Source:City-railroad-accord
"City–railroad accord is near after 27 years: Vacation of parts of 17 South Side streets involved in 1901 agreement." Pittsburgh Press, Apr. 3, 1928, [p. 23]. Newspapers.com 146410855.
After 27 years of "negotiation," an agreement entered into between the city and the Pittsburgh, Virginia & Charleston Railway Co., is now scheduled for final action in city council.
Vacation of portions of 17 streets is involved in the agreement, which was approved April 10, 1901. The so-called streets have served as part of the railway right-of-way since 1901, but legally the highways still belong to the people.
The vacations were proposed as the city's contribution to the raising of the railroad tracks, thus eliminating numerous grade crossings. The company carried out its agreement by raising its tracks, building a retaining wall along East Carson st., and erecting bridges over a number of the highways.
While the ordinance of agreement passed 27 years ago committed the city to the vacations, legislation formally authorizing the vacations never was passed.
The vacations proposed in ordinances now pending in council committee affect the following streets: South Twelfth st., from a point 73 feet south of Breed st., to Manor st.; Birmingham st. from Welsh way to the intersection of Manor and South Twelfth sts.; Manor st., from South Sixth to South Seventeenth sts.; South Fifteenth st., from the railroad to Clinton st.; South Sixteenth st., from the railroad to Manor st.; Josephine st., from South Seventeenth st., to a point 123 feet west of South Twenty-first st.; South Seventeenth st., and South Nineteenth st., from Edwards way to Josephine st.; South Twentieth st., from Edwards way to Josephine st.; Edwards way, from South Twenty-third to South Twenty-seventh sts.; South Twenty-fifth st., from Mary to Josephine sts.; Mary st., from South Twenty-seventh st., to a point 207 feet east; South Twenty-eighth st., from Mary st., to the line of South Twenty-eighth st.; Harcum way, from South Twenty-eighth to a point 312 feet east; Jane st., from South Thirtieth st., to a point 400 feet west; South Thirty-first, South Thirty-second, South Thirty-third and South Thirty-fourth sts., from Sarah to Jane sts.; South Thirty-fifth and South Thirty-sixth sts., from Sarah st. to Larkins way; Jane st., from South Thirtieth to South Thirty-fourth sts.