New York State Parkway System
Encyclopedia
The New York State Parkway System opened its first section in 1908 and was a series of then-high speed (25 miles per hour (11.2 m/s)) four-lane roads that were created to provide a scenic way into, out of, and around New York City
. The parkway
system is still in use today. Most of the early roads have been replaced and redesigned to address higher speed requirements and to increase capacity.
The parkway system introduced the concept of limited-access road
s. These highways were not divided and allowed no driveway cuts, but did have intersections for some of the streets they crossed. A small section of the privately financed Long Island Motor Parkway
was the first limited-access road to begin operation as a toll road
and the first highway to use bridges and overpasses to eliminate intersections.
In later sections north of New York City, the road ways were typically divided by a wide landscaped median and provided service areas
along the way that offered fuel and restrooms. Many of these parkways were built by regional agencies such as the Long Island State Park Commission
(LISPC), New York City Parks Department, Taconic State Park Commission (TSPC), Westchester County Parks Commission (WCPC), and Palisades Interstate Park Commission
(PIPC).
Today, Parkways are for the most part equivalent to expressways and freeways built in other parts of the country, except for a few oddities. First, because many of these roads were either designed before civil engineers had experience building roads for automobile use or widened in response to increasing traffic, many New York parkways lack shoulders
. Second, because designers focused more on making routes scenic rather than efficient, the parkways are meandering, often built to follow a river, and so contain many turns. Finally, because most use low, decorative stone-arch overpasses that would trap trucks, commercial vehicles are banned from parkways. Because Manhattan island has only one short interstate passing through the far Upper West Side
, this has led to the oddity of forcing all trucking in Manhattan
onto local streets.
The Vanderbilt Parkway, an exception in western Suffolk County
, is a surviving remnant of the Long Island Motor Parkway
that became a surface street, no longer with controlled-access or non-commercial vehicle restrictions.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The parkway
Parkway
The term parkway has several distinct principal meanings and numerous synonyms around the world, for either a type of landscaped area or a type of road.Type of landscaped area:...
system is still in use today. Most of the early roads have been replaced and redesigned to address higher speed requirements and to increase capacity.
The parkway system introduced the concept of limited-access road
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
s. These highways were not divided and allowed no driveway cuts, but did have intersections for some of the streets they crossed. A small section of the privately financed Long Island Motor Parkway
Long Island Motor Parkway
The Long Island Motor Parkway , also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway and Motor Parkway, was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. It was privately built by William Kissam Vanderbilt with overpasses and bridges to remove intersections...
was the first limited-access road to begin operation as a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
and the first highway to use bridges and overpasses to eliminate intersections.
In later sections north of New York City, the road ways were typically divided by a wide landscaped median and provided service areas
Rest area
A rest area, travel plaza, rest stop, or service area is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, expressway, or freeway at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads...
along the way that offered fuel and restrooms. Many of these parkways were built by regional agencies such as the Long Island State Park Commission
Long Island State Park Commission
The Long Island State Park Commission was created in 1924 by the New York State Legislature to build and operate parks and parkways on Long Island. Governor Al Smith appointed as its first President, Robert Moses, who had drafted the bill creating the Commission and who served until 1953...
(LISPC), New York City Parks Department, Taconic State Park Commission (TSPC), Westchester County Parks Commission (WCPC), and Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park and its creator, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, was formed in 1900 by governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster M. Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the destruction of the Palisades by quarry operators in the late 19th century...
(PIPC).
Shoulder (road)
A hard shoulder, or simply shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway. Generally it is kept clear of motor vehicle traffic...
. Second, because designers focused more on making routes scenic rather than efficient, the parkways are meandering, often built to follow a river, and so contain many turns. Finally, because most use low, decorative stone-arch overpasses that would trap trucks, commercial vehicles are banned from parkways. Because Manhattan island has only one short interstate passing through the far Upper West Side
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
, this has led to the oddity of forcing all trucking in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
onto local streets.
The Vanderbilt Parkway, an exception in western Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, is a surviving remnant of the Long Island Motor Parkway
Long Island Motor Parkway
The Long Island Motor Parkway , also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway and Motor Parkway, was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. It was privately built by William Kissam Vanderbilt with overpasses and bridges to remove intersections...
that became a surface street, no longer with controlled-access or non-commercial vehicle restrictions.
In Western New York
Lake Ontario State ParkwayLake Ontario State ParkwayThe Lake Ontario State Parkway is a parkway along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in western New York in the United States. The western end of the highway is at a partial interchange within Lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton, Orleans County. Its eastern terminus is at an intersection with...
