Think you know all there is to know about Pittsburgh’s city steps? Looking to impress friends, family, and folks on social media? Test your current knowledge with this city steps quiz. Simply scroll to the bottom of the page for detailed answers. I’m sure you’ll learn something new! If you click through this short slide show, you may discover some of the answers! 😉 Visit the About page to read about the Mis.Steps project and stop by the Walking Tours page to learn how to get involved.
Pittsburgh’s City Steps Quiz
1. TRUE or FALSE:
The city steps were Pittsburgh’s first mass transportation system.
2. TRUE or FALSE:
There are streets in Pittsburgh that are made up solely of city steps.
3. CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER:
Houses that are accessible only by city steps are called:
A) Stairway Houses
B) Orphan Houses
C) Lonely Houses
4. CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER:
The city steps with the most stairs would be:
A) Raye Avenue in Brookline
B) Rising Main Way in Fineview or
C) Oakley Way in Southside Slopes
5. OPEN-ENDED ANSWER:
Name as many neighborhoods as you can that have NO city steps!
(hint there are 24 of them)
6. CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER:
Which neighborhood has the most city steps?
A) Beechview
B) Southside Slopes
C) Spring Hill-City View
7. CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER:
The oldest surviving Sanborn Fire Insurance map showing Pittsburgh’s city steps dates back to
A) 1884
B)1901
C) 1923
8. TRUE or FALSE:
All of Pittsburgh’s city steps are made of concrete or stone.
9. SHORT ANSWER:
Can you name four other US cities that have a large number of public stairways?
(hint 3 are far away, and one is close to Pittsburgh)
10. SELECT ALL CORRECT ANSWERS:
If you’re out walking on city steps and see some illegal dumping, lots of litter, or unsafe conditions (broken railings or loose/decayed individual stairs or platforms), what should you do?
A) Nothing, DPW will deal with it because they have ESP.
B) Report it to 311.
C) Email the location and problem to your city council representative. Not sure who that is? This interactive map will help.
D) Post an irate message on Reddit.
And no quiz is complete without a bonus question!
SHORT ANSWER:
Can you name two city departments and two local nonprofits who maintain, improve, and advocate for improved conditions on the city steps?
Answers
1. TRUE!
City steps transported tens of thousands of workers every day up and down the steep hillsides long before highways, cars, or busses. While omnibuses and trolleys (first horse-drawn, then electric) and inclines existed during the time the city steps were being built, they had a fee. For the average unskilled worker or new arrival, walking was the most affordable option.
2. TRUE!
There are 344 streets in Pittsburgh that are nothing but flights of stairs.
3. B) ORPHAN HOUSES
Not many “true” orphan houses are left. Some have been condemned and demolished, and others have had new owners install access roads. You can still see orphan houses on the 57th Street stairs in Lawrenceville, Purse Way in Troy Hill, and scattered throughout the Southside Slopes.
4. A) RAYE AVENUE IN BROOKLINE has 378 individual steps.
Rising Main in Fineview has 331, and Oakley Way in the Southside Slopes has 285.
5. The neighborhoods without any city steps include Allegheny Center, Allegheny West, Arlington Heights, Central Business District, Chateau, East Carnegie, East Liberty, Fairywood, Friendship, Hays, Homewood South, Homewood West, Lower Lawrenceville, Manchester, New Homestead, North Shore, Northview Heights, Point Breeze North, Regent Square, Shadyside, South Shore, Summer Hill, Swisshelm Park, and Windgap.
6. B) SOUTHSIDE SLOPES has 68 flights of public stairs!
7. A) 1884
The oldest surviving Sanborn Fire Insurance map that shows city steps dates to 1884.
8. FALSE!
There are 61 flights made of wood.
9. Four other cities with large numbers of public stairways include:
Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; and Cincinnati, OH.
10. BOTH B and C!
Grab a photo, note the location, and report it to 311. DPW relies on residents to speak out about problems! Then, email or call your city council representative and tell them the problem. They are elected and paid to serve the people and the neighborhoods they represent! Don’t be shy!
BONUS: The Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) are the two city offices that have the most contact with city steps. DPW is responsible for closing a flight when unsafe conditions are reported, and they oversee repairs when funding has been allocated through the city budget and the neighborhood’s city council representative.
Two local organizations that advocate for the safe use of the city steps are Allegheny Cleanways and BikePgh. Both have numerous volunteer opportunities!
If your appetite has been whetted and you want to learn more, visit the Resources page for books, blogs, and websites devoted to Pittsburgh’s history.