New York State Route 376

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NY Route 376
Maintained by NYSDOT
Length:	13.92 mi[1] (22.40 km)
Formed:	By 1935[2]
South end:	NY 52 in East Fishkill
North end:	US 44/NY 55 in Poughkeepsie
Counties:	Dutchess
Numbered highways in New York < NY 375 NY 377 > Interstate - U.S. - N.Y. - Reference
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New York State Route 376 is a state highway located entirely within Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley region of New York. The route travels from NY 52 in East Fishkill, passing north through Hopewell Junction and Red Oaks Mill, ending in Arlington, where it meets U.S. Route 44 and NY 55. Route 376 was originally part of Route 39 in the 1920s. In the 1930 renumbering, the East Fishkill-Poughkeepsie portion of Route 39 was renumbered to Route 202, which was later renumbered to NY 376 to avoid numerical duplication with U.S. Route 202.

Contents 1 Route description 2 History 2.1 Route designation 2.2 Roundabouts 3 NY 376D 4 Major intersections 5 References

[edit] Route description

NY 376 begins at an intersection with NY 52 in the hamlet of East Fishkill. It proceeds north about 1.5 miles (2.4 km), crossing over Fishkill Creek, and continuing into the hamlet of Hopewell Junction, where it has a junction and short (450 feet (140 m)) overlap with NY 82. NY 376 leaves NY 82 and continues northwest, crossing railroad tracks, then following a sharp 90º S-Curve, with a 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) advisory speed. Soon after, one will find another curve, but at 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). After this, the speed limit returns to 45 miles per hour (72 km/h). NY 376 passes by the Dogwood Knolls Country Club before meeting CR 29 in the hamlet of Fishkill Plains, at which point NY 376 proceeds west.^[3]

Immediately after crossing from the town of East Fishkill into the town of Wappinger, NY 376 turns north at the intersection with CR 93. It continues north for about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) through the hamlet of Diddell, then turns west again towards the hamlet of New Hackensack, where it has a junction with CR 94 and CR 104. NY 376 turns north at this intersection, running along the eastern perimeter of and providing access to the passenger terminal of Dutchess County Airport. North of the airport, NY 376 runs closely parallel to Wappinger Creek, soon entering the town limits of La Grange. NY 376 soon crosses the Wappinger Creek into the town of Poughkeepsie.^[3]

In the Poughkeepsie hamlet of Red Oaks Mill, NY 376 meets the eastern end of NY 113 (Spackenkill Road) and the northern end of CR 77 (Vassar Road) at the center of the community. Route 376 approaches the intersection at a 45-degree angle, resulting in a series of sharp traffic movements between the three roads—the sharpest being the 135-degree turn between NY 376 northbound and Vassar Road southbound. Past the junction, NY 376 continues north on New Hackensack Road, the northward continuation of Vassar Road. After heading north and northwest for 2.3 miles (3.7 km), NY 376 turns right onto Raymond Avenue at Vassar College.^[3] Its continuation on New Hackensack Road is known as Hooker Avenue and is designated New York State Route 983T, an unsigned reference route, to the Poughkeepsie town/city line^[4] about 100 feet (30 m) from its junction with Cedar Avenue (known as County Route 74 south of the city limits). Route 376 follows Raymond Avenue for about a mile before crossing the eastbound roadway of a one-way couplet carrying US 44/NY 55, crossing Main Street (CR 114), and ending at the westbound roadway of US 44/NY 55 in the hamlet of Arlington. An unnumbered town road (Van Wagner Road) continues north across US 44/NY 55 from Route 376.^[3]

[edit] History

[edit] Route designation

Route 376 was originally part of New York State Route 39 in the 1920s, which ran from Patterson to Poughkeepsie via West Patterson and East Fishkill.^[5] In the 1930 state highway renumbering, the portion of Route 39 between Poughkeepsie and East Fishkill was renumbered to New York State Route 202. The rest of NY 39 was renumbered to New York State Route 52 from East Fishkill to the western fringe of Patterson, and New York State Route 311 for the rest of the routing.^[6][7] In 1934, U.S. Route 202 was designated by AASHO.^[8] In order to avoid a numbering conflict, Route 202 was renumbered by the following year to Route 376.^[2]

[edit] Roundabouts

A number of roundabouts along the Raymond Avenue portion of 376 have drawn much controversy among local residents because they remove a lane of traffic in each direction, reducing what was previously a four-lane road into a divided two-lane boulevard and, thus, significantly altering pre-existing traffic patterns.^[9] A moderate amount of traffic has diverted onto alternate local routes.^[10]

There are presently two roundabouts, one at the main gate to Vassar College and one at College Avenue, which both replaced traffic lights. A traffic light formerly used to control traffic for a pedestrian crossway was also removed. Another roundabout at the intersection with Fulton Avenue is scheduled to be constructed in the summer of 2008. It will also include traffic calming measures on parallel roads that have seen increased traffic.^[10] The New York State Department of Transportation has called the on-going project as a success despite local concerns, stating that it has significantly calmed traffic, decreased congestion and increased traffic flow.^[10][9]

[edit] NY 376D

NY 376D is an unsigned spur route of NY 376. It is known as Robinson Lane and goes for 2.8 miles (4.5 km).^[11][12] It is signed with reference markers but not with the normal touring route shield.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Major intersections

County	Location	Mile[1]	Roads intersected	Notes
Dutchess	East Fishkill	0.00	NY 52
	Hopewell Junction	2.18	NY 82 south	Southern terminus of overlap
		2.24	NY 82 north	Northern terminus of overlap
	Wappinger		NY 376D	Southern terminus of Route 376D.
	Town of Poughkeepsie	10.44	NY 113	Eastern terminus of NY 113
		13.92	US 44 / NY 55

[edit] References