Over $1 million spent on Pittsburgh city steps that are rarely used

Pittsburgh is nationally known for its roughly 800 sets of city steps, many of them old and crumbling.The city is spending millions of dollars on rehabbing steps.But Action News Investigates has learned that some of the money is going to steps that hardly anyone uses.Before he left his management job with the city, Tom Joyce oversaw the design of the new steps at Stanton and McCandless avenues in Stanton Heights.“Looks pretty. I mean, I love the steps because they’re my design,” Joyce said.But all along, he questioned why the city was spending $1.2 million on those steps.“$1.2 million and nobody uses them. It’s a white elephant,” Joyce said. “You can stay here all day, and you won’t see anybody walking down the steps.”Action News Investigates spent hours at the steps over four days. We saw only one person using them.“It’s very convenient, particularly when you are coming up the hill,” said Deji Olaore of Stanton Heights.But most people we saw coming up the hill simply walked the sidewalk, avoiding the steps.”They were in such disrepair for so many years. I think people maybe got out of the habit of using the steps,” said Kurt Dittmer of Stanton Heights.The steps lead to a bus stop on Stanton Avenue. We saw buses speeding past the stop because no one was waiting.Pittsburgh Regional Transit spokesperson Adam Brandolph said “less than one person per day” uses the inbound and outbound stops.City Council member Deb Gross said she wanted the steps repaired in part to accommodate children getting off school buses.But a Pittsburgh schools spokesperson told Action News Investigates that no school buses stop by the steps.Mayor Ed Gainey’s office told Action News Investigates he and his staff were not available to discuss the steps project. At a recent event, we asked the mayor why the city set aside more than $1 million for steps that are hardly used.“I want to get you the right details to make sure that you have all the right information. You know, I only give you the details when I have everything that I need to talk about. I know a little bit about it, but I want to make sure I got the right details. So, we will send you something over,” Gainey said.In a statement about Stanton and other steps projects, mayoral spokesperson Olga George said, “The city prioritized these projects based on need and community impact,” and the projects were “prioritized according to factors such as the number of users, the level of disrepair, and available funding.”But Joyce said dilapidated, shut-down steps at Downing Street and Herron Avenue in Polish Hill should have been a higher priority than Stanton. The Downing Street steps lead to the Herron busway stop, used by an average of 202 passengers per day.”Those steps were used every day to get people back and forth to the bus stop on the busway,” Joyce said.The city plans to rehabilitate those steps next year.In 2018, the city studied which of the 800 city steps should be prioritized for repair, using factors like population density, access to transit, and proximity to schools.Several dozen steps were recommended for repairs. But not Stanton Avenue.The report called steps on Iowa Street at Centre Avenue a top priority. It’s easy to see why.We saw multiple people using them, even though they are still in terrible shape, with cracked concrete, creating potential for twisted ankles and falls.”I don’t know if I’d ever twisted my ankle, but I’ve definitely stepped in a few divots and have been like, that’s not great,” said Akash Patel, who uses the steps daily. “They’re chipped. It’d be nice if the city might redo them or at least clean up some of the area so that you wouldn’t slip.”City Council member Bobby Wilson said he’s been trying to get the city to repair steps leading from Troy Hill to Route 28. He said the steps were well-used before the city closed them due to poor conditions.”If you have an example of steps that people aren’t using and we’re spending $1 million on it, we’re going to lose trust with the public,” Wilson said. “It’s a critical time for the public to see that we are spending their tax dollars appropriately.”Wilson said he wants City Controller Rachel Heisler to audit city steps projects to determine if the funds are being spent appropriately.Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel

PITTSBURGH —

Pittsburgh is nationally known for its roughly 800 sets of city steps, many of them old and crumbling.

The city is spending millions of dollars on rehabbing steps.

But Action News Investigates has learned that some of the money is going to steps that hardly anyone uses.

Before he left his management job with the city, Tom Joyce oversaw the design of the new steps at Stanton and McCandless avenues in Stanton Heights.

“Looks pretty. I mean, I love the steps because they’re my design,” Joyce said.

But all along, he questioned why the city was spending $1.2 million on those steps.

“$1.2 million and nobody uses them. It’s a white elephant,” Joyce said. “You can stay here all day, and you won’t see anybody walking down the steps.”

Action News Investigates spent hours at the steps over four days. We saw only one person using them.

“It’s very convenient, particularly when you are coming up the hill,” said Deji Olaore of Stanton Heights.

But most people we saw coming up the hill simply walked the sidewalk, avoiding the steps.

“They were in such disrepair for so many years. I think people maybe got out of the habit of using the steps,” said Kurt Dittmer of Stanton Heights.

The steps lead to a bus stop on Stanton Avenue. We saw buses speeding past the stop because no one was waiting.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit spokesperson Adam Brandolph said “less than one person per day” uses the inbound and outbound stops.

City Council member Deb Gross said she wanted the steps repaired in part to accommodate children getting off school buses.

But a Pittsburgh schools spokesperson told Action News Investigates that no school buses stop by the steps.

Mayor Ed Gainey’s office told Action News Investigates he and his staff were not available to discuss the steps project.

At a recent event, we asked the mayor why the city set aside more than $1 million for steps that are hardly used.

“I want to get you the right details to make sure that you have all the right information. You know, I only give you the details when I have everything that I need to talk about. I know a little bit about it, but I want to make sure I got the right details. So, we will send you something over,” Gainey said.

In a statement about Stanton and other steps projects, mayoral spokesperson Olga George said, “The city prioritized these projects based on need and community impact,” and the projects were “prioritized according to factors such as the number of users, the level of disrepair, and available funding.”

But Joyce said dilapidated, shut-down steps at Downing Street and Herron Avenue in Polish Hill should have been a higher priority than Stanton. The Downing Street steps lead to the Herron busway stop, used by an average of 202 passengers per day.

“Those steps were used every day to get people back and forth to the bus stop on the busway,” Joyce said.

The city plans to rehabilitate those steps next year.

In 2018, the city studied which of the 800 city steps should be prioritized for repair, using factors like population density, access to transit, and proximity to schools.

Several dozen steps were recommended for repairs. But not Stanton Avenue.

The report called steps on Iowa Street at Centre Avenue a top priority. It’s easy to see why.

We saw multiple people using them, even though they are still in terrible shape, with cracked concrete, creating potential for twisted ankles and falls.

“I don’t know if I’d ever twisted my ankle, but I’ve definitely stepped in a few divots and have been like, that’s not great,” said Akash Patel, who uses the steps daily. “They’re chipped. It’d be nice if the city might redo them or at least clean up some of the area so that you wouldn’t slip.”

City Council member Bobby Wilson said he’s been trying to get the city to repair steps leading from Troy Hill to Route 28. He said the steps were well-used before the city closed them due to poor conditions.

“If you have an example of steps that people aren’t using and we’re spending $1 million on it, we’re going to lose trust with the public,” Wilson said. “It’s a critical time for the public to see that we are spending their tax dollars appropriately.”

Wilson said he wants City Controller Rachel Heisler to audit city steps projects to determine if the funds are being spent appropriately.

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