At least two BART station restrooms closed for over 20 years could soon be reopened, with more possibly on the way.
No, that's not a typo.
In all, 10 facilities – all located at BART's underground stations – have been closed since Sept. 11, 2001 because of "safety concerns," according to a BART press release on Tuesday. If all goes according to plan, stations at 19th St. in Oakland and Powell St. in San Francisco will reopen their long-closed restrooms in February.
Both will be "staffed with attendants for at least the first three months to promote safety and proper use."
A number of upgrades have to be made first, officials said. That includes plumbing, electrical, ventilation and safety improvements, among others.
The first two to reopen at 19th St. and Powell St. will be made over to look like new restrooms at BART's El Cerrito del Norte station, which reopened in 2020 following a modernization project. Bathrooms at two more stations – Lake Merritt in Oakland and Montgomery St. in San Francisco – are pegged to reopen "before summer next year."
BART General Manager Bob Powers is expected to provide an update on the restrooms' reopening status at Thursday's BART Board meeting. "BART has worked hard during the pandemic to improve the system to encourage the return of our riders," Powers said. "A key part of that effort is to make the system more user-friendly and one of the most important steps we can take toward that goal is the reopening of long-closed restrooms."
The cost to reopen the toilets is estimated to be $14 million through Fiscal Year 2026. That funding has not yet been identified, officials shared.
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