ACCOMMODATING EVERYONE LACCD TO INSTALL STALLS TO FORESTALL PROBLEMS FOR WOMEN.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

Declaring ``potty parity'' across its nine campuses, the Los Angeles Community College District is pledging to add more women's bathroom stalls as part of its $2.2 billion construction program.

The district hopes the move will help shorten the lines that traditionally snake outside women's restrooms, particularly in auditoriums, theaters, stadiums and dining areas.

Female students at Mission, Valley and Pierce colleges were flush with joy at the news.

``I'd appreciate that,'' said Pierce College student Rebecca Choi, 19, of Northridge. ``The bathrooms are so full during classes, I'd really appreciate more restrooms for female students.''

Even some male students hailed the news.

``As long as the women are happy, I'm fine,'' said Mission College student Marvin Duran, 21, of Pacoima. ``Keep the women happy.''

Buildings on the nine LACCD campuses date from 1925 to 1991, and would have been built to state and local building codes in effect at the time.

But architects working on Proposition A/AA construction bond projects will be encouraged to use new district bathroom-stall guidelines, which provide more generous ratios than the state's standards.

In structures like auditoriums and stadiums, the district proposes four bathroom stalls for every 50 women and one for every 50 men. That compares with state ratios of three for every 50 women and one for every 100 men.

Classroom buildings would have one for every 30 women and one for every 40 men. There also will be more sinks for women than men.

The district doesn't have a cost estimate for its ``potty parity'' program, but architects will have to fit the ratios into existing budgets and may have to scale back other elements, officials said.

District officials said ``potty parity'' simply makes sense: Women account for 50 to 75 percent of students at each of the nine community colleges. Districtwide, women make up 60 percent of all students.

``At times, this issue is more than a minor problem, especially when women are rushing from work to class, with very little time for personal needs,'' said board member Mona Field, who also teaches at Glendale Community College.

Ultimately, officials say, it's about equal treatment.

``Men don't have to wait in line; why should women have to do it?'' said Larry Eisenberg, the district's executive director for facilities management. ``It just makes sense to be considerate of folks and provide reasonable customer service.''

The concept of ``potty parity'' is about 15 years old, said John F. Banzhaf III, professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University Law School, who also is known as the ``Father of Potty Parity'' for his work on the issue.

He said studies have shown a number of reasons why women typically often have to wait in bathroom lines. Men's bathrooms have urinals as well as toilets, providing more ``outlets'' for men in the same amount of space as women's bathrooms, Banzhaf said. Women also often have to remove more clothing, spend more time adjusting their clothing and may be further slowed if they have small children in tow.

While some businesses are implementing ``potty parity'' in an effort to lure more female patrons, Banzhaf said, it is a smart move for public facilities, as well.

``Some people don't think it's particularly important, but it is more than a matter of simple annoyance or irritation,'' Banzhaf said, noting that gender discrimination lawsuits have been filed over the issue.

In Los Angeles, architects can choose to add women's toilets to private projects, but it's not common practice, said Bob Steinbach, assistant bureau chief for the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.

``It's like parking spaces,'' Steinbach said. ``People are always going to put in the minimum number of parking spaces required because if you put in more, that uses up valuable square footage that could be used for occupancy.''

Linda Aparicio, spokeswoman for the city's Department of Public Works, said the city's building codes are not gender-specific. The number of overall bathroom facilities depends on the size of the building as well as its use and occupancy rate, she said.

Many female students at the three Valley colleges, however, said long lines - a fact of life at nearly every public bathroom venue - shouldn't be part of attending college, too.

``The time between classes isn't long enough to wait in line and use the bathroom,'' said Pierce College student Monica Cabezas, 24, of Winnetka.

Still, others such as Linda Ledezma, 18, of Panorama City have learned how to beat the system.

``If you go during class,'' Ledezma said, ``there's no line.''

Lisa M. Sodders, [phone]

lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com