Sporadic steps on a sloped pedestrian way

On the pedestrian ways I've tagged (width less than 2 meters and usually closer to 1 meter) I usually put short sections of "highway=steps" along with "step_count=*" (if I've counted them) where the steps are and "highway=footway" or "highway=path" for the rest (depending the general character with urban/suburban more likely to be footway and mountain hiking ways more likely to be path).

But you are describing something wide enough for four cars to fit. I've never tagged such a wide pedestrian way. I suppose one could simply tag as a way with a "width=*" value instead of tagging as an area. Not sure how I'd tag an area with steps as I don't see a way to indicate which is up versus down while there is a convention for that on a way.

Hi there is no trace of any traffic - sign to point the area specific ? Consider using barrier=kerb every now and then, that is the situation your describing. A pedestrian walks over a kerb or 2 (steps) but a driver wont like it.

Some people have used highway=steps with area=yes for wide steps. Here is one area in Salamanca, Spain mapped this way that seems kind of similar to what you are talking about. You can zoom out then run the query again to search for other examples. If you want to do detailed mapping, I'd definitely map both the stairs and the flat area.