N.Y. Railroad Law § 188

§ 188. Certain consents of local authorities confirmed. All consents\ngiven since December first, eighteen hundred and ninety-five, and prior\nto February first, eighteen hundred and ninety-six, by the local\nauthorities of any city having a population of fifty thousand or more,\nto the construction, operation and maintenance of a street surface\nrailroad in any such city by a railroad corporation which has not\ncomplied with the provisions of section nine of this chapter, or has\nfailed to obtain the certificate therein provided for, are hereby\nvalidated and confirmed, and any such corporation may construct, operate\nand maintain a street surface railroad over, along and upon the streets,\navenues, highways and public places described in such consent, upon\nobtaining the consent of the owners of property bounded on such streets,\navenues, highways or public places as provided by law.\n