Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Toilets topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Officials say Tenderloin Pit Stop pilot reduced street feces and syringe litter; committee will file pending supplemental funding
Summary
Department of Public Works reported that the Tenderloin Pit Stop staffed public‑toilet pilot saw average daily combined use rise to roughly 157–170, more than 15,000 total uses, collection of over 2,000 syringes and a decrease in steam‑cleaning requests from about 27 to 15 per weekday. Supervisor Jane Kim said her office will file and return with a supplemental appropriation to continue and expand the pilot.
Supervisor Jane Kim opened a hearing on the Tenderloin Pit Stop, a staffed portable‑toilet pilot run by the Department of Public Works with CleanCity staff. DPW project manager Sam Dodge told the committee the pilot — three staffed units located where data showed the highest concentrations of human waste — has produced measurable sanitation and public‑safety benefits during its six‑month run.
DPW reported average daily combined use at the three locations of about 157 uses (with recent months approaching 167–170 per day), more than 15,000 total uses since the pilot began, and collection of over 2,000 needles/syringes at on‑site sharps receptacles. DPW also said steam‑cleaning request volumes in the Tenderloin have fallen from an average of 27 per weekday to about 15 since the pilot started; staff described time saved and redeployed to other city cleaning needs.
DPW identified the pilot budget at approximately $140,000 for six months and said roughly $155,000 would be needed to continue the program; the department described the units as staffed, rolled in and out daily, and paired with needle and dog‑waste collection services. Community commenters — neighborhood groups, service providers and small business owners — gave near‑uniform support, citing improved safety, dignity for users and fewer needles and feces on sidewalks. Supervisor Kim said her office will file the hearing record and bring a supplemental appropriation to the committee for continued funding and discussion of expansion and operational details.
