San Francisco Public Works cuts Pit Stop toilets to pre-pandemic levels | The Locally Times
The department reduced sanitation services as part of a $440.6 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27.
## Sanitation Budget San Francisco Public Works will reduce the number of Pit Stop toilets, the city-funded program providing public restrooms, needle receptacles, and dog waste stations, to pre-pandemic levels. Mayor Daniel Lurie signed the $15.9 billion city budget, which allocates $440.6 million to the department for Fiscal Year 2026-27. This budget total represents a 2.8% increase over the previous year, though the department cut vacant positions and reduced sanitation programs. The city also ended a two-year supplemental appropriation for street cleaning on June 30, 2025. ## Transit Deficits The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which operates the city's bus and rail network, faces a $307 million budget deficit. This shortfall will reach $430 million by 2030 as pandemic relief funding expires. While the agency’s approved two-year budget maintains current service levels for Fiscal Year 2026-27, the agency identified potential service reductions for future budget cycles. ## Potential Service Impacts If the agency does not secure new revenue, it plans to eliminate up to 20 Muni routes, including downtown express lines and neighborhood-specific routes. The agency projects that wait times on Metro, Rapid, and frequent routes could double. Evening service between 9 p.m. and midnight could decrease by 60%. These potential cuts include the reduction or elimination of service on the F Market & Wharves streetcar line and the city’s three cable car lines. ## Housing Pipeline The city’s housing pipeline, which tracks residential and commercial development applications, contains 74,888 total units. Of these, 19,065 units, or 25% of the total, are classified as affordable. Thirteen major multi-phased projects contain the majority of these units, including 9,637 units at Candlestick Point/Hunter’s Point Shipyard and 6,273 units at Treasure Island. ## Key Questions **How many Pit Stop toilets will be removed?** The budget documents confirm a reduction to pre-pandemic levels, but the records do not specify the exact number of facilities that will be decommissioned. **What transit services are at risk of being cut?** If the $307 million SFMTA deficit is not addressed, the agency may eliminate up to 20 Muni routes, reduce evening service by 60%, and cut service on cable car and streetcar lines.