A parkway along the southern shore of Lake Ontario
Robert Moses State ParkwayRobert Moses State ParkwayThe Robert Moses State Parkway is an long north–south highway in western Niagara County, New York, United States. Its southern terminus is at the LaSalle Expressway on the east bank of the Niagara River in Niagara Falls. The northern terminus is at NY 18 at Four Mile Creek State Park in...
A parkway in the Niagra Falls region
In the Adirondacks
Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial HighwayProspect Mountain Veterans Memorial HighwayThe Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway is a parkway located in the town of Lake George, New York. The road is long, starting at the U.S. Route 9 and New York State Route 9N concurrency and ending at the peak of Prospect Mountain...
A parkway going to the top of Prospect Mountain from US 9/NY 9N in Lake George- Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway A parkway going to the top of Whiteface Mountain from NY 86 in Wilmington
In the Hudson Valley
Bear Mountain State ParkwayBear Mountain State ParkwayThe Bear Mountain State Parkway is a part of the New York State highway system. It was built in 1932 but, unlike most other parkways in Westchester County, New York, it has barely been constructed upon since. It currently stands as an incomplete highway, with a western portion of and an eastern...
(1932) A parkway near the Bear Mountain Bridge that goes from US6/9/202 in Peekskill to NY35/US202 in Cortlandt
Bronx River ParkwayBronx River ParkwayThe Bronx River Parkway is a long parkway in downstate New York. It is named for the nearby Bronx River, which it parallels. The southern terminus of the parkway is at Story Avenue near Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx neighborhood of Soundview...
(1908) A parkway parallel to the Bronx River from Story Avenue in the Bronx to the Kensico Circle in New Castle
Cross County ParkwayCross County ParkwayThe Cross County Parkway is a long parkway in Westchester County, New York. The parkway is a critical east–west connection throughout Westchester, having full interchanges with every major north–south parkway in southern Westchester, in addition to the New York State Thruway mainline....
A parkway going from the Saw Mill River Parkway to the Hutchiston River Parkway in southern Westchester County
Hutchinson River ParkwayHutchinson River ParkwayThe Hutchinson River Parkway is a north–south parkway in southern New York, United States. It extends for from the massive Bruckner Interchange in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx to the New York – Connecticut state line at Rye Brook...
A parkway which passes by the Hutchinson River and connects the Bruckner Interchange in the Bronx with the Merritt Parkway at the New York-Connecticut border
Lake Welch ParkwayLake Welch ParkwayLake Welch Parkway is a scenic road located within Harriman State Park in southern New York in the United States. It extends for on a southwest–northeast alignment from an intersection with Seven Lakes Drive to a partial interchange with the Palisades Interstate Parkway. The highway is located...
A parkway in Harriman State Park which connects Seven Lakes Drive with the Palisades Interstate Parkway- Long Mountain Parkway A seven mile section of US6 from the border of Harriman State Park to the Palisades Interstate Parkway near Bear Mountain Circle
Palisades Interstate ParkwayPalisades Interstate ParkwayThe Palisades Interstate Parkway is a long limited-access highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. The parkway is a major commuter route into New York City from Rockland and Orange counties in New York and Bergen County in New Jersey...
A parkway passing by many important parks in the Palisades, connecting I-95 in New Jersey near the George Washington Bridge to US6, US9W and US202 at the Bear Mountain Circle near the Bear Mountain Bridge
Saw Mill River ParkwaySaw Mill River ParkwayThe Saw Mill River Parkway is a north–south parkway that extends for through Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It begins at the border between Westchester County and the Bronx, where it continues into New York City as the Henry Hudson Parkway, and heads generally...
(1954) A parkway parallel to the Saw Mill River from the Bronx-Westchester County border in Yonkers to I-684 and NY35 in Bedford
Sprain Brook ParkwaySprain Brook ParkwayThe Sprain Brook Parkway is a long north–south parkway in Westchester County, New York. It is one of the newest and most modern parkways in Westchester County, adopting many ideas and improvements developed during decades of statewide highway construction. The southern terminus is at the...
A parkway connecting the Bronx River Parkway in Yonkers with the Taconic State Parkway in Hawthorne
Taconic State ParkwayTaconic State ParkwayThe Taconic State Parkway , is a divided highway between Kensico Dam and Chatham, the longest parkway in the U.S. state of New York. It follows a generally northward route midway between the Hudson River and the Connecticut and Massachusetts state lines...
