New York State Route 31E
Encyclopedia
New York State Route 31E (NY 31E) is a 5.29 miles (8.51 km) state highway
located in Western New York
in the United States. It serves as a northerly alternate route of NY 31
between the village of Middleport
in eastern Niagara County
and the nearby village of Medina
in Orleans County
. NY 31E connects to NY 31 at each end by way of short overlaps with NY 271
and NY 63
in Middleport and Medina, respectively. Most of NY 31E parallels the Erie Canal
, and parts of the route run adjacent to the waterway. Outside of the two villages at each end, NY 31E traverses mostly rural areas of the towns of Royalton
and Ridgeway
.
The origins of the route date back to 1914 when its routing was included as part of a spur route of Route 30, a cross-state, unsigned legislative route
. The spur route was eliminated in 1921, and the road went unnumbered until 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York when it became part of NY 3
. Most of NY 3 west of Rochester
was replaced by NY 31 in the mid-1930s, and NY 31 was realigned onto its present, more southerly alignment between Middleport and Medina in the late 1940s. Its former canalside alignment became NY 31E at this time. Most of NY 31E is maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation
(NYSDOT); however, two sections in Niagara County and Medina are locally maintained.
in the village of Middleport
in eastern Niagara County
. The route heads north as Main Street, overlapping with NY 271
(which also begins at NY 31) through the mostly residential village. Just south of the Erie Canal
, NY 31E and NY 271 enter Middleport's small business district, centered around the junction of Main and State Streets. Here, NY 31E and NY 271 split, with NY 31E following State Street eastward through the eastern portion of the community. Along this stretch, the route serves Royalton–Hartland Middle School and Middleport Elementary School before exiting Middleport and entering a slightly more open area of the town of Royalton
. NY 31E runs past undeveloped land to the north and a smattering of homes to the south on its way into the Orleans County
town of Ridgeway
.
East of the county line, NY 31E becomes Telegraph Road and continues across increasingly less developed areas of Ridgeway. The Erie Canal is visible from most of this section of NY 31E, and about 1 miles (1.6 km) of the highway runs directly alongside the waterway, which curves several times between Middleport and Medina
. The two separate at the small hamlet of Shelby Basin, where the route follows a more southerly alignment into a more populated area. Not far to the east is the village of Medina, where NY 31E changes names to West Center Street. The route heads east across the residential western half of the village, picking up NY 63
at Prospect Avenue on its way into Medina's business district. While concurrent, NY 31E and NY 63 pass the village's post office
and enter the Main Street Historic District
, where the two-block overlap ends as NY 31E terminates at NY 31.
Maintenance along the route varies by location. From the Niagara–Orleans county line to the Medina village line, NY 31E is maintained by NYSDOT
. All of the route within Niagara County, excluding the state-maintained overlap with NY 271 in Middleport, is county-maintained as the unsigned
County Route 143 (CR 143). In Medina, NY 31E is maintained by the village between the village line and NY 63, where it becomes NYSDOT-maintained for 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) to its terminus at NY 31.
extending from Niagara Falls
in western Niagara County
to Rouses Point
in Clinton County
via Medina
. The first of these began at Route 30 (modern NY 63
) and followed what is now NY 31E west to Middleport
, from where it continued toward Lockport
on current NY 31
. On March 1, 1921, most of Route 30's Medina–Lockport spur route was supplanted by an extended Route 20. The lone exception was from Medina to Middleport, where Route 20 utilized modern NY 31 instead. When the first set of posted routes in New York were assigned in 1924, all of legislative Route 20 west of Rochester
became part of NY 3
.
NY 3 remained on what is now NY 31 between Middleport and Medina until the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York when it was realigned between the two villages to use what is now NY 31E. Ca. 1935, U.S. Route 104 was assigned to all of Ridge Road
, replacing then-NY 31 west of Rochester
. As a result, NY 31 was shifted southward onto most of NY 3 from Niagara Falls to Rochester, including between Middleport and Medina. NY 31 was realigned in the late 1940s to follow its current alignment between the two villages. The former routing of NY 31 was redesignated as NY 31E, a northerly alternate route of NY 31.
The alignment of NY 31E has not changed since that time; however, ownership of parts of the route has changed hands over the years. Until 1998, NY 31E was state-maintained from its western terminus in Middleport to the Medina village line. On October 1, 1998, ownership and maintenance of NY 31E between NY 271
in Middleport and the Niagara
–Orleans
county line was transferred from the state to Niagara County as part of a highway maintenance swap between the two levels of government. This section of the route was subsequently co-designated, but not signed
, as CR 143 by Niagara County.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
located in Western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
in the United States. It serves as a northerly alternate route of NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
between the village of Middleport
Middleport, New York
Middleport is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 1,917 at the 2000 census. The mail ZIP code is 14105. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in eastern Niagara County
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
and the nearby village of Medina
Medina, New York
Medina is a village in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,415 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous municipality in the county after Albion, the county seat. The village was named by its surveyor...
in Orleans County
Orleans County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...
