A proposal that would require women's restrooms to be twice as big as men's rooms at stadiums, concert halls and other public facilities that attract crowds could prove to be popular but pricey, city officials said yesterday.

City Councilman Charles Djou proposed a change in the city building code that would require any new or renovated "Group A" event facility to have at least twice as many toilets for women as for men (the men's total incudes urinals).

Group A facilities include sports arenas, concert halls, movie theaters and other buildings that cater to spectators.

Djou said his own experience as a husband and father who has had to wait for his wife and daughter to get through the long lines helped convince him this was a good idea after he saw New York City pass a similar measure this year.

"Ask any woman, not just in Hawai'i, but anywhere in the United States — it's a problem," he said.

City officials who oversee the public facilities for Honolulu said they know that long lines at ladies' rooms can be a big issue.

John Fuhrmann, city events and services manager, said the issue is already being addressed at the Blaisdell Concert Hall and the Waikiki Shell.

"We keep track of the bathrooms. We're very conscious of it," he said.

He estimated that adding restroom stalls would cost about $30,000 to $40,000 per stall.

"In some cases, doubling may be too much, in others it might be too little," he said.

Reaction from residents was mixed, from those who thought it was a great idea to those who saw it as a waste of money.

Marion Madeley, who works in advertising sales, thinks the proposal would help to solve a problem that occurs at crowded events. "I think you'd get in and out quicker," she said. "No one likes waiting in line."

But Joy Egami, who works in insurance, thinks it's a waste of government money. "Granted, it could be helpful as a female. But our government money could be put to better use," she said.

Fuhrmann, who has worked for the city more than 20 years, said the bathrooms were expanded twice at the concert hall in recent years, once in 1991 and again in 2003. He said state law requires only seven stalls there, but the city has increased that to 34 to ease the lines.

For the most part, he said, the city exceeds the number of facilities required except for the men's rooms at the Blaisdell Arena, where there are more urinals than required but fewer stalls.

Fuhrmann said the restroom demands differ with the crowds and the type and length of event. For example, classical music at the concert hall typically draws an older crowd that goes to the restroom at intermission or before or after the event, he said. "Everyone goes to the restroom at the same time," he said.

But a sporting event or pop/ rock concert will pull a younger crowd without the long lines at intermission or halftime. "They go when they need to go," he said.

And part of the line issue reflects the reality that men can also use urinals, which gives them a faster option than the stalls available to women.

To ease the lines at the Shell, the city uses portable toilets, Fuhrmann said. "What we try to do is make sure that we don't have long lines because that affects how people enjoy the show," he said.

But the city plans to build more permanent restrooms soon, he said.

Djou said the proposal also would apply to new or renovated commercial buildings that host spectators and not apply to other offices or residential properties.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.