A parkway passing by many places in the Taconic region on its over 100-mile route
Seven Lakes DriveSeven Lakes DriveSeven Lakes Drive is a 17.91 mile long parkway in the U.S. state of New York. The southern terminus of the route is at New York State Route 17 in Sloatsburg. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 9W and U.S. Route 202 a mile south of Fort Montgomery in Bear Mountain State Park...
A parkway passing by many places in Harriman State Park going from NY17 in Sloatsburg to US9W/202
In New York City
Belt ParkwayBelt ParkwayThe Belt System is a series of connected limited-access highways that form a belt-like circle around the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The system comprises four officially separate parkways; however, three of the four are signed as the Belt Parkway...
(1941)
Bronx and Pelham Parkway
Cross Island ParkwayCross Island ParkwayCross Island Parkway, also known as the 100th Infantry Division Parkway, is a parkway within New York State. The parkway is a part of the Belt Parkway system that runs along the perimeter of the borough of Queens in New York City...
(1940)
FDR Drive- Grand Central ParkwayGrand Central ParkwayThe Grand Central Parkway is a parkway that stretches from the RFK-Triborough Bridge in New York City to Nassau County on Long Island. At the Queens-Nassau border, it becomes the Northern State Parkway, which runs across the northern part of Long Island through Nassau County and into Suffolk...
(1936) 
Harlem River DriveHarlem River DriveThe Harlem River Drive is a north–south parkway in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs along the west bank of the Harlem River from the Triborough Bridge in East Harlem to 10th Avenue in Inwood, where the parkway continues north as Dyckman Street. The portion of the Harlem River Drive...
Henry Hudson ParkwayHenry Hudson ParkwayThe Henry Hudson Parkway is an long parkway in New York City. The southern terminus is at West 72nd Street in Manhattan, where the parkway continues south as the West Side Highway. It is often erroneously referred to as the West Side Highway throughout its entire course in Manhattan...
(1937)
Jackie Robinson ParkwayJackie Robinson ParkwayThe Jackie Robinson Parkway is a parkway in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The western terminus of the parkway is at Jamaica Avenue in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York. It runs through Highland Park, along the north side of Ridgewood Reservoir, and through Forest Park...
Korean War Veterans ParkwayKorean War Veterans ParkwayThe Richmond Parkway is a Parkway that traverses the South Shore of Staten Island, New York, USA from southwest to northeast...
Mosholu ParkwayMosholu ParkwayThe Mosholu Parkway is a hybrid freeway-standard parkway and grade-level roadway in the New York City borough of the Bronx, constructed from 1935 to 1937 as part of the roadway network created under Robert Moses...
On Long Island
Bay ParkwayBay Parkway (Jones Beach)The Bay Parkway is a 3.26 mile semi-limited-access highway entirely within Jones Beach State Park in Nassau County, New York. The western terminus is at a loop near the western edge of Jones Inlet. The eastern terminus is at the Jones Beach Amphitheater east of an interchange with the...
A parkway connecting the Wantagh and Meadowbrook Parkways with the western end of Jones Beach State Park
Bethpage State ParkwayBethpage State ParkwayThe Bethpage State Parkway is a 2.49 mile long state parkway in Nassau County, New York, United States. Its southern end is an interchange with the Southern State Parkway, and its northern end is a traffic circle within Bethpage State Park. In between are three interchanges that service...
A parkway connecting the Southern Parkway with Bethpage State Park
Heckscher State ParkwayHeckscher State ParkwayThe Heckscher State Parkway is an long parkway in Suffolk County, New York. The western terminus is at the Sagtikos State Parkway in West Islip, where it continues west as the Southern State Parkway. The eastern terminus is at the entrance to Heckscher State Park in Great River...
(1959) A parkway connecting the Southern and Sagtikos Parkways with Heckscher State Park
Loop ParkwayLoop ParkwayThe Loop Parkway is a spur off the Meadowbrook State Parkway on Long Island in the State of New York. After crossing over Reynolds Channel, the parkway ends at Lido Boulevard on the border of Lido Beach and Point Lookout...
A parkway connecting Jones Beach State Park with Lido Beach and Point Lookout
Meadowbrook State ParkwayMeadowbrook State ParkwayThe Meadowbrook State Parkway is a long parkway in Nassau County, New York. The southern terminus is at the Bay Parkway in Jones Beach State Park, where the parkway becomes the Ocean Parkway. The northern terminus is at the Northern State Parkway in Carle Place...
