Pittsburgh Biking, Walking, and Transit: The Steps of Morningside.

Pittsburgh has the most public staircases of any city in the United States. The original purpose of these steps was so that factory workers could walk from their home up on the hill to their job in the river valley. As the steel mills closed and more people had cars, many of these staircases have developed cracks in their steps and weed start growing from the cracks and encroach on the public right of way. Today, I took some photographs of four staircases in Morningside.

Adelphia St.

Looking up the Adelphia St. Steps.

These well-maintained wooden steps actually serve as the street that the two houses at the top are on. Take note of the street sign on the telephone pole at the bottom.

looking down the Adelphia St. Steps.

Houses located on the steps.

Martha St.

Oh, do these steps come in handy. The Martha St. steps start out as a jumpwalk on the northern edge of Martha St. at Morningside Ave. Upon crossing Duffield St., the road disappears, but the steps continue up the hill to El Paso St. in Stanton Heights where the road reappears. Martha St. continues one more block to Trinity St. These steps link northeastern Stanton Heights with Morningside and provide pedestrian access to bus service on Jancey St. and Chislett St. as well as the Morningside business bistrict.


Near the bottom of the Martha St. steps.

Looking across Duffield St.


Looking down the steps.

Gallatin St.

The Gallatin St. steps provide residents near Witherspoon St. access to bus stops located on Baker St. The steps also provide lower Morningside residents pedestrian access to the Morningside business district.