New York State Route 19

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NY Route 19

Length:

108.79^[1] mi (175.15 km)

South end:

PA 449 in Shongo

Major
junctions:

I-86/NY 17 near Belmont

US 20A in Warsaw

US 20 near Pavilion Center

I-490 near Bergen

North end:

Lake Ontario Pkwy near N. Hamlin

Counties:

Allegany, Wyoming, Genesee, Monroe

New York State Routes
< NY 18F		NY 19A >

New York State Route 19 is a north-south state highway in Western New York. It is the longest state highway in that region, and the only other one besides NY 14 to completely transect the state from the Pennsylvania state line to the shore of Lake Ontario.

19 does not traverse any major cities or metropolitan areas and remains a two-lane rural road for almost its entire length. However, it follows the Genesee River for much of its lower length, and offers easy access to the gorges of Letchworth State Park midway along its route.

1 Route description
2 Communities along the route
3 Major intersections
4 References

[edit] Route description

Allegany County accounts for about a third of 19's total length, with the other three counties splitting the rest about equally.

[edit] Allegany County

PA 449 becomes 19 just north of Genesee, Pennsylvania, as it runs along the river through a narrow valley. Just south of the first New York community it encounters, the hamlet of Shongo in the Town of Willing, it crosses the river. Running a little further from the Genesee, 19 reaches another hamlet, Stannards, several miles further north, along with its first state highway junction, NY 248, which leaves to the east.

After Stannards, 19 crosses Chenunda Creek as the Genesee Valley widens somewhat, and then a short distance to the north reaches Wellsville, the largest community in the county. It merges with NY 417, the east-west former route of NY 17 through the village, forming its main street along the Genesee, which here runs through a concrete-lined flood control channel.

North of Wellsville, the 19 corridor remains fairly well-developed as the highway makes its way to the smaller village of Belmont, the county seat. Here 19 crosses the Genesee for the last time, and then NY 244 leaves for Alfred to the east at the village center.

A mile past Belmont 19 has its only direct freeway interchange, with NY 17 and Interstate 86. Beyond it, it follows the river closely through the hamlets of Belfast, where NY 305 terminates. The next junction with another state highway NY 243, comes at Caneadea, the next hamlet. It then passes thorough Houghton, New York, home to Houghton College. NY 19A splits off in Fillmore to continue the riverside course and provide access to Letchworth, while 19 climbs out of the valley and out of Allegany County.

[edit] Wyoming County

After the short bend where it crosses the county line, 19 bends slightly to the west as it comes into Pike a mile to the north. This village does not present any major intersections. However, southbound travelers unfamiliar with the highway sometimes wind up following DeWitt Road into Allegany County and the hamlet of Centerville since the left turn 19 takes in that direction at the south end of the village is only indicated by one aging sign at the roadside, and DeWitt looks like the better-quality road at that point.

North of Pike, 19 intersects NY 39, the main east-west road across southern Wyoming County and for a short stretch is duplexed with it. The next village, a few miles further on, is Gainesville. Again the intersecting state highway is displaced to the north of the village, where NY 78 heads off to the east despite being signed as a north-south route.

At the hamlet of Rock Glen, 19A returns to its parent route. A few miles further on, 19 reaches another county seat, Warsaw. The highway, along with the intersecting US 20A, serves as one of the village's two commercial axes.

Upon leaving Warsaw to the north, 19, having trended slightly to the west since the state line, reaches its apex and begins to go slightly to the northeast for the remainder of the route. It begins this new course in through the Wyoming Valley, formed by Oatka Creek, the Genesee tributary. At the Middlebury-Covington town line, 19 takes a sudden right turn from its route to follow Schwytzer-East Bethany Road for three miles to Silver Springs Road, where it once again assumes a due north heading.

[edit] Genesee County

Almost immediately after the county line 19 stops at a traffic light with NY 63 in the hamlet of Pavilion. The similarly-named but smaller Pavilion Center marks the junction with US 20.

At Le Roy, 19 intersects the state's other major east-west route, NY 5, and begins to leave the Oatka behind as the river and the route both descend the Onondaga Escarpment. Shortly afterwards, it crosses the Interstate 90 segment of the New York State Thruway just west of the Interstate 490 exit. While 19 is signed for this exit along the Thruway, access to it comes via the first exit on 490, which is accessed via connector roads as the two highways do not directly intersect.

North of the Thruway, 19 intersects NY 33 and NY 262 at Bergen. Several miles later, after passing the Bergen Swamp Wildlife Refuge, it crosses its last county line.

[edit] Monroe County

After passing through the lightly populated Town of Sweden, the intersection with NY 31 heralds the southern boundary of Brockport, the largest community on 19's entire length. Here the road crosses the Erie Canal and passes SUNY Brockport. After the northern boundary of the village, 19 reaches NY 104 at the hamlet of Clarkson less than a mile later.

Now known as Lake Road, 19 assumes a straight course again for the several miles of open country to its next junction, NY 18 at Hamlin. Just north of the quiet hamlet, Lake Road takes the right (northeast) fork as NY 360 branches off following the left one. A few miles more brings it to North Hamlin and finally 19's northern terminus at the Lake Ontario State Parkway.

[edit] Communities along the route

[edit] Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Road(s)	Notes
Allegany	Shongo	0.0	PA 449	Northern terminus of PA 449.
	Stannards	6.7	NY 248	Western terminus of NY 248.
	Wellsville	9.1	NY 417	Eastern terminus of duplex.
	Wellsville	10.5	NY 417	Western terminus of duplex.
	Belmont	19.4	NY 244	Western terminus of NY 244.
	Belmont	22.4	I-86/NY 17	Exit 30 (I-86/NY 17).
	Belfast	28.2	NY 305	Eastern terminus of NY 305.
	Caneadea	33.4	NY 243	Eastern terminus of NY 243.
	Fillmore	40.3	NY 19A	Southern terminus of NY 19A.
Wyoming	Pike	48.9	NY 39	Southern terminus of duplex.
	Pike	49.5	NY 39	Northern terminus of duplex.
	Gainesville	55.1	NY 78	Southern terminus of NY 78.
	Rock Glen	56.7	NY 19A	Northern terminus of NY 19A.
	Warsaw	61.7	US 20A
Genesee	Pavilion	74.1	NY 63
	Pavilion Center	76.4	US 20
	Le Roy	81.6	NY 5
	Bergen		I-90/Thruway	NY 19 passes over I-90.
	Bergen	85.8	I-490	Exit 1 (I-490).
	Bergen	88.8	NY 33
	Bergen	89.1	NY 262	Eastern terminus of NY 262.
Monroe	Brockport	97.7	NY 31
	Clarkson	100.2	NY 104
	Hamlin	104.6	NY 18
	North Hamlin	105.4	NY 360	Eastern terminus of NY 360.
	Sandy Harbor Beach	108.8	Lake Ontario Pkwy