Trip #304 Rising Main Way to Toboggan Street, Fineview, took place on June 14, 2019, and was published on June 26, 2019.
Transformation often involves a combination of direct action AND conscious inaction. As a case in point, let’s consider the “transformation” of Toboggan Way, a stairway running parallel to the mid-section of Rising Main Way. Images from Google Maps circa 2007 and 2011 foreshadow what is to come: the several large homes lining both sides of this street look beleaguered and besieged by decay, and the road itself shows significant erosion. Still, these images didn’t adequately prepare me for the in-person 2019 view which involves the obliteration of the street, the impassibility of the stairs, and the demolition of the homes that had resided between Toboggan and Rising Main (perhaps resulting in the now-apparent structural instability of that flight). Can Toboggan Way be transformed once again? I have no doubts it could with a rebalancing of the action to inaction ratio.
Field Notes: This flight is totally trashed and overrun – at one place a tree has fallen across the railing and the street it climbs has succumbed to erosion/landslides. All of the houses on this end are condemned or on the verge of falling down.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling. If the location has an abundance of illegal dumping and trash, also contact Allegheny Cleanways, letting them know the location and the nature of the garbage. Thank you!!
