If you've ever walked into a public restroom at your local park—even the best parks in L.A.—and thought “NOPE,” you're not alone. Hence, why it isn't so surprising that Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin issued an overall “C” grade for park bathrooms on a first-of-its kind report card that was released earlier this week.
The review evaluated factors such as graffiti, maintenance and drinking fountains in 40 community parks across the city. The assessment comes from a survey of more than 3,700 park users, along with results from professional reviewers that include KH Consulting Group, USC faculty and the RAND Corporation.
“Our parks are so important to our quality of life, providing recreational outlets for all ages, much-needed green space and venues for community-building,” said Controller Galperin, according to the official press release. “I hope city leaders will use my report card to drive improvements at city parks to better serve all Angelenos.”
While categories such as playgrounds and athletic fields received high marks, restrooms and cleanliness scored lowest overall. Sixteen parks individually received a staggering “D” or “F” grade for bathrooms, including MacArthur Park in Westlake and North Hollywood Park. (Yikes.)
In addition to restrooms, safety and hygiene were also major points of concern for many an Angeleno, according to the survey.
The results certainly shed light on growing issues such as lack of funding and a rise in homelessness—both of which are mentioned in a list of suggested improvements provided by Galperin.
To find out how your local park fared, check out the report cards here.
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