. NY 31E connects to NY 31 at each end by way of short overlaps with NY 271
New York State Route 271
New York State Route 271 is a north–south state highway in eastern Niagara County, New York, in the United States. It primarily serves as Middleport's Main Street, connecting NY 31 in the south to NY 104 in the north. The southernmost portion of NY 271 is concurrent with...
and NY 63
New York State Route 63
New York State Route 63 is a state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 15 and NY 21 in the village of Wayland in Steuben County. Its northern end is at a junction with NY 18 in the town...
in Middleport and Medina, respectively. Most of NY 31E parallels the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, and parts of the route run adjacent to the waterway. Outside of the two villages at each end, NY 31E traverses mostly rural areas of the towns of Royalton
Royalton, New York
Royalton is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 7,660 at the 2010 census.The Town of Royalton is in the southeast corner of the county and is east of the City of Niagara Falls.- History :...
and Ridgeway
Ridgeway, New York
Ridgeway, New York is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,886 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from "Ridge Road," an important highway in the 19th century....
.
The origins of the route date back to 1914 when its routing was included as part of a spur route of Route 30, a cross-state, unsigned legislative route
Legislative route
In United States, a legislative route or legislative highway is a highway defined by laws passed in a state legislature. The numbering of such highways may or may not correspond to the numbers familiar to the public as part of the state, U.S. highway, and Interstate highway systems...
. The spur route was eliminated in 1921, and the road went unnumbered until 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York when it became part of NY 3
New York State Route 3
New York State Route 3 is a major east–west state highway in New York, United States, that connects central New York to the North Country region near the Canadian border via Adirondack Park. The route extends for between its western terminus at an intersection with NY 104A in the Cayuga...
. Most of NY 3 west of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
was replaced by NY 31 in the mid-1930s, and NY 31 was realigned onto its present, more southerly alignment between Middleport and Medina in the late 1940s. Its former canalside alignment became NY 31E at this time. Most of NY 31E is maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...
(NYSDOT); however, two sections in Niagara County and Medina are locally maintained.
Route description
NY 31E begins at an intersection with NY 31New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
in the village of Middleport
Middleport, New York
Middleport is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 1,917 at the 2000 census. The mail ZIP code is 14105. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in eastern Niagara County
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
. The route heads north as Main Street, overlapping with NY 271
New York State Route 271
New York State Route 271 is a north–south state highway in eastern Niagara County, New York, in the United States. It primarily serves as Middleport's Main Street, connecting NY 31 in the south to NY 104 in the north. The southernmost portion of NY 271 is concurrent with...
(which also begins at NY 31) through the mostly residential village. Just south of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, NY 31E and NY 271 enter Middleport's small business district, centered around the junction of Main and State Streets. Here, NY 31E and NY 271 split, with NY 31E following State Street eastward through the eastern portion of the community. Along this stretch, the route serves Royalton–Hartland Middle School and Middleport Elementary School before exiting Middleport and entering a slightly more open area of the town of Royalton
Royalton, New York
Royalton is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 7,660 at the 2010 census.The Town of Royalton is in the southeast corner of the county and is east of the City of Niagara Falls.- History :...
. NY 31E runs past undeveloped land to the north and a smattering of homes to the south on its way into the Orleans County
Orleans County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...
town of Ridgeway
Ridgeway, New York
Ridgeway, New York is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,886 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from "Ridge Road," an important highway in the 19th century....
.
East of the county line, NY 31E becomes Telegraph Road and continues across increasingly less developed areas of Ridgeway. The Erie Canal is visible from most of this section of NY 31E, and about 1 miles (1.6 km) of the highway runs directly alongside the waterway, which curves several times between Middleport and Medina
Medina, New York
Medina is a village in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,415 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous municipality in the county after Albion, the county seat. The village was named by its surveyor...
. The two separate at the small hamlet of Shelby Basin, where the route follows a more southerly alignment into a more populated area. Not far to the east is the village of Medina, where NY 31E changes names to West Center Street. The route heads east across the residential western half of the village, picking up NY 63
New York State Route 63
New York State Route 63 is a state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 15 and NY 21 in the village of Wayland in Steuben County. Its northern end is at a junction with NY 18 in the town...
at Prospect Avenue on its way into Medina's business district. While concurrent, NY 31E and NY 63 pass the village's post office
U.S. Post Office (Medina, New York)
The U.S. Post Office in Medina, New York, is located at West Avenue and West Center Street . It is a brick building erected in the early 1930s, serving the ZIP Code 14103, covering the village of Medina and neighboring portions of the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby.Its Colonial Revival style design...
and enter the Main Street Historic District
Main Street Historic District (Medina, New York)
The Main Street Historic District in Medina, New York, United States, is the downtown commercial core of the village. It is a area stretching south along Main Street from the Erie Canal to the railroad tracks....
