What is Baldwin Street, Dunedin?

Baldwin Street, in a quiet suburban part of New Zealand's southern city of Dunedin, is reputed to be the world's steepest street. It is located in the suburb of North East Valley, 3.5 kilometres northeast of Dunedin's city centre.

A short straight street of some 350 metres length, Baldwin Street runs east from the valley of the Lindsay Creek up the side of Signal Hill. Its lower reaches are of only moderate steepness, and the surface is asphalt, but the upper reaches of this cul-de-sac are far steeper, and surfaced in concrete, for ease of maintenance (tar seal would flow down the slope on a warm day) and for safety in Dunedin's frosty winters. At its maximum, the slope of Baldwin Street is approximately 1:2.86 (19° or 35%) - that is, for every 2.86 metres travelled horizontally, the elevation rises by 1 metre.

Controversy of claim

Baldwin Street's claim to fame has caused some controversy after it emerged that the original entry in the Guinness Book of Records was based on a typographical error, claiming a maximum gradient of 1:1.266 (38° or 79%). This would be impossible to walk up, and appears to be an error for 1:2.66, which itself is slightly steeper than the currently accepted figure of 1:2.86. Alternatively, the mistake may have been caused by confusion between grade in degrees and percentage grade, i.e., mixing up 38% with 38°.

Nevertheless, the Guinness Book officially recognizes Baldwin Street as the world's steepest street at a 35% grade. Canton Avenue, in the Pittsburgh neighbourhood of Beechview, may be steeper; it is officially measured to be a 37% grade.^[1][2]

Other notably steep streets include Eldred Street in the Highland Park district of Los Angeles, California, one of three streets in Los Angeles between 32% and 33.3%^[3], and Filbert and 22nd Streets in San Francisco, both claiming a maximum gradient of 31.5% (approximately 17°).^[4]

Origin of the street

The street's steepness was unintentional. As with many other parts of Dunedin, and indeed New Zealand, streets were laid out in a grid pattern with no consideration for the terrain, usually by planners in London. In the case of Baldwin Street (and much of the Dunedin streetplan), the layout was designed by Charles Kettle in the late 19th Century. The street is named after William Baldwin, an Otago Provincial Councillor and newspaper founder, who subdivided the area.

Despite its apparent cul-de-sac nature, Baldwin Street is linked across the top by an unformed road linking it with Calder Ave and Arnold Street which are unformed in their upper reaches (where Baldwin is at its steepest). The streets running parallel to Baldwin are all quite steep: Arnold St (1:3.6), Dalmeny (1:3.7), and Calder Ave (1:5.4).

Associated events

The street is the venue for an annual event in Dunedin, the "Baldwin Street Gutbuster". Every summer since the mid-1990s (usually in February), this exercise in fitness and balance involves athletes running from the base of the street to the top and back down again. The event attracts up to 1,000 competitors annually.^[5]

Since 2002, a further charity event has been held annually in July, which involves the rolling of over 10,000 Jaffas (spherical chocolate candies). Each jaffa is sponsored by one person, with prizes to the winner and funds raised going to charity.

In 2001 a 19-year-old University of Otago student was killed when she and another student attempted to travel down the street inside a wheelie bin. The bin collided with a parked trailer, killing one of the occupants instantly, and causing serious head injuries for the second.^[6]

Gallery

Looking down the street.

Sign at the bottom.

References

External links

• Map of Baldwin Street (From Wises Maps)
• Baldwin Street (from Google Maps)
• The Steepest Streets in Dunedin (from Dunedin City Council)

Coordinates: