New York State Route 33
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Length | 69.26 mi[1] (111.46 km) | |||
Existed | mid-1920s[2][3]–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | NY 5 in Buffalo | |||
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East end | NY 31 in Rochester | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | New York | |||
Counties | Erie, Genesee, Monroe | |||
Highway system | ||||
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New York State Route 33 (NY 33) is an east–west state highway in western New York in the United States. The route extends for just under 70 miles (113 km) from NY 5 in Buffalo in the west to NY 31 in Rochester in the east. It is, in fact, the only state highway that directly connects both cities, although it is rarely used today for that purpose. The westernmost 10 miles (16 km) of NY 33 in Buffalo and the neighboring town of Cheektowaga have been upgraded into the Kensington Expressway. This section of NY 33 is one of several freeways leading out of downtown and serves as a main route to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
On the Rochester end, NY 33 primarily serves as a paralleling local route to
NY 33 was assigned in the mid-1920s, but only to the portion of its modern routing between
Route description
Most of NY 33, including the entirety of the highway in Erie County, is state-maintained; however, two sections—from NY 5 to the eastern Batavia city line and all of NY 33 within the city of Rochester—are maintained by the cities of Batavia and Rochester, respectively.[4][5][6]
Kensington Expressway
The Kensington Expressway was constructed in 1958, in the place of the Humboldt Parkway, and radically changed the nature of majority-Black neighborhoods on the east-side of Buffalo.[7][8]
The highway begins as two one-way streets, Goodell Street (traveling west) and East Tupper Street (traveling east). Both intersect with NY 5 (Ellicott Street) in
East of NY 198, the road becomes more open as it passes through neighborhoods with a more suburban residential feel to them. Along this stretch, NY 33 connects to several streets, including Bailey Avenue (U.S. Route 62 or US 62) and Harlem Road (NY 240). Past Harlem Road, the expressway makes a slight curve to the south as it prepares to meet a toll-free section of the New York State Thruway (I-90) at a cloverleaf interchange. Beyond I-90, the expressway veers to the south again, traversing an S-curve before connecting to Union Road (NY 277) by way of a partial interchange. After another 0.5 miles (0.8 km), NY 33 curves south under Genesee Street before joining it at a traffic light in front of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.[9]
Buffalo Airport to Batavia
Now returning to its pre-Kensington route, NY 33 follows a six-lane, divided Genesee Street past the airport on one side and numerous associated businesses such as
For the next several miles, NY 33 runs parallel to the Thruway and very close to it, with both roads visible from the other. Much of this section of Lancaster has remained rural in character;
NY 33 becomes a two-lane route once again as it heads out into
Batavia to Bergen
In the knot of highways that is the Genesee County
At the eastern fringe of Batavia, NY 33 splits in a northeast direction from NY 5, becoming Clinton Street, and, once outside the city limits, Clinton Street Road. In the town of Batavia, the highway passes through a residential area on its way to a junction with Batavia–Stafford Town Line Road, a county road providing access to Genesee Community College, located about 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north of NY 33. The route continues on a northeastward course into the town of Stafford, where it crosses over the CSX Transportation-owned Rochester Subdivision railroad line and the Thruway by way of overpasses less than 1 mile (1.6 km) apart. Unlike in Buffalo, there is no connection between NY 33 and the Thruway at this point.[9]
It remains close to the Interstate Highway for about 4 miles (6 km), intersecting
Monroe County
Once across the county line, NY 33 crosses over the Rochester Subdivision rail line for a second time before returning to a more easterly orientation. It parallels the CSX main line and I-490—both located a short distance to the south of NY 33—into the village of Churchville, where the route has a brief concurrency with NY 36.[9] Farther east, NY 33 intersects NY 259 at North Chili and picks up another short concurrency with NY 386 as the suburbs begin at Gates. Here, NY 33 finally has a direct exit with I-490. Also directly accessible from this junction is NY 531, which begins about 0.75 miles (1.21 km) to the north. At this point, I-490 trades positions with NY 33 as it continues to parallel the latter, but now to the north instead.[9]
The route continues another 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to
At West Avenue, NY 33 turns east into the densely populated western portion of the city, taking on the West Avenue name for 0.75 miles (1.21 km) to a junction with Chili Avenue, which carries NY 33A into the city. Here, NY 33A completes its southern loop and NY 33 picks up its final designation as West Main Street. NY 33 travels east-northeast along Main Street to the junction of West Main and West Broad Streets adjacent to where I-490 passes over the former. NY 33 ends here, giving way to NY 31, which enters from the north on Broad Street and continues to the east on Main Street. Nick Tahou Hots, a local restaurant, is located on the northwest corner of the junction.[9]
History
Designation
NY 33 was assigned in the mid-1920s to the portion of its modern alignment east of
At the same time, the route was extended east through Rochester to the
Buffalo area
Construction began c. 1961 on the Kensington Expressway, a freeway connecting downtown Buffalo to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.[20][21] The first section of the expressway was completed between 1962 and 1964 and extended from Michigan Avenue (Harriet Tubman Way) to Best Street.[22][23] The remainder of the highway was completed c. 1965, at which time NY 33 was realigned to follow the new expressway from Michigan Avenue to the airport. Its former routing on Genesee Street became NY 33B.[23][24] There were once plans to extend the Kensington Expressway west to I-190 at exit 8; however, this extension was never built.[25]
The western end of NY 33 has been located in downtown Buffalo since 1930; however, the exact location of its terminus has varied over time. In the mid-1970s, the northbound and southbound directions of NY 5 were split and rerouted to follow a series of streets through downtown Buffalo. Northbound NY 5 left the southbound direction at the north end of the
Kensington Expressway cover
In January 2022, Governor of New York Kathy Hochul announced that $1 billion was set aside for the construction of a 0.75-mile (1.21 km) long cover over the Kensington Expressway, reconnecting parts of Humboldt Parkway disconnected by the highway. This new cover would stretch from Dodge Street to Sidney Street in Buffalo. With construction of the cover, Humboldt Parkway would be rebuilt with 11 acres (4.5 ha) of trees and grass. It would also include 9 miles (14 km) of streets near Humboldt parkway being upgraded with new signage, sidewalks and curbs. Despite local opposition, Hochul announced on February 16, 2024 that the United States Government agreed to the project.[31] The project is slated to begin at the end of 2024 with a projected completion date of 2028.[32]
Suffixed routes
NY 33 has one current alternate route and one former spur designation that has been reused multiple times.
- NY 33A (17.15 miles or 27.60 kilometres) is an alternate route in the Rochester area that was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York.[1][17]
- NY 33B is a designation that has been used for three different routes since the 1930s.
- The third alignment was a spur in the Buffalo area that followed NY 33's pre-Kensington Expressway routing on Genesee Street. It was assigned c. 1965reference route.[13]
Major intersections
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Erie | Buffalo | 0.00 | 0.00 | NY 5 east (Ellicott Street) | Western terminus; at-grade intersection |
0.20 | 0.32 | Elm Street / Oak Street | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
0.61 | 0.98 | Locust Street – Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
0.87 | 1.40 | Jefferson Avenue | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
1.50 | 2.41 | Best Street – Science Museum | |||
2.52 | 4.06 | Humboldt Parkway | |||
2.81 | 4.52 | NY 198 west (Scajaquada Expressway) | Eastern terminus of NY 198 | ||
3.72 | 5.99 | Grider Street / Deerfield Avenue | |||
4.30 | 6.92 | Olympic Avenue | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
4.57 | 7.35 | US 62 (Bailey Avenue) | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
4.74 | 7.63 | Suffolk Street | |||
Buffalo–Cheektowaga line | 5.32 | 8.56 | Eggert Road | ||
Cheektowaga | 6.07 | 9.77 | NY 240 (Harlem Road) / Pine Ridge Road | ||
6.97 | 11.22 | Exit 51 (I-90 / Thruway) | |||
7.64 | 12.30 | NY 277 (Union Road) | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
8.18 | 13.16 | Dick Road / Cayuga Road | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
8.52 | 13.71 | Eastern end of freeway section | |||
Genesee Street ( NY 952A) – Buffalo Niagara International Airport | Former eastern terminus of NY 33B; eastern terminus of unsigned NY 952A | ||||
Cheektowaga–Lancaster line | 10.73 | 17.27 | NY 78 (Transit Road) to New York Thruway | ||
Town of Alden | 19.52 | 31.41 | NY 952Q west (Walden Avenue) – Lancaster | Eastern terminus of unsigned NY 952Q | |
Genesee | Corfu | 25.88 | 41.65 | NY 77 | |
overlap | |||||
37.13 | 59.75 | I-90 / New York Thruway | Western terminus of NY 5 / NY 33 and NY 33 / NY 63 overlaps; northern terminus of NY 33 / NY 98 overlap | ||
37.40 | 60.19 | NY 63 south (Ellicott Street) | Eastern terminus of NY 33 / NY 63 overlap | ||
38.60 | 62.12 | NY 5 east (East Main Street) | Eastern terminus of NY 5 / NY 33 overlap | ||
Town of Stafford | 44.14 | 71.04 | NY 237 – Stafford, Holley | ||
Village of Bergen | 50.97 | 82.03 | NY 19 – Bergen, Brockport | ||
51.34 | 82.62 | Western terminus of NY 33A | |||
Monroe | Churchville | 55.00 | 88.51 | NY 36 south to I-490 | Western terminus of NY 33 / NY 36 overlap |
55.83 | 89.85 | NY 36 north | Eastern terminus of NY 33 / NY 36 overlap | ||
Hamlet of North Chili | |||||
Town of Gates | 63.14 | 101.61 | NY 386 south | Western terminus of NY 33 / NY 386 overlap | |
63.34 | 101.94 | NY 386 north | Eastern terminus of NY 33 / NY 386 overlap | ||
64.09 | 103.14 | I-490 / NY 531 – Spencerport | Exit 7 (I-490); NY 531 accessible via NY 33 west | ||
65.51 | 105.43 | Howard Road ( NY 940L) | Hamlet of Gates Center | ||
NY 940K ) | Southern terminus of unsigned NY 940K | ||||
68.34 | 109.98 | NY 33A west | Eastern terminus of NY 33A | ||
69.26 | 111.46 | NY 31 | Eastern terminus | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "2008 Traffic Data Report for New York State" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. June 16, 2009. pp. 178–179. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
- ^ a b "New York's Main Highways Designated by Numbers". The New York Times. December 21, 1924. p. XX9.
- ^ State of New York Department of Public Works. 1926.
- ^ "Erie County Inventory Listing" (CSV). New York State Department of Transportation. March 2, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^ "Genesee County Inventory Listing" (CSV). New York State Department of Transportation. March 2, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^ "Monroe County Inventory Listing" (CSV). New York State Department of Transportation. March 2, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^ History of the kensington
- ^ Eatough, Allison. "A City Lost a Crown Jewel, and the Black Community Suffered". Maryland Today. University of Maryland OMC. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Microsoft; Nokia (July 17, 2015). "overview map of NY 33" (Map). Bing Maps. Microsoft. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ Fink, James (July 29, 2010). "Lobbying for, against Bass Pro". Business First of Buffalo. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^ Linstedt, Sharon (September 30, 1996). "Tops' Huge Distribution Center Starts Filling Up With Groceries". The Buffalo News.
- ^ a b New York and Metropolitan New York (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. Sinclair Oil Corporation. 1962.
- ^ a b New York State Department of Transportation (January 2017). Official Description of Highway Touring Routes, Bicycling Touring Routes, Scenic Byways, & Commemorative/Memorial Designations in New York State (PDF). Retrieved January 9, 2017.
- Standard Oil Company of New York. 1927.
- ^ New York in Soconyland (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Standard Oil Company of New York. 1929.
- ^ Dickinson, Leon A. (January 12, 1930). "New Signs for State Highways". The New York Times. p. 136.
- ^ a b c d Road Map of New York (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Standard Oil Company of New York. 1930.
- 1930 renumbering
- ^ a b "Highway Route Designations Change Jan. 1". Evening Recorder. Amsterdam, NY. Associated Press. December 9, 1948. p. 19.
- Gulf Oil Company. 1960.
- ^ H.M. Gousha Company. Sunoco. 1961.
- ^ New York with Sight-Seeing Guide (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Esso. 1962.
- ^ a b c d New York and Metropolitan New York (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. Sinclair Oil Corporation. 1964.
- ^ a b c Buffalo NE Quadrangle – New York – Erie Co (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic). United States Geological Survey. 1965. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
- State of New York Department of Transportation (January 1, 1970). Official Description of Touring Routes in New York State(PDF). Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- Shell Oil Company. 1973.
- Exxon. 1977.
- ^ New York (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Exxon. 1979.
- ^ a b Mobil Travel Map – Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Rochester (Map). Cartography by Rand McNally and Company. Mobil. 1985.
- ISBN 0-89933-300-1.
- ^ Sommer, Mark (February 16, 2024). "Hochul Lands Longtime Advocates as She Announces Kensington Project is a Go". The Buffalo News. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
- ^ Joly, Aidan (February 19, 2024). "Video Renderings of Kensington Project Released". WIVB-TV. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- Kendall Refining Company. 1931.
- ^ New York State Department of Transportation (June 28, 1974). Description of Touring Routes in New York State for the Interstate (I), Federal (US) and State (NY) Route Number Systems.
External links
- New York State Route 33 at Alps' Roads • New York Routes • Upstate New York Roads