Commentary

Government wonít get out of the john

New York’s City Council just passed a new bill:

New buildings and buildings undergoing major renovations will be required to install two toilets for women for every one provided to men. The current law, enacted in 1984, requires a 1-to-1 ratio. But men can “zoom in and zoom out,” while women end up waiting in long lines, noted Councilwoman Madeline Provenzano (D-Bronx), chairwoman of the Housing and Buildings Committee. “This is a quantum leap into the 21st century,” said Councilwoman Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn), chief sponsor and architect of the bill. The bill approved yesterday is a compromise version of a proposal that would have required virtually all buildings – new and old – with public rest rooms to have two facilities for women for every one designated for men. In a deal with Mayor Bloomberg, the original potty-parity bill was flushed because of complaints over its potentially huge cost to owners of bars, restaurants and theaters and to publicly owned facilities, such as stadiums. The bill approved yesterday, 50-to-0 with one absentee, mandates the 2-for-1 rule only for new buildings and existing ones that undergo renovations whose costs exceed 50% of the value of the building. The law could take effect as soon as the fall.

Sigh. (Via Sploid.)