Duquesne and Monongahela Inclines

At the time it was the only convenient way for the hilltop communities to commute to downtown Pittsburgh and the industrial areas near the river. One incline could transport several thousands of people on any given day. Competition with other means of transport resulted in the closure of most of the inclines during the early 20th century.
Today only two of those cable-powered inclines survive: the Duquesne and Monongahela inclines. Both connect the valley with South Side's Mount Washington. The inclines have become a popular tourist attraction, more than half of the passengers are visitors.

The oldest of the surviving inclines is the Monongahela Incline, locally known as the Mon Incline. It was built in 1870 and is located near the Smithfield Street Bridge. It is 635ft long and 367ft high with an angle of 35 degrees. Its 78% grade makes it the steepest incline in the country.
The Monongahela Incline's success during its early years of operation spawned many other privately owned inclines in the area. Competition from cars led to an eroding success, but the incline continued to operate privately until it was purchased in 1964 by the Port Authority of Allegheny County.

The Duquesne Incline was built in 1877. It has a length of 793ft, a height of 400ft and a grade of 30 degrees (58%). It is located near the Fort Pitt Bridge.
In 1962, after 85 years of service, Duquesne Incline was closed for repairs. With a steadily dwindling number of customers and resulting loss of income, the Duquesne Inclined Plane Company, who operated the incline, decided it could not afford the expensive but necessary repairs.
The Duquesne Incline would have been closed like so many others if it wasn't for local residents who launched a successful fund-raising campaign. With the funds provided by the local community, the Duquesne Incline Plane Company was able to reopen the incline in 1963. One year later the it was purchased by the Port Authority who now leases the incline for 1$ per year to the Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Incline, a non-profit group formed from the local community who rescued the incline in 1962.

At the top of the hill, near the incline stations are observation platforms offering not-to-miss views of the 'Golden Triangle', Pittsburgh's downtown.