Public restrooms matter more than you might think

San Diego is considering shutting down many public restrooms to save money. At first glance, that might seem like no big deal. Who really needs a public bathroom every day? But look closer and the picture changes completely. Public restrooms are part of the city’s invisible safety net. They keep germs from spreading in crowded places. They let people with urgent needs find relief without causing bigger problems. Closing them isn’t just about convenience—it’s about health. The city already learned this lesson the hard way. In 2016–2018, San Diego faced one of the worst hepatitis A outbreaks in recent history. Hundreds got sick, and several died. The outbreak hit people without homes hardest, but it didn’t stay isolated. Health workers and regular residents got sick too. The response only worked when the city combined medical care with better sanitation—more handwashing stations, cleaner streets, and extra restrooms. That showed a simple truth: clean restrooms save lives. What happens when restrooms disappear? People don’t stop needing to go. Instead, they go outside, creating contamination risks. Research in San Diego found that nearly one in four unhoused people surveyed had no choice but to relieve themselves in public because restrooms were too far or locked. That isn’t just unpleasant—it spreads disease. It also harms people with health conditions like Crohn’s disease or those on strong medications that require frequent bathroom breaks.And it’s not just about homelessness. Tourists carrying luggage, drivers stuck in traffic, parents with young kids—all rely on public restrooms. Pregnant women, people with disabilities, and outdoor workers face real challenges when bathrooms vanish. Cities that cut restroom access often end up paying more later. They spend extra on cleanup, policing, emergency calls, and disease control. The savings vanish. The mess doesn’t. San Diego wants to be a top city for tourism, science, and business. But a world-class city isn’t just about skyscrapers and stadiums. It’s about systems that keep everyone safe in public spaces. Instead of closing restrooms, the focus should be on running them better—keeping them clean, placing them where they’re needed most, and making sure they’re open when people need them. This isn’t about whether bathrooms stay open. It’s about remembering what really makes a city healthy. Real progress isn’t made by making life harder for people to meet basic needs. It’s made by building systems that quietly protect everyone every day.