WELLINGTON, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's Dunedin could lose its title of having the world's steepest street after residents of a Welsh town challenged to get this title.
Baldwin Street in Dunedin of the South Island has attracted thousands of visitors each year ever since it was crowned the world's steepest street by Guinness World Records.
The street has an average gradient of 36 percent, but the street Ffordd Pen Llech in the small coastal town of Harlech, Wales, has a reported slope of 37 percent, which challenged the fame of Baldwin Street.
A decision is expected to be announced next month as measurements are being taken on the Welsh street on Friday and will be submitted to Guinness World Records in a few days.
Dunedin residents expressed their sorrow on social media, with one woman saying that the Welsh street is not real as a sign on the Welsh road warns of it being unsuitable for motorists.
Dunedin residents are "proud of its gradient (on a real street, lined with houses, used by vehicles)," she said, adding Guinness World Records guidelines say to be eligible for the steepest-street record, the road must be open to both pedestrians and motorized traffic.
The street was named after the person who subdivided the area, William Baldwin. Over the years, it has attracted more and more people in attempts to master its steepness in various types of vehicles.
In 2001, a woman died after sliding down the street using a wheelie bin and hitting a parked trailer.
The Dunedin City Council is undertaking a series of upgrades to strengthen the street and help residents cope with the thousands of tourists who visit every year.
