Robert Moses State Parkway

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This article is about the Niagara Falls parkway. For the Long Island causeway, see Robert Moses Causeway.

Robert Moses State Parkway

Reference Route 957A

Length:

18.42 mi^[1] (29.64 km)

South end:

I-190/Lasalle Expy in Niagara Falls

Major
junctions:

Prospect St. in Niagara Falls

NY 384 in Niagara Falls

I-190 in Lewiston

North end:

NY 18 at Four Mile Creek St. Pk.

Counties:

Niagara

New York State Reference Routes

The Robert Moses State Parkway (unsigned New York State Reference Route 957A, with a short spur at the north end unsigned Route 958A) is a north-south divided highway located in the western part of Niagara County, New York, USA. Along with Ocean Parkway, it is one of New York's most unusual parkways. It is not built to freeway standards, and it has gradually been relegated due to low usage.

1 Route description
2 History
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Route description

Part of the route follows the east side of the Niagara Gorge and for the large part a scenic route. The parkway begins in Niagara Falls, where the Niagara Expressway (Interstate 190) meets with the LaSalle Expressway, and travels north to New York State Route 18 near Lake Ontario in northern Niagara County at Four Mile Creek State Park.

The original route also passed under the approach to the Rainbow Bridge, which crosses the Niagara River into Canada (the mentioned section has since been closed to traffic and is now only used for park business). Today, the parkway is interrupted because of the closed section. The two sections are still connected via New York State Route 384.

[edit] History

The parkway, named after public works developer Robert Moses, has been as controversial as its builder. The highway created a barrier between Niagara River and the communities along its route. Many have considered it an underutilized duplication of local highways and roads such as New York State Route 104 and New York State Route 18F, which parallel the parkway between Niagara Falls and Four Mile Creek State Park.

Perhaps in response to this, the parkway has recently undergone a number of unorthodox conversions. First, the section that passed under Rainbow Bridge was closed in the 1980's so that more extensive park facilities could be built in the vicinity of the bridge. This results in an interruption in the route. Traffic must now employ NY 384 to bridge the two sections of the parkway. Furthermore, along the north section of the parkway, the southbound lanes between Cedar Street in downtown Niagara Falls and I-190 in Lewiston have been converted to a recreation/bike trail, reducing the northbound half into a two-laned highway in this stretch.