109-820: The Sprain Brook Parkway (also known as the Sprain Parkway or The Sprain ) is a 12.65-mile (20.36 km) controlled-access parkway in Westchester County , New York , United States. It begins at an interchange with the Bronx River Parkway in the city of Yonkers , and ends at the former site of the Hawthorne Circle , where it merges into the Taconic State Parkway . The parkway serves an alternate to
218-663: A dual highway ) in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn . It then rapidly constructed the first nationwide system of such roads. The first North American freeways (known as parkways) opened in the New York City area in the 1920s. Britain, heavily influenced by the railways, did not build its first motorway , the Preston By-pass ( M6 ), until 1958. Most technologically advanced nations feature an extensive network of freeways or motorways to provide high-capacity urban travel, or high-speed rural travel, or both. Many have
327-466: A median separates the opposite directions of traffic. This strip may be as simple as a grassy area, or may include a crash barrier such as a " Jersey barrier " or an "Ontario Tall Wall" to prevent head-on collisions . On some freeways, the two carriageways are built on different alignments; this may be done to make use of available corridors in a mountainous area or to provide narrower corridors through dense urban areas . Control of access relates to
436-707: A cloverleaf and trumpet interchange when it opened in 1937, and until the Second World War , boasted the longest illuminated stretch of roadway built. A decade later, the first section of Highway 401 was opened, based on earlier designs. It has since gone on to become the busiest highway in the world. The word freeway was first used in February 1930 by Edward M. Bassett . Bassett argued that roads should be classified into three basic types: highways, parkways , and freeways. In Bassett's zoning and property law -based system, abutting property owners have
545-407: A considerable reduction in traffic and an improvement in the corridor north of NY 100C , becoming more of a commercial center. New industrial parks and office parks were being constructed within a couple years of completion of the new parkway along NY 9A. The entire route is in Westchester County . All exits are unnumbered. Controlled-access highway A controlled-access highway
654-620: A freeway, specialized pedestrian footbridges or tunnels may also be provided. These structures enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross the freeway at that point without a detour to the nearest road crossing. Access to freeways is typically provided only at grade-separated interchanges , though lower-standard right-in/right-out (left-in/left-out in countries that drive on the left) access can be used for direct connections to side roads. In many cases, sophisticated interchanges allow for smooth, uninterrupted transitions between intersecting freeways and busy arterial roads . However, sometimes it
763-434: A larger number of guide signs than other roads, and the signs themselves are physically larger. Guide signs are often mounted on overpasses or overhead gantries so that drivers can see where each lane goes. Exit numbers are commonly derived from the exit's distance in miles or kilometers from the start of the freeway. In some areas, there are public rest areas or service areas on freeways, as well as emergency phones on
872-499: A legal status which limits the types of vehicles that can use a highway, as well as a road design that limits the points at which they can access it. Major arterial roads will often have partial access control , meaning that side roads will intersect the main road at grade, instead of using interchanges, but driveways may not connect directly to the main road, and drivers must use intersecting roads to access adjacent land. At arterial junctions with relatively quiet side roads, traffic
981-736: A majority of its right-of-way in the 1920s, but the proposed parkway met strong opposition from the village of Bronxville and Yonkers. The Sprain Brook proposal sat on the table until 1949, when the State Council of Parks , run by Robert Moses , sought to ease congestion on the Bronx River Parkway. Moses proposed that a new state park would be constructed in Westchester, with the Sprain Brook Parkway serving as
1090-527: A milepost system but does not use milepost markers. In Europe and some other countries, motorways typically have similar characteristics such as: Two-lane freeways , often undivided, are sometimes built when traffic volumes are low or right-of-way is limited; they may be designed for easy conversion to one side of a four-lane freeway. (For example, most of the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway in eastern Kentucky
1199-447: A motorway is understood as a public road with dual carriageways and at least two lanes each way. All entrances and exits are signposted and all interchanges are grade separated. Central barrier or median present throughout the road. No crossing is permitted, while stopping is permitted only in an emergency. Restricted access to motor vehicles, prohibited to pedestrians, animals, pedal cycles, mopeds, agricultural vehicles. The minimum speed
