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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)\u00a0<\/p>\nI won\u2019t say that I\u2019m some kind of port-o-potty connoisseur, but I\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n
Made by a start-up called Throne \u2014 extra credit for the cheeky name \u2014 the solar-powered unit is about the size of a U-Haul trailer. It\u2019s free to use with access granted a number of ways, including through a QR code, text, app and phone-free entry card.<\/p>\n
Inside there\u2019s 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\u2019s exterior wrap is also designed to resist permanent tags.)<\/p>\n
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)\u00a0<\/p>\n
You\u2019re welcomed by a female voice in English and Spanish and gentle music plays during your stay. Don\u2019t get too comfortable, though. You\u2019re only allowed 10 minutes to take care of your business. At the five-minute mark, the voice \u2014 a little less welcoming this time \u2014 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.)<\/p>\n
The Throne, which is entirely self-contained and not hooked up to the city\u2019s water or sewer systems, is on a six-month pilot to see if it\u2019s a good fit for San Jose\u2019s parks and public spaces. The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy is footing the bill for the tryout.<\/p>\n
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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)\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal is to show the value of this approach to a public restroom,\u201d said Throne Chief Operating Officer Jessica Heinzelman. \u201cWe\u2019ve built it so the unhoused can use it, but we want everyone to use it as intended.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 0.7 percent according to Throne\u2019s data \u2014 that cause problems leaving the bathroom unusable, sometimes for weeks.<\/p>\n
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\u2019ve got privacy inside. But if you\u2019re causing damage or the sensors pick up smoking or vaping, the user ID associated with that visit could be suspended.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of our mottos is \u2018Don\u2019t Be Creepy,\u2019 so we\u2019re not using any of that data to find out who people are,\u201d\u00a0Heinzelman said.<\/p>\n
The Throne certainly has its advantages over San Jose\u2019s last attempt at a \u201csmart bathroom\u201d solution. You might remember when a number of green pay toilets from French media company JCDecaux were deployed downtown in the late \u201990s 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019d find out that you didn\u2019t have a quarter or know where to get one of the free tokens.<\/p>\n
Will the Throne be worth deploying on a bigger scale in San Jose? It might turn out to be the relief we\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n
BLUES BONANZA: Fans of the Oscar-winning hit movie \u201cSinners\u201d 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\u2019s blues-driven soundtrack, including guitarist Eric Gales (who performed during the Academy Awards), Grammy-winning vocalist Ruthie Foster and Tierinii Jackson of Southern Avenue.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we were inspired by the spirit of \u2018Sinners,\u2019 we wanted to bring that juke-joint energy to San Jose,\u201d said Suzanne St. John-Crane, president of the Fountain Blues Foundation board. \u201cAt the same time, we\u2019re committed to keeping ticket prices affordable so everyone can experience the epic musicianship of this incredible lineup.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are a few extras this year, too, including exclusive meet-and-greets backstage with performers including Gales and Sunday\u2019s 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n CHANGING HISTORY (SAN JOSE): Just because a museum like History Park in San Jose focuses on the past doesn\u2019t mean it can\u2019t plan for the future. That\u2019s what History San Jose board member Darlene Tenes is working on as she leads two Imagining Sessions to help shape the park\u2019s events, programs and engagement to better meet the community\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n