BART will hold a reopening ceremony in San Francisco on Wednesday for its Powell Street station restrooms, which have been closed for more than 20 years due to safety concerns.
BART closed restrooms at 10 of its subterranean stations after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and now plans to reopen them in an effort to better meet the needs of the system's riders.
BART officials will hold a "ribbon-cutting" Wednesday for the Powell station's two restrooms, with a roll of toilet paper in lieu of an actual ribbon.
"Reopening restrooms represents a big step towards delivering the world-class transit our riders deserve," said BART Board member Bevan Dufty, who represents part of San Francisco including the Powell Street station. "I thank every individual who raised their voice to insist that bathrooms are a human right."
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The agency plans to reopen restrooms at its other underground stations in the coming months. Bathrooms at Oakland's 19th Street station are expected to reopen Feb. 25, while the restrooms at Lake Merritt and Montgomery Street stations are planned for summer 2022.
Restroom reopenings at the Downtown Berkeley and Embarcadero stations are scheduled for fiscal year 2023, which begins July 1, 2022.
Restrooms at the Civic Center, 16th Street Mission, 24th Street Mission and 12th Street Oakland stations are also set to be reopened at an undetermined date.
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Members of the Oakland-based organization District Works will serve as restroom attendants for at least two months to promote proper use, according to BART.
