Step street

It is a practical way of providing access up and down a slope that is too steep for automobiles.

Step streets consist of a staircase of stone or concrete steps, often with a handrail on posts down the center, and sometimes lined with trees.

Examples can be found in hilly urban areas.

Step streets fell out of popularity with urban designers as the use of the automobile increased in cities, and some step streets have been removed and redesigned as graded walkways to address accessibility concerns and to allow other wheeled transport such as bicycles, strollers, and wheeled shopping baskets.

In the early 2010s, efforts were made to restore some of these open-air staircases in New York City.