The Pittsburgh LGBTQIA+ Commission voted Jan. 20 to recommend that all new-construction and renovation projects in city-owned facilities that involve restrooms provide gender-neutral restroom facilities.

The commission’s recommendation, approved by voice vote, directs staff to request that restroom facilities installed or renovated under city projects be gender neutral. Commissioners described the change as a way to increase safety and accessibility for transgender and gender-expansive residents.

Why it matters: Commissioners said converting or clearly designating single-stall restrooms would be a low-cost way to make city facilities more accessible to people who are trans, nonbinary or gender-expansive. The commission said a formal dataset of existing single-stall restrooms is needed to estimate signage and implementation costs before approaching City Council for a funding request.

Commission staff reported they had spoken with the Department of Public Works and that DPW supports the policy in principle but lacks an inventory of single-stall restrooms in city buildings. Staff said an intern will contact city facilities to locate single-stall restrooms and produce a consolidated dataset; staff estimated completing that dataset by March. The staff update said signage and retrofitting costs were not yet specified and would be provided after the inventory is complete.

Commission discussion ranged from a narrow, signage-only approach to broader changes during renovations. Commissioner Barbara Warwick’s office and other commissioners noted that where full renovations occur, replacing multi-stall layouts or altering stall construction (for example, floor-to-ceiling stall doors) could be considered. The commission amended the recommendation on the floor to explicitly include both new construction and renovation projects that involve restroom facilities.

Action taken: A commissioner moved to approve the recommendation; another commissioner seconded it, and the commission approved the motion by voice vote. The motion directs staff to prepare the dataset and a formal cost estimate to support a potential request to City Council.

Next steps: Staff expects to present the inventory and cost estimate at a future commission meeting (staff indicated the dataset should be ready by March), after which commissioners said they would consider a formal request to Council for signage or alteration funding.