Spring in Our Steps

Stairways are monuments of mobility. Cincinnati has nearly 400 public stairways throughout its limits, reminding us daily of the hill climb of those before us. Principal Structural Engineer Stough McGavren said it best in 1947: “Due to the rugged topography of Cincinnati there are many locations on the hill slopes where the streets follow in general the contours, and cross streets, due to the steepness of the slope, are non-existent or widely spaced. In such locations there has been a persistent demand from the residents for stairways to provide easy access for pedestrians.”

Reinforced concrete built many public stairways from the beginning—the Main Street Steps in 1908—into the early 1930’s. High original cost paired with deterioration led to a City desire to standardized manufacture of units, which were precast during the offseason. Casting under shelter provided more stable conditions for workmanship and curing, and prevented seasonal layoffs of workers. Construction of stairways could then be done by unskilled laborers with minimal engineering guidance. Bituminous concrete landings between flights helped to adjust construction to the grade of the stairway route.

The ex*****on was practical. Its hollow core was meant to provide integrity and to require less concrete. Even innovations to the precast riser by the 1940’s promised greater cost savings and higher quality. The idea that a deteriorated tread could be flipped to its unworn side just made fiscal sense.

Over the ensuing decades, gravity became its master and brought these stairs down piece by piece. Diminished resources by the 1970’s led numerous stairways to be signed “Steps Closed for Repair”, not to be reopened. Many of these stairways remain closed a half century later. At some point during the 1980’s, this practice seemed to have been abandoned when greater funding and priority led to the reconstruction of important stairway connections. The movement coincided with the first city-led stairway maintenance inventory.

Without the precast concrete riser, first developed by assistant engineer W.A. Vogelsang, perhaps some walking connections would have been lost forever.

Photos by Christian Huelsman. Historic blueprints obtained via Public Records Request via City of Cincinnati DOTE.

It’s happening! The reconstruction of the upper Warner Street Steps is finally underway! The rebuilt stairway will reforge a walking connection from West McMicken Avenue to Fairview Avenue for the first time in decades. More so, there will soon be a continuous walking route from Vine Street to the Western Hills Viaduct, as plans to rebuild the Polk Street Steps are underway.

Join us for our signature annual 100+ alleys bike ride — the Alley Ronde! This 30-mile bike ride through several Cincinnati neighborhoods can be ridden for any duration. On-route support is available! We start with coffee and end with beer!

We’ll gather at 9am and ride before 9:30am, starting from Northern Row Park. Our halfway coffee stop is TBD. But we’ll finish off at Northern Row Brewery, where there’s plenty of delicious food and alcoholic/non-alcoholic options!

We’ve led the Alley Ronde: 100+ Alleys Bike Ride for six consecutive years, deriving from our early UBBC collaboration rides (2017, 2018), and the original 100 Alleys Bike Ride (2019). It’s thrilling to continue this tradition for a TENTH year!

Ways to get involved: join us on May 30th to Clean-up the Bartlett St Steps in North Fairmount! After clearance of invasive growth, the City will schedule installation of handrails throughout the corridor and Duke will restore power to the streetlight!

Swipe through the photos below to read how this project came to be and why it’s important today.

Sorry for the late notice! SUNDAY, April 26th—join us for our next bike ride of alleys in Newport, Bellevue, and Dayton, starting at Collective Espresso (Newport) and ending at Wooden Cask Brewing!

2pm gather at Collective Espresso Newport (121 W 10th St)
2:15 roll out
back to Wooden Cask before 4pm

Please remember to bring water—and a lock if you’re planning to hang afterward.

Need a ride?
Cincy Red Bike has a station at Monmouth Street between 9th and 10th Sts, as well as at between 7th and 8th Sts!