Trip #39 30th Street, Polish Hill, Pittsburgh took place on September 23, 2017, and was published on October 2, 2017.
Another pedestrian passage closed. I consider walking up alongside, in the grass, but decide against it due to the possibility of raccoons and groundhogs. I contemplate maneuvering under the bar, and just stepping up the stairs, but I don’t want to be seen trespassing. *sigh* Bad-ass, rule-breaking explorer I am not. So, I sit here on the bottom step listening to the drone of the cars climbing up and down this steep street and wonder why some flights that appear to be in reasonably good shape are officially closed while others that are in total disrepair are not. This set ends at Bigelow Boulevard, the unofficial “highway” to downtown, so maybe it’s closed because of the danger posed to pedestrians? So much has changed in this neighborhood, in this city, since these stairs were built in 1948.
Field Notes: 30th Street is another flight in Polish Hill that is officially closed. The exit at the top is right on Bigelow and it’s probably too dangerous to have people come out on a section where cars are moving so fast. I don’t think the road was as wide or heavily traveled back in 1948 when the flight was originally built.
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!!
