San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today announced the extension of a pilot program for the first three 24-hour Pit Stops, which has shown promising results since it began in August. The 24-hour, staffed restrooms, which are located at Sixth and Jessie Streets in the South of Market, Market and Castro Streets in the Castro, and Eddy and Jones Streets in the Tenderloin, will continue so City leaders can evaluate the potential to continue or expand the program in the upcoming City budget.

Preliminary results from the pilot program show that roughly 25% of all flushes at the three locations are happening during the nighttime hours, representing a clear demand for overnight restrooms. In total, San Francisco Public Works has recorded 10,518 nighttime uses of the restrooms, or roughly 3,200 uses per month. During that time, the volume of steam cleaning requests in the surrounding quarter mile has decreased at all three location.

“This is not complicated—when people have access to a clean, safe restroom, they will use it,” said Mayor Breed. “We have seen what happens on our streets when people don’t have a place to go, which is why I fought to include funding in the budget for seven new Pit Stops, and well as expanded hours at existing locations.

The Fiscal Years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 budget included $8.1 million in new funding for Pit Stops. This funding was for seven new portable Pit Stops throughout the City, and expanded hours at existing locations based on an analysis of 311 cleaning request data and the usage of existing facilities. This funding will be used to continue the three 24-hr Pit Stop locations until the next budget cycle begins.

“The Pit Stop program, which we began five years ago in the Tenderloin at three locations, now operates at 25 locations in 13 neighborhoods. The public toilets improve neighborhoods and people’s lives,” said Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. “The 24-hour Pit Stops have shown promising results, and we will continue to assess usage, safety and impact during the expanded pilot period.”

The Pit Stop program provides public toilets, sinks, used needle receptacles and dog waste stations in some of San Francisco’s most challenging neighborhoods. The Pit Stops provide a place for people to take care of their bathroom needs with dignity, improving neighborhood livability and reducing demands on Public Works staff to clean up human waste from the City’s sidewalks, doorways and streets. Since the launch of the pilot program, there have been no public safety incidents at the 24-hour Pit Stops.

A nonprofit workforce development partner, Urban Alchemy, staffs all but one of the Pit Stops; the Lower Polk Community Benefit District staffs the other. Public Works manages the program.

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