Both ways of mapping is good. Drawing it as a single line is quick, and as this footway goes under trees it's hard to see where the steps end on aerial photography. When there is more info available, it's easy to upgrade it to more detailed stair.

You can even do this in StreetComplete: After splitting (I see you already did this) there is a button "it's not a stair" or something and you convert it to a basic footway. I will update the sections based on your notes.