Feb 25, 2026 - News
An app for finding bathrooms in Richmond
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
There's a new, Richmond-made app designed to help people who have to "go" find a place to do it.
Why it matters: Richmond has a shocking lack of public restrooms.
State of play: Local Lance Song created PortaDash because he had trouble finding a public toilet around town, especially when out for a run, he tells Axios.
- The app for public potties, first reported by Style Weekly, uses OpenStreetMap data and user-generated additions to create a map of local facilities, including porta-potties.
- The listings offer critical details, like whether the bathroom in question is accessible, free to use and/or includes a changing table.
- Plus, users can leave reviews rating the cleanliness (or not) of the head in question, and add notes, like whether someone has to ask for a key, and flag if something is incorrect in the listings.
Zoom in: Song said users have been excited about the new app, especially runners, cyclists, parents and surprising to him, senior citizens, who really seemed to need it, he tells Axios.
- But regardless of who's using the app, the response is the same, he said. "They'll say, 'this is really cool.' Then they start sharing their TMI," Song joked.
- And since it relies on OpenStreet data, the app can be used anywhere in the world.
What's next: Song said an Android version of the app is in the works and should be ready in the next week or two.
- He's also flirting with the idea of making some of the public bathroom comments and reviews into a coffee table book one day.