I won’t say that I’m some kind of port-o-potty connoisseur, but I’ve used my share in time of need. And let me tell you, the new high-tech smart restroom that was recently placed at Arena Green West across from SAP is a real cut above. Fire, as the kids would say.
Made by a start-up called Throne — extra credit for the cheeky name — the solar-powered unit is about the size of a U-Haul trailer. It’s free to use with access granted a number of ways, including through a QR code, text, app and phone-free entry card.
Inside there’s a toilet, urinal, sink and a baby-changing table, surrounded by wallpaper covered with images of green-leafed plants that is easily repaired if graffiti tags are reported. (The unit’s exterior wrap is also designed to resist permanent tags.)
The interior of a Throne portable restroom, photographed Friday, April 10, 2026, that has been placed in the Guadalupe River Park’s Arena Green West. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
You’re welcomed by a female voice in English and Spanish and gentle music plays during your stay. Don’t get too comfortable, though. You’re only allowed 10 minutes to take care of your business. At the five-minute mark, the voice — a little less welcoming this time — lets you know that half your time is gone, and as 10 minutes approach, there are more warnings and flashing lights before the door opens automatically. (They are working on a system to allow for an extension.)
The Throne, which is entirely self-contained and not hooked up to the city’s water or sewer systems, is on a six-month pilot to see if it’s a good fit for San Jose’s parks and public spaces. The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy is footing the bill for the tryout.
The Throne portable restroom in the Guadalupe River Park’s Arena Green West, photographed Friday, April 10, 2026, has a ramp and a wide automatic sliding door for disabled access. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
“The goal is to show the value of this approach to a public restroom,” said Throne Chief Operating Officer Jessica Heinzelman. “We’ve built it so the unhoused can use it, but we want everyone to use it as intended.”
Throne got its start during the pandemic when she and CEO Fletcher Wilson spent their lockdown time trying to figure out why there are so few public toilets in the United States. The two biggest reasons? The high cost of connecting a bathroom to public water and sewer systems and the small fraction of users — 0.7 percent according to Throne’s data — that cause problems leaving the bathroom unusable, sometimes for weeks.
The Throne is equipped with more than 20 sensors to track issues and users are prompted to report any service needs. While there are exterior cameras, you’ve got privacy inside. But if you’re causing damage or the sensors pick up smoking or vaping, the user ID associated with that visit could be suspended.
“One of our mottos is ‘Don’t Be Creepy,’ so we’re not using any of that data to find out who people are,” Heinzelman said.
The Throne certainly has its advantages over San Jose’s last attempt at a “smart bathroom” solution. You might remember when a number of green pay toilets from French media company JCDecaux were deployed downtown in the late ’90s as a solution. They were coin-operated, self-cleaning and touted as the urban solution for the on-the-go person who needed to go.
They were well-received at first. But when you really needed one, you would often discover one that was out of order or was being occupied right up to the 20-minute limit. Then you had to wait for the self-cleaning cycle to finish. And then you’d find out that you didn’t have a quarter or know where to get one of the free tokens.
Will the Throne be worth deploying on a bigger scale in San Jose? It might turn out to be the relief we’re looking for.
BLUES BONANZA: Fans of the Oscar-winning hit movie “Sinners” are going to want to get tickets to the 43rd annual Fountain Blues & Brews Festival, taking place in downtown San Jose on June 27-28. The lineup on the main stage features performers with a connection to the movie’s blues-driven soundtrack, including guitarist Eric Gales (who performed during the Academy Awards), Grammy-winning vocalist Ruthie Foster and Tierinii Jackson of Southern Avenue.
“As we were inspired by the spirit of ‘Sinners,’ we wanted to bring that juke-joint energy to San Jose,” said Suzanne St. John-Crane, president of the Fountain Blues Foundation board. “At the same time, we’re committed to keeping ticket prices affordable so everyone can experience the epic musicianship of this incredible lineup.”
There are a few extras this year, too, including exclusive meet-and-greets backstage with performers including Gales and Sunday’s headliner Ronnie Baker Brooks and a curated menu of craft cocktails to go along with the normal beer and wine. Tickets are on sale at fountainblues.com.
CHANGING HISTORY (SAN JOSE): Just because a museum like History Park in San Jose focuses on the past doesn’t mean it can’t plan for the future. That’s what History San Jose board member Darlene Tenes is working on as she leads two Imagining Sessions to help shape the park’s events, programs and engagement to better meet the community’s needs.
The two-hour sessions, at 10 a.m. April 18 and 5 p.m. April 21, are limited to 50 people each but attendees will have access to History San Jose’s staff and board members as they brainstorm ideas in breakout groups. You can reserve a spot at one of the sessions by going to historysanjose.org/programs-events.
A NEW TAUBE AT THE HELM: Taube Philanthropies sounds like it has set a course for its next chapter, as it is announcing this week that Dianne Taube will be its chief executive officer and chairman, following the death last year of her husband, Tad Taube. The couple were well known in Bay Area philanthropic circles and were partners on the foundation’s strategy and initiatives, and Dianne Taube had previously served as president and vice chairman.
“I’m honored to carry forward the philanthropic work that Tad and I built together,” Dianne Taube said in a statement. “We have always believed in the power of partnership and in supporting ideas and institutions that give people — especially young people — the opportunity to live healthier, more hopeful, and more productive lives.”
Taube Philanthropies has been very supportive of Jewish causes in the Bay Area, has established ties with Santa Clara University and the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and was instrumental in the return of The Bay Lights, the gorgeous illuminated installation on the Bay Bridge. And soon, the foundation will unveil the Taube Family Carriage House and
Automobile Gallery at the San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City.