(1932) A parkway connecting Nassau County with Jones Beach State Park
Northern State ParkwayNorthern State ParkwayThe Northern State Parkway is a long limited-access state parkway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The western terminus is at the Queens-Nassau County line, where the parkway continues westward into New York City as the Grand Central Parkway...
(1965) A parkway connecting the Grand Central Parkway with points on eastern Long Island
Ocean Parkway A parkway connecting all of the barrier beaches on Jones Beach Island, from Jones Beach State Park to Captree State Park
Robert Moses CausewayRobert Moses CausewayThe Robert Moses Causeway is an long parkway in Suffolk County, New York. The parkway, originally known as the Captree Causeway, connects West Islip on Long Island to the barrier beach islands, such as Captree Island, Jones Beach Island, and the western tip of Fire Island, to the south. It is...
A parkway connecting the Southern State Parkway with Captree State Park and Robert Moses State Park
Sagtikos State ParkwaySagtikos State ParkwayThe Sagtikos State Parkway is a long north–south limited-access parkway in Suffolk County on Long Island in New York. The southern terminus of the route is at the Heckscher State Parkway and the Southern State Parkway in West Islip...
(1952) A parkway connecting the Southern and Heckscher Parkways with the Long Island Expressway and the Northern Parkway
Southern State ParkwaySouthern State ParkwayThe Southern State Parkway is a long limited-access highway on Long Island, in the U.S. state of New York...
(1949) A parkway connecting the Belt and Cross Island Parkways with points on eastern Long Island
Sunken Meadow State ParkwaySunken Meadow State ParkwayThe Sunken Meadow State Parkway is a long north–south parkway on Long Island in New York. All six miles of the parkway are located in the Suffolk County town of Smithtown. The southern terminus of the route is at the Northern State Parkway, where it continues southward as the Sagtikos...
(1957) A parkway connecting the Long Island Expressway and the Northern Parkway with Sunken Meadow State Park
Wantagh State ParkwayWantagh State ParkwayThe Wantagh State Parkway is a state parkway on Long Island in New York, in the United States. It links the Ocean Parkway at Jones Beach State Park with the Northern State Parkway in Westbury. The parkway is located approximately east of Manhattan and east of the Nassau–Queens border...
(1929) A parkway connecting Nassau County with Jones Beach State Park
County and local parkways
Besides those under NYSDOT jurisdiction, many other regions of New York have their own parkways. Westchester County, for example contains some that were originally part of the TSPC and WCPC, while Suffolk County has preserved a section of the former Vanderbilt Motor Parkway for current driving, and built their own roads on land originally reserved for the LISPC.In the Hudson Valley
Arden Valley RoadArden Valley RoadArden Valley Road is a scenic road located in Southfields, New York, United States, that travels through Harriman State Park and is owned by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. At long, it begins at New York State Route 17 in Southfields and ends at Seven Lakes Drive in Harriman State...
(not named a Parkway, but a park road under PIPCPalisades Interstate Park CommissionPalisades Interstate Park and its creator, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, was formed in 1900 by governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster M. Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the destruction of the Palisades by quarry operators in the late 19th century...
jurisdiction)- Central Westchester ParkwayCentral Westchester ParkwayThe Central Westchester Parkway is a , four-lane parkway in Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It runs from exit 7 of the Cross Westchester Expressway to the Taconic State Parkway via New York State Route 22. The road has two intermediate exits and is maintained by...
- Farragut Parkway
- Long Mountain Parkway
- Playland ParkwayPlayland ParkwayThe Playland Parkway is a , four-lane, divided road in the New York State Parkway System in the United States, and is assigned Westchester County Route 152. The road is restricted to passenger vehicle traffic. The short stretch of road and low-standard freeway connects Interstate 95/New England...
Tiorati Brook RoadTiorati Brook RoadTiorati Brook Road is a scenic road located within Harriman State Park in southern New York in the United States. The highway extends for between Tiorati Circle, a traffic circle connecting Tiorati Brook Road to Seven Lakes Drive in Orange County, and an interchange with Lake Welch Parkway just...
(not named a Parkway, but a park road under PIPCPalisades Interstate Park CommissionPalisades Interstate Park and its creator, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, was formed in 1900 by governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster M. Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the destruction of the Palisades by quarry operators in the late 19th century...
jurisdiction)
On Long Island
Vanderbilt Parkway/Long Island Motor ParkwayLong Island Motor ParkwayThe Long Island Motor Parkway , also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway and Motor Parkway, was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. It was privately built by William Kissam Vanderbilt with overpasses and bridges to remove intersections...
William Floyd Parkway
Fire Island Beach Road