Los Angeles transit authority blasted for $50 million toilet deal

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -- The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has finally found a way to provide toilets for riders of its light rail trains. But at $50 million for 10 toilets, some people are complaining that the MTA might be flushing its money away.

Under pressure to provide toilets at the 50 new subway stations it built for billions of dollars without them, the MTA struck a deal Thursday in which a billboard company would provide 10 self-cleaning toilets in exchange for $50 million in advertising space.

The deal, approved by an 8-0 vote, was not popular with every board member.

"We have done it again," said Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson, who is on the MTA board. He objected to the package, but did not vote due to a conflict of interest.

"It is one of the most ridiculously one-sided contracts that has been perpetrated since the Dutch bought Manhattan Island for $24 worth of beads and trinkets, Bernson said.

Despite the naysayers, there are many positives about the deal, not the least of which is that now riders will have a place to go to the bathroom, said MTA spokesman Gary Wosk.

"Many riders have expressed frustration that there are not restrooms in any of our stations," Wosk said.

The toilets cost about $300,000 each to install plus another $1 million a year to maintain, another MTA spokesman said.

In exchange for the toilets, the billboard company, STI Outdoor LLC, will be allowed to erect some 44 billboards on MTA owned parcels of land which in many cases run along freeways, Wosk said. The space is estimated to be worth up to $50 million.

MTA will also receive 10 percent of the billboard revenues, plus fees and some ad space, he said.

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