Public Works: budget cuts shrink Pit Stop network to 17 locations; paving, curb-ramp targets met

Carla Short, director of San Francisco Public Works, told the Sanitation and Streets Commission on Aug. 20 that the Board of Supervisors last month approved a two‑year budget plan that preserves some street‑maintenance funding but reduces the city's Pit Stop public toilet network from 30 locations to 17.

Short said the budget measure was approved 10–1 by the Board of Supervisors and “the mayor now has until Aug. 1 to sign it,” and that the department worked to retain key positions and vehicle replacement purchases recommended for cuts.

The changes to the Pit Stop program include a cut of about $4.4 million, producing a revised annual allocation of approximately $5.6 million; Short said the department expects to carry forward some additional funding from the prior year. The department also lost two positions included in the mayor's original budget and saw a net loss of 44 vacant positions citywide as part of deficit‑closing actions, she said.

Why it matters: Pit Stop toilets are high‑use public facilities; reducing the network increases pressure on street‑cleaning resources and public restroom access. Short told…