However, many people, especially children, dislike or even fear automatic flush toilets, since they have the tendency to flush without warning, even while the user is still sitting on the toilet.

It also operates an automatic public toilet near City Hall.

Now City Council leaders say they will authorize construction of up to 20 automatic paid toilets when the full Council meets on Wednesday.

All of the lavatories at Northwestern feature automatic flush toilets, automatic on/off sinks, and automatic hand dryers.

The proposal would grant a franchise to a single company to design, install and maintain bus shelters, newsstands, news racks, benches and automatic public toilets.

Then there's the general closure of street conveniences and their replacement with automatic toilets, which women really detest.

With the automatic toilets at the new electrical engineering building at the University of Washington in Seattle, "it's a riot," said Martin A. Afromowitz, a professor.

The north (lower) mezzanine is home to Metro's only fully public restroom, an automatic self-cleaning toilet manufactured by Exeloo, opened in October 2003.

The franchise will allow the city to contract for the design, construction, installation and maintenance of the next generation of bus stop shelters, newsstand structures and automatic public toilets citywide.

The contract, which would be awarded to one company, would cover the design and construction of as many as 3,500 bus shelters, 500 newsstands and 100 automatic self-cleaning public toilets.