Trip #366 Westborn Street, Marshall Shadeland, Pittsburgh took place on October 29, 2019, and was published on November 20, 2019.
As I approach the Westborn Street stairs at Mitchell Street, I see a woman tugging at a wheeled trash bin as she collects litter from the street. Given the amount of trash I routinely see on PGH city steps, it’s easy to forget that lots of people regularly pick up discarded cans, fast food bags, cigarette stubs, and the like. My spirit buoyed by this woman’s actions, I head up the flight and find myself surrounded by a thick blanket of pine needles. I inhale deeply, and the sights and sounds of the forest fills my brain. A forest in the middle of a city where folks quietly do good deeds every day.
Field Notes: Saw a lady picking up litter at the foot of this flight! Yeah!! Citizen hero! At the top of the flight, there’s a big pine tree at the top and pine needles coat the stairs. I think I was able to smell them!
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!!