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#17327765944641308-777: A national-level or even international-level (e.g. European E route ) system of route numbering . There are several international standards that give some definitions of words such as motorways, but there is no formal definition of the English language words such as freeway , motorway , and expressway , or of the equivalent words in other languages such as autoroute , Autobahn , autostrada , autocesta, autoput , that are accepted worldwide—in most cases these words are defined by local statute or design standards or regional international treaties. Descriptions that are widely used include: One green or blue symbol (like [REDACTED] ) appears at motorway entry in countries that follow
1417-600: A number of patterns. The actual pattern is determined by a number of factors including local topology, traffic density, land cost, building costs, type of road, etc. In some jurisdictions feeder/distributor lanes are common, especially for cloverleaf interchanges ; in others, such as the United Kingdom, where the roundabout interchange is common, feeder/distributor lanes are seldom seen. Motorways in Europe typically differ between exits and junctions. An exit leads out of
1526-624: A park and where intersecting streets crossed over bridges. The Southern State Parkway opened in 1927, while the Long Island Motor Parkway was closed in 1937 and replaced by the Northern State Parkway (opened 1931) and the contiguous Grand Central Parkway (opened 1936). In Germany, construction of the Bonn-Cologne Autobahn began in 1929 and was opened in 1932 by Konrad Adenauer , then
1635-555: A parkway, and in 1938, was proposed to be used instead as an arterial state highway, rather than a parkway. The commission sent a request in April 1938 to the State Council of Parks to have the state take over the right-of-way after the state withdrew its support for the parkway extension. In April 1938, the county was approached by the Westchester County Park Commission to transfer the new project to
1744-457: A private venture, was the world's first limited-access roadway. It included many modern features, including banked turns , guard rails and reinforced concrete tarmac . Traffic could turn left between the parkway and connectors, crossing oncoming traffic, so it was not a controlled-access highway (or "freeway" as later defined by the federal government's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices ). Modern controlled-access highways originated in
1853-609: A reduction in deaths in a range from 20% to 50% on those sections. Speed, in Europe, is considered to be one of the main contributory factors to collisions. Some countries, such as France and Switzerland, have achieved a death reduction by a better monitoring of speed. Tools used for monitoring speed might be an increase in traffic density; improved speed enforcement and stricter regulation leading to driver license withdrawal; safety cameras; penalty point; and higher fines. Some other countries use automatic time-over-distance cameras (also known as section controls ) to manage speed. Fatigue
1962-541: A separate roadway or altogether eliminates it. In some parts of the world, notably parts of the US , frontage roads form an integral part of the freeway system. These parallel surface roads provide a transition between high-speed "through" traffic and local traffic. Frequent slip-ramps provide access between the freeway and the frontage road, which in turn provides direct access to local roads and businesses. Except on some two-lane freeways (and very rarely on wider freeways),
2071-510: A similar system of express and local lanes for a maximum width of 21 lanes on a 2-mile (3.2 km) segment between Interstate 805 and California State Route 56 . In Mississauga , Ontario, Highway 401 uses collector-express lanes for a total of 18 lanes through its intersection with Highway 403 / Highway 410 and Highway 427 . These wide freeways may use separate collector and express lanes to separate through traffic from local traffic, or special high-occupancy vehicle lanes , either as
2180-411: A special restriction on the innermost lane or a separate roadway, to encourage carpooling . These HOV lanes , or roadways open to all traffic, can be reversible lanes , providing more capacity in the direction of heavy traffic, and reversing direction before traffic switches. Sometimes a collector/distributor road , a shorter version of a local lane, shifts weaving between closely spaced interchanges to
2289-509: A state park. In July 1951, the county of Westchester approved "Route A", one of the proposed alignments for the Sprain Brook through the city of Yonkers. Costing $ 10.512 million ($ 123 million in 2023), the route was approved by the state and the fact that the county still owned the right-of-way would determine whether the county would give it to the state. This 4.98-mile (8.01 km) section of parkway as part of Route A began at
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#17327765944642398-603: A stretch of 2.6 miles (4.2 km) with 3.45 miles (5.55 km) of access roads. This new portion would have six lanes, with three on each side of the Grassy Sprain Reservoir, which would split the parkway in each direction. Bids were expected to be opened on November 16, 1961, for the extension of the new parkway, maintained by the East Hudson Parkway Authority. The new stretch of parkway was constructed throughout