Some San Francisco public toilets could be flushed by budget cuts
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco's network of public restrooms - known as "Pit Stops" - may soon be downsized as city officials look for ways to close a growing budget gap.
The 10-year-old program has become a critical service, particularly for unhoused residents, as well as anyone else in need of a quick place to use the restroom. In the last nine months alone, the city's 30 Pit Stop locations logged nearly 750,000 single uses, according to the Department of Public Works.
Rachel Gordon, the department's communications chief, called the program "successful," and said DPW is taking a "surgical approach" at minimizing services in order to meet the mayor's mandate that all departments cut their budgets by 15%.
"San Francisco faces an unprecedented budget deficit, and tough choices will have to be made. As part of the Public Works budget submittal, we looked at all options to meet our targeted General Fund spending reduction, and reducing the Pit Stop program is one option put forth. As we go through the budget process, we are working with the Mayor's Office to keep our streets clean and identify opportunities for savings," Gordon said in a statement to ABC7 News.
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Among the potential changes: cutting hours or scaling back locations that are less frequently used. This year, DPW has roughly $12 million allocated for the sites. Next year's proposal could slash that number in half, although it is subject to change.
Unlike port-a-pottys, the Pit Stop restrooms have a self-clean feature.
The door automatically shuts and closes with a touch of a button, cleaning itself after each use. Attendants sit on the sidelines to keep track of how many people are using the restrooms and ensure safety. People cannot use the Pit Stop for more than 20 minutes, after that the door automatically opens us.
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Whitney, an unhoused resident who uses Pit Stop restrooms multiple times daily, said it offers dignity and safety that's hard to come by.
"You shouldn't have to see what I seen when I first came here," she said. "It's giving people the opportunity to go and use a restroom in peace and not have to, you know, do your business out in public. And that is so inhumane. You know what I mean? As a woman or anybody, really."
Lurie said he's still reviewing options across all departments and hasn't finalized where cuts will fall.
"We're reviewing all options right now. We're sitting down with department heads daily," Lurie told ABC 7 News. "Over the next 60 days, it's going to be a tough budget season."
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DPW says three key factors will determine which sites could be impacted: usage data, location, and proximity to other facilities.
Final decisions will come by June 1, when the mayor must present a balanced budget.
