Busch renovations will give women, men potty parity

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Busch Stadium plans to achieve potty parity by opening day this year.

The stadium's restrooms are being renovated to provide as many places for women to relieve themselves as men by April 1, St. Louis Cardinals president Mark Lamping said.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday that those changes will put the new stadium in compliance with a state law the stadium's architects didn't know existed last year.

Enacted in 1995, the law requires that sports stadiums and other large public venues have as many toilets for women as it has toilets and urinals for men.

But as the stadium neared completion last year, the architectural firm that designed the ballpark, HOK, reported men had nearly 40 more toilet options than women in public restrooms.

Lamping said the organization was surprised the architects didn't know about the law, and it was unfortunate the stadium wasn't in compliance.

By opening day this year, the number of toilets for women will have increased to 334 from 310. The number for men, meanwhile, will have decreased to 334 from 347, he said.

Irene Treppler, the former state legislator who wrote the potty parity law despite receiving ridicule for it, was pleased to learn of the renovations.

"That's good news," said Treppler, of south St. Louis County. "I'm glad that they're changing it. It's important because it's not fair for women to have to wait in line so much longer. They should have equal facilities with the men."

In May, the Missouri Legislature gave the Cardinals an extension to address the issue. The Cardinals studied bathroom traffic last season to determine what changes to make.

Potty parity laws have been encouraged nationwide in recent years with the hope of shortening long lines at women's restrooms.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch: www.stltoday.com