Ballpark Game Day Restrooms in Washington, DC

How many units does a game day need?

The count is set from the expected crowd before the first pitch and after the last out, the length of the tailgate and the food and drink sales. No fixed ratio is applied as a rule here.

A game day is two peaks rather than one. The crowd builds up in the hour before the first pitch, with the tailgates and the walk from the Metro, and it leaves in a surge after the last out. A plan that sets the count for the average hour of the game will fall short at both peaks. The units are sized for the peaks, and the servicing visits are timed to clear the units before each one.

Capacity figures for the ballpark differ between sources. The plan uses the expected crowd for the specific game and the event, not a published capacity, so that the count follows the game and not an older figure.

Where do the units go on a game day?

At the tailgate space, on the walk from the Metro and the car park, at the gate and along the waterfront route, on approved ground and clear of the approach.

The walk from the Metro crosses streets that carry buses and cars, and a unit on the sidewalk blocks the crowd. The units are set at the edge of the walk where there is room, and the route to each one is marked on the map for the game. A tailgate on private ground is planned on the owner's consent, and a tailgate on a closed street needs the closure and the public space permit.

Units on the waterfront route are set on approved ground so that they do not block the walk to the water or the open spaces that the public uses.

How do the approaches affect the permit?

The approaches are a mix of public and private ground. A unit on the public space needs the District's public space permit, and a unit on private ground needs the owner's consent.

A tailgate space on private ground can be planned with the owner's consent, and the plan shows that consent in the file. A unit on the public curb or sidewalk needs the DDOT public space permit with the site plan, filed at least 30 days before the event. Where the approach crosses a closed street or a Parks space, the closure or Parks permit applies as well.

The permit is checked for each game in a series where the route or the space changes between games.

What about accessible units on game day?

Accessible units are placed on the walk from the Metro, at the gate and at the tailgate, on level ground with a route that avoids a kerb or a gravel edge.

A fan who uses a wheelchair needs a route to the gate and a toilet on the same route. The accessible units are placed on that route and marked on the map, and the route is checked on the day for any kerb, slope or loose surface that has come up since the last game.

The District's special event accessibility rule applies to the event file, and the plan shows how the share of accessible units is met for each event.

How is the night game servicing handled?

The servicing visit is timed for the end of the game, so the units are clean and stocked for the crowd leaving late, and a second visit is added on long night games.

A night game can run late, and the crowd leaves in a surge after the last out. A servicing visit scheduled for the morning leaves the units dirty and empty when the crowd needs them most. The plan adds a visit at the end of the game, and a second one for a long night, so that the units are in use through the last hour.

The provider keeps a site contact who can report a unit that is full or out of order during the game, so the visit can be moved forward.

What does the plan leave out?

The plan does not use a published capacity figure for the ballpark, and it does not state a game-day attendance as a fixed number. The count is set for each game from the expected crowd.

Capacity numbers differ between the venue's own guides, news reports and other sources, and an older figure can be wrong for the current venue. The plan uses the expected crowd for the game, which the organiser can state in the file. Where the team publishes a current capacity, that figure can be used for the event file instead.