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Comparison Between Baldwin Street and Streets of Belo Horizonte Came Back to the Center of Discussions by Revealing Distinct Methods of Calculating Inclination Used in Each Place
The discussion about the steepest street on the planet resurfaced because a woman from Minas Gerais recently visited Baldwin Street and compared it to slopes in Minas Gerais. The visitor stated that the New Zealand street is steep, of course, but still falls short of some sections found in cities in Minas Gerais. Her remarks reignited the debate over measurements, criteria, and differences between methods of calculation.
Baldwin Street is located in Dunedin and is about 350 meters long. The street maintains a maximum gradient close to 35%.
This incline means that for every 2.86 meters traveled, there is a vertical gain of one meter. Therefore, it is a structure that has impressed tourists and curious observers for many years.
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The Criteria Used by Guinness
The Guinness World Records recognized Baldwin Street in 1987. The announcement came after two years of campaigning promoted by broadcaster Jim Mora.
At that time, the street surpassed two competitors located in San Francisco. In addition, the record placed Dunedin on the map as a curious and different destination.
In 2019, however, the title changed hands. Guinness named Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech as the new champion.
The reason was an initial measurement indicating an incline of 37.45 percent. The decision generated surprise because it contradicted decades of recognition of Baldwin Street.
Months later, everything changed again. Guinness reviewed the rule and determined that the calculation should only consider the centerline of the street.
With the new criterion, Ffordd Pen Llech dropped to 28.6 percent. Therefore, Baldwin Street regained its title with its official 34.8 percent.
credit: Reproduction / Instagram
The Comparison with Belo Horizonte
In Belo Horizonte, the geoprocessing sector of Prodabel does different measurements. The methodology uses the total incline divided by the length of the street.
The technicians do not analyze just the centerline. Therefore, the numbers found in the mining capital comfortably surpass the value recorded in New Zealand.
The visitor even mentioned a report from Estado de Minas. For her, Belo Horizonte was once again unjustly treated.
The Steepest Streets in the Mining Capital
The ranking starts with the fifth place. The Guimarães Rosa Street, in the Nossa Senhora de Fátima neighborhood, has a 49 percent incline.
In fourth place is Street 2637, in the São Bento neighborhood, with 50 percent.
Just above is São Benedito Street, in the São Marcos neighborhood, reaching 51 percent.
The runner-up is the Copérnico Pinto Coelho Street. It is located in the Santo Antônio neighborhood and also registers 50 percent.
At the top is Expedicionários Street, in the Taquaril complex. This location reaches a 57 percent incline and leaves all others behind.
This set of data explains why many miners question the validity of the international title.
Moreover, it reinforces how the adopted criteria can turn a simple measurement into a long, curious, and even fun debate.
The information is from Estado de Minas.
Tem ruas em Ouro Preto que deve dar uns 70%
Eu. acho mesmo a rua joaqim Zenir no bairro Paraiso BH. A gente sobe e certo ponto o corpo volta p tras de tao ingreme.
Ruas 11 e 12 no Bairro Vista do Sol, em Belo Horizonte, na Região Nordeste da Capital Mineira. A Rua 11 tem 39⁰ de inclinação, nem caminhão 🚛🚚 ousa descer por ela, quanto mais subir. 🤷🏼🤦🏼