EASY ACCESS PUBLIC

RESTROOMS IN THE CITY.

AND THEY ARE LOCATED ALL

THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

WE DID FIND THAT THERE WERE

SLOTS OF THE CITY THAT HAD FEW

OR NONE OF THESE FACILITIES.

SO IT JUST VARIES FROM

NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> EMILY, HOW DOES THIS LACK OF

BARRIER FREE RESTROOMS IMPACT

CHICAGO RESIDENTS?

NOT JUST ON A PUBLIC HEALTH

LEVEL BUT PUBLIC SAFETY?

>> I TALKED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE

WHO ARE UNHOUSED IN THE CITY WHO

STRUGGLE DAILY, REGULARLY TO

FIND A PLACE TO USE THE RESTROOM

FACILITY.

WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF

PEOPLE NEED TO DO EVERYDAY TIMES

MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.

AND IT CAN BE REALLY DIFFICULT

FOR FOLKS YOU KNOW.

THEY STIGMA IT IS DEHUMANIZING

TO HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM

OUTDOORS IN ALLEYS TO BE SEEN

DOING THIS SO IT PUTS PEOPLE IN

A DIFFICULT SITUATION IF THEY

DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO AND IT

CAN LEAD TO PUBLIC HEALTH

CONCERNS AS WELL PASSAGE AND

SPREAD OF HUMAN BAFT AND IT CAN

BE DANGEROUS.

>> AND IT CAN BE BAD FOR

SOMEBODY'S CRIMINAL RECORD

BECAUSE AS YOU FOUND, THE

CHICAGO POLICE DO ISSUE A

CITATION AND ARREST FOLKS FOR

PUBLIC URINATION OR DEAF

INDICATION TELL US WHAT YOU

FOUND WITH THOSE STATISTICS?

>> SINCE 2016 THERE HAVE BEEN

29,000 TICKETS ISSUED FOR PUBLIC

URINATION, AND DEAFFY INDICATION

THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN ISSUED

ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDES.

THERE IS A SMALLER AMOUNT OF

PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED

INCLUDING THERE WERE ABOUT 50

PEOPLE SINCE 2014 WHO HAVE BEEN

ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS

FOR PUBLIC URINATION AND

DEFICATION.

>> AND WASHINGTON D.C. AND SAN

FRANCISCO TRIED PILOTS WITH

PUBLIC RESTROOMS HAS THE CITY OF

CHICAGO INDICATED THEY HAVE

POLICY THOUGHTS IN MIND TO

ADDRESS THE ISSUE?

>> THE CITY TOLD ME THEY

CURRENTLY HAVE NO EFFORTS

UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO

PUBLIC RESTROOMS AT THIS TIME.

>> AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE

OTHER CITIES DOING AND ARE THEY

WORKING?

>> YES.

SO DC IS A VERY INTERESTING

PLACE.

THEY ARE TRYING TWO PROGRAMS.

ONE IS TO PLACE PERMANENT

TOILETS THAT ARE INDESTRUCTIBLE

OPEN 24/7.

AND BUSINESSES CAN OPT-IN TO

BECOME A PUBLIC RESTROOM AND THE

GOVERNMENT WILL INCENTIVIZE THEM

THEY CAN LEAVE THE PROGRAM AT

ANY TIME.

SO THOSE ARE TWO INTERESTING

THINGS IN SAN FRANCISCO.

EMPLOYEES ARE POSTED AT PUBLIC

RESTROOMS SO THEY HAVE SOMEBODY

MONITORING THE RESTROOMS THAT DO

EXIST.

AND PEOPLE THAT IN SAN FRANCISCO

SAID THAT HELPED THEIR PUBLIC

RESTROOM ISSUES.

>> AND YOU MENTIONED STAT

STARBUCKS TRIED ALLOWING THAT

AND IT'S BEEN KIND OF HIT OR

MISS IN TERMS OF HOW THAT

IMPACTS BUSINESS.

I WANT TO THROW UP A MAP WHERE

THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS ARE.

PUBLIC PARKS ONE THING THE

COLORS REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT

PUBLIC BUILDING.

I LEARNED IN YOUR ARTICLE THAT

POLICE STATIONS THOSE ARE PUBLIC

RESTROOMS THAT ANYONE CAN GO IN

AND USE, CORRECT?

>> YES.

AND THEY ARE SOME OF THE FEW

RESTROOMS THAT ARE OPEN 24 HOURS

A DAY OVER THE NIGHTTIME AND ALL

YEAR LONG IN THE WINTER.

>> AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T USE

THEM?

>> YEAH.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ARE

UNAWARE THAT THAT IS AN OPTION.

>> AND YOU SAID THAT THIS IS

PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT THE

CITY ISN'T REALLY ADVERTISING

WHERE YOU CAN GO.

>> RIGHT.

THERE IS NOT A TON OF

INFORMATION.

THERE ISN'T ONE AGENCY THAT

OVERSEES ALL THE PUBLIC

RESTROOMS IN THE CITY OR

ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO PART OF WHAT WE WANTED TO DO

WITH THIS REPORTING WAS BUILD A

TOOL FOR PEOPLE TO USE AS WELL

TO BE ABLE TO LOCATE SOME OF THE

RESTROOMS.

>> CERTAINLY AN IMPORTANT ISSUE