, where the two-block overlap ends as NY 31E terminates at NY 31.
Maintenance along the route varies by location. From the Niagara–Orleans county line to the Medina village line, NY 31E is maintained by NYSDOT
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...
. All of the route within Niagara County, excluding the state-maintained overlap with NY 271 in Middleport, is county-maintained as the unsigned
Unsigned highway
An unsigned highway is a highway that has been assigned a route number, but does not bear conventional road markings that would normally be used to identify the route with that number...
County Route 143 (CR 143). In Medina, NY 31E is maintained by the village between the village line and NY 63, where it becomes NYSDOT-maintained for 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) to its terminus at NY 31.
History
In 1914, the New York State Legislature added two spur routes to Route 30, an unsigned legislative routeLegislative route
In United States, a legislative route or legislative highway is a highway defined by laws passed in a state legislature. The numbering of such highways may or may not correspond to the numbers familiar to the public as part of the state, U.S. highway, and Interstate highway systems...
extending from Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
in western Niagara County
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
to Rouses Point
Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point is a village in Clinton County, New York, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler....
in Clinton County
Clinton County, New York
Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,128. Its name is in honor of the first Governor of New York as a state, George Clinton. Its county seat is Plattsburgh.-History:...
via Medina
Medina, New York
Medina is a village in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,415 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous municipality in the county after Albion, the county seat. The village was named by its surveyor...
. The first of these began at Route 30 (modern NY 63
New York State Route 63
New York State Route 63 is a state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 15 and NY 21 in the village of Wayland in Steuben County. Its northern end is at a junction with NY 18 in the town...
) and followed what is now NY 31E west to Middleport
Middleport, New York
Middleport is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 1,917 at the 2000 census. The mail ZIP code is 14105. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, from where it continued toward Lockport
Lockport (city), New York
Lockport is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 21,165 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a set of Erie canal locks within the city. Lockport is the county seat of Niagara County and is surrounded by the town of Lockport...
on current NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
. On March 1, 1921, most of Route 30's Medina–Lockport spur route was supplanted by an extended Route 20. The lone exception was from Medina to Middleport, where Route 20 utilized modern NY 31 instead. When the first set of posted routes in New York were assigned in 1924, all of legislative Route 20 west of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
became part of NY 3
New York State Route 3
New York State Route 3 is a major east–west state highway in New York, United States, that connects central New York to the North Country region near the Canadian border via Adirondack Park. The route extends for between its western terminus at an intersection with NY 104A in the Cayuga...
.
NY 3 remained on what is now NY 31 between Middleport and Medina until the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York when it was realigned between the two villages to use what is now NY 31E. Ca. 1935, U.S. Route 104 was assigned to all of Ridge Road
Ridge Road (Western New York)
Ridge Road is a east–west road that traverses four counties in Upstate New York in the United States. It is named for the rise atop which the road was built, a mound of sand and gravel that was formed when it was the shoreline of ancient Glacial Lake Iroquois...
, replacing then-NY 31 west of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. As a result, NY 31 was shifted southward onto most of NY 3 from Niagara Falls to Rochester, including between Middleport and Medina. NY 31 was realigned in the late 1940s to follow its current alignment between the two villages. The former routing of NY 31 was redesignated as NY 31E, a northerly alternate route of NY 31.
The alignment of NY 31E has not changed since that time; however, ownership of parts of the route has changed hands over the years. Until 1998, NY 31E was state-maintained from its western terminus in Middleport to the Medina village line. On October 1, 1998, ownership and maintenance of NY 31E between NY 271
New York State Route 271
New York State Route 271 is a north–south state highway in eastern Niagara County, New York, in the United States. It primarily serves as Middleport's Main Street, connecting NY 31 in the south to NY 104 in the north. The southernmost portion of NY 271 is concurrent with...
in Middleport and the Niagara
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
–Orleans
Orleans County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...
county line was transferred from the state to Niagara County as part of a highway maintenance swap between the two levels of government. This section of the route was subsequently co-designated, but not signed
Unsigned highway
An unsigned highway is a highway that has been assigned a route number, but does not bear conventional road markings that would normally be used to identify the route with that number...
, as CR 143 by Niagara County.