Should a majority of the owners of property, or the owners of a majority of the feet-frontage upon any of the said streets, where property is assessed at suburban rates, and upon which public lamps or lights have been erected, refuse to petition councils for a paved footway, it will be competent for the department of public works, bureau of highways, to call the attention of councils to the necessity for a paved footway; and thereupon councils shall direct the department of public works, bureau of highways, to notify the said owners to pave the footway, as is provided in section one of this act, the cost thereof to be collected as provided for in section two of this act.
53 P.S. § 13844