Another little piece of old Toledo is on track for demolition, courtesy of the Norfolk Southern railroad.

The Sumner Street bridge was built in 1904 and is now just a pedestrian crossing between an old South Toledo neighborhood and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza.

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Legislation before Toledo City Council would give approval to the railroad to remove the bridge, and with it a charming piece of Toledo history.

The stated reason for the bridge’s removal is that it provides too tight of a clearance for today’s freight trains.

Toledo needs to help Norfolk Southern keep its railroad infrastructure in tip-top condition.

And we all know about the dangers that bridges pose. Between terrorists and juvenile delinquents, they present so much of an opportunity for mischief that authorities have to exercise an abundance of caution.

In the case of the Indiana Avenue bridge over I-75, that means installing protective fencing.

However, Norfolk Southern is not citing railroad safety for the removal of the Sumner Bridge.

Norfolk Southern doesn’t own the bridge. Toledo does. The city sees the situation as Norfolk Southern taking a liability and maintenance expense off its hands.

If Norfolk Southern wants to demolish the bridge, council should make sure it and Norfolk Southern have an alternate plan for pedestrian — and of course, bicycle — transit across the railroad tracks, aside from the Anthony Wayne Trail and Broadway.

In the for-what-it’s-worth category, Google Maps identifies the Sumner Street Bridge as a “Rails to Trails bridge to Toledo Union Station.”

Five years ago the Curtis Street overpass a quarter-mile to the west was removed under a similar request by the railroad. In that case, the bridge had once been part of the footpath for students walking to Libbey High School. Libbey closed in 2010 and the need for the bridge largely vanished.

City council needs to ask the railroad tough questions about why it’s so important to remove the walkways that connect our older communities, and Toledo Councilman Peter Ujvagi is right to do so. There’s no rush. The request deserves proper consideration.

In the course of these conversations, councilmen should insist on the railroad stating on the record what its plans are for the various pieces of right-of-way, especially along the Anthony Wayne Trail.

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First Published January 30, 2018, 10:45 p.m.