Canton Avenue

Last updated

Canton Avenue
CantonAve Bottom.jpg
Looking up Canton Avenue.
Location Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
South endCoast Avenue
North endHampshire Avenue

Canton Avenue is a street in Pittsburgh's Beechview neighborhood which is the steepest officially recorded public street in the United States. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Canton Avenue is 630 ft (190 m) long (the hill is about 213 feet long) and is claimed to include a 37% grade 21 feet (6.4 m) long. [4] [5] [6] The Guinness Book of World Records says Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, New Zealand, is the world's steepest street with a gradient of 34.8%. [7] This record is disputed; Pittsburgh news and international media have claimed Canton Avenue is the steepest street in the world. [8] [9] [10] The United States record is also disputed, as Bradford Street in San Francisco includes a 39% grade nine meters long [11] and Waipio Valley Road has sections as steep as a 45% grade. [12] [13] [14] [15]

The National Map says the steep 213 feet of Canton Avenue averages less than 30%. The map's elevations can be off by a foot or two; probably Pennsylvania's LIDAR surveys done in the last few years can do better. Google Earth says the street averages 29% for 212 feet.

In March 2016 Canton Avenue was the subject of a commercial, [16] featuring freeskier Bene Mayr, snowboarder Heikki Sorsa, downhill mountain biker Aaron Gwin, and racing driver Mattias Ekström for the Audi Quattro A4 automobile. [8] [17]

Canton Avenue, seen from the top. CantonAve Top.jpg
Canton Avenue, seen from the top.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dormont, Pennsylvania</span> Borough in Pennsylvania, United States

Dormont is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,244 at the 2020 census. It is a residential suburb of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Loosely translated, Dormont means "Mountain of Gold" in French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grade (slope)</span> Angle to the horizontal plane

The grade (US) or gradient (UK) of a physical feature, landform or constructed line refers to the tangent of the angle of that surface to the horizontal. It is a special case of the slope, where zero indicates horizontality. A larger number indicates higher or steeper degree of "tilt". Often slope is calculated as a ratio of "rise" to "run", or as a fraction in which run is the horizontal distance and rise is the vertical distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baldwin Street</span> Steepest street in the world

Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, New Zealand, is located in the residential suburb of North East Valley, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) northeast of Dunedin's central business district. Guinness World Records calls it the steepest street in the world, meaning no street gains more altitude in 10 horizontal metres, measured along the street's centreline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Race of Champions</span> International motorsport event

The Race of Champions (ROC) is an international motorsport event held at the end/start of each year, featuring some of the world's best racing and rally drivers. It is the only competition in the world where stars from Formula One, World Rally Championship, IndyCar, NASCAR, sportscars and touring cars compete against each other, going head-to-head in identical cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln–Lemington–Belmar</span> Neighborhood of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States

Lincoln–Lemington–Belmar is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is located in the northeastern section of the city and spans the Allegheny River. Lincoln–Lemington–Belmar houses PBF 15 Engine, and is covered by PBP Zone 5 and the Bureau of EMS Medic 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bon Air (Pittsburgh)</span> Neighborhood of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States

Bon Air is a neighborhood in the south portion of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Its two zip codes are 15226 and 15210, and it is represented in the Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beechview (Pittsburgh)</span> Place in Pennsylvania, United States

Beechview is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's southwestern side. It has a zip code of 15216, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council member for District 4 and for District 2. Beechview was founded in 1905 after the introduction of a comprehensive light rail transit system. It is Pittsburgh Fire Bureau Zone 4-10 and houses Engine Company #28. It is located in Zone 6 for Pittsburgh Police. While Beechview took an economic downturn in the late 20th century, its proximity to downtown Pittsburgh, convenient access to light rail transit, sweeping vistas and new businesses have allowed Beechview to stabilize economically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waipio Valley</span> Valley on The Big Island, Hawaii

Waipiʻo Valley is a valley located in the Hamakua District of the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. "Waipiʻo" means "curved water" in the Hawaiian language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Pittsburgh</span> Transportation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

A large metropolitan area that is surrounded by rivers and hills, Pittsburgh has an infrastructure system that has been built out over the years to include roads, tunnels, bridges, railroads, inclines, bike paths, and stairways; however, the hills and rivers still form many barriers to transportation within the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh Light Rail</span> Light rail system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Pittsburgh Light Rail is a 26.2-mile (42.2 km) light rail system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and surrounding suburbs. It operates as a deep-level subway in Downtown Pittsburgh, but runs mostly at-grade in the suburbs south of the city. The system is largely linear in a north-south direction, with one terminus near Pittsburgh's central business district and two termini in the South Hills. The system is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Regional Transit. The T is one of the surviving first-generation streetcar systems in North America, with the oldest portions of the network dating back to 1903 and the Pittsburgh Railways. It is also one of only three light rail systems in the United States that continues to use the broad 5 ft 2+1⁄2 in Pennsylvania Trolley Gauge on its lines instead of the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 instandard gauge. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,417,100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Line (Pittsburgh)</span> Light rail line in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Red Line is a line on the Pittsburgh Light Rail system that runs between South Hills Village and Downtown Pittsburgh via the Beechview neighborhood. The companion route, the Blue Line, branches off north of Martin Villa – which closed in 2012 – and runs through Overbrook. In March 2007, the closure of the Palm Garden Bridge for refurbishment suspended the Red Line for five months; it resumed service in September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dormont Junction station</span>

Dormont Junction is a station on the Red Line route of Pittsburgh Regional Transit's light rail network. It is located in Dormont, Pennsylvania. The station is an important park and ride facility, featuring 132 spaces. West Liberty Avenue, Dormont's main artery, is located one block uphill from the station, in a portion of the street that is lined with automobile dealerships. Opposite the commercial sector, a densely populated residential area is located with many homes within walking distance of the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 519</span> State highway in Washington County, Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 519 runs in a north–south route through central Washington County connecting the Glyde area of North Bethlehem Township at the southern terminus with the Hickory area of Mt. Pleasant Township at the north end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawn station</span>

Dawn is a station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network, located in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The street level stop located in an especially hilly portion of a neighborhood known for its rolling terrain, providing access to commuters within walking distance. The station is located along the South Busway at the south end of the Palm Garden trestle and also serves as a transfer opportunity to the one city bus that stops at the same location.

The Dirty Dozen is a one-day road cycling race in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, held annually on the Saturday before the Halloween holiday in October. The event is contested over a 50-mile (80 km) course that features 13 of the steepest hills in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ffordd Pen Llech</span>

Ffordd Pen Llech is a public road in the town of Harlech which lies within Snowdonia National Park, North Wales. It was once considered the steepest street in the world, although that title reverted to the previous holder Baldwin Street on 8 April 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi 5 Series DTM</span> Touring racing car by Audi

The Audi 5 Series DTM is a touring car constructed by the German car manufacturer Audi AG for use in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. It was developed in 2011 and has been raced in DTM seasons 2012-2018 before being replaced by updated turbo version of Audi RS5 Turbo DTM from 2019 season onwards. It was designed by former Audi Head of Research and Development Wolfgang Dürheimer. The A5 DTM replaced the retired Audi A4 DTM at the end of the 2011 season and based on the production Audi A5.

Kristoffersson Motorsport is a Swedish auto racing team owned by racing driver Tommy Kristoffersson. It currently competes in the FIA World Rallycross Championship and Swedish Touring Car Championship, with Tommy's son Johan Kristoffersson as one of the drivers. The team has raced under several sponsored names, such as Team Biogas.se, Volkswagen Dealer Team KMS, Volkswagen Team Sweden, Volkswagen RX Sweden and PSRX Volkswagen Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters</span>

The 2018 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters was the thirty-second season of premier German touring car championship and also nineteenth season under the moniker of Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters since the series' resumption in 2000. 2018 would be the final season for the traditional 4.0-litre V8 naturally-aspirated engine package that debuted in the inaugural reborn season; as the brand new engine package has been introduced for the following season as part of the "Class 1 Project" prospect with Japanese Super GT GT500 cars. 2018 also marked the final season for Mercedes-Benz in DTM due to Mercedes-Benz departing to FIA Formula E from the 2019–20 season and thus ended its 19-year participation.

References

  1. ↑ "Here: In Beechview". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . 30 January 2005. Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2007.
  2. ↑ Kambitsis, Jason (1 December 2010). "The Steepest Road on Earth Takes No Prisoners". Wired.
  3. ↑ Russo, Carla Herreria (28 February 2014). "Hit The Brakes! The 10 Steepest Streets in America". HuffPost. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "Steepest Streets in the World". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  5. ↑ "Pittsburgh Hills". Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen. Archived from the original on 16 May 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2007.
  6. ↑ An article in the Pittsburgh Press on 11 January 1987 cites information compiled by the Surveys Division and the Snow and Ice Control Program, Dept of Public Works, that Canton Street has a steepness of 37 percent.
  7. ↑ "New Zealand street once again the world's steepest after Guinness World Records reverses decision". 8 April 2020.
  8. 1 2 Shumway, John (2 March 2016). "World's Steepest Street Featured in New Audi Commercial". Pittsburgh, PA: KDKA-TV . Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Christi (6 March 2016). "The Steepest Street In The World Is In Pennsylvania— It'll Make You Sweat". OnlyInYourState. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "The Steepest Road On Earth Takes No Prisoners". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  11. ↑ Chamings, Andrew (29 June 2020). "San Francisco's actual steepest street is not where you think". SFGATE. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  12. ↑ Russo, Carla Herreria. "The 10 Steepest Streets In America". HuffPost. BuzzFeed, Inc. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  13. ↑ Jennings, Ken. "Is This Hawaiian Street the World's Steepest Road?". Condé Nast Traveler. Condé Nast. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  14. ↑ "Waipio Valley Road in HI is the steepest road in the USA". Dangerous Roads. dangerousroads.org. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  15. ↑ Baray, Alexa. "4 Steep U.S. Streets That Will Make Your Palms Sweat". Travel Trivia. Inboxlab, Inc. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  16. ↑ Bene Mayr, Heikki Sorsa, Aaron Gwin, Mattias Ekström (1 March 2016). Audi quattro challenge - The Steepest Street. Pittsburgh, PA. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  17. ↑ Blazina, Ed (3 March 2016). "Audi challenges Beechview's world-class-steep Canton Avenue". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 4 March 2016.

40°24′32″N80°01′48″W / 40.409°N 80.03°W / 40.409; -80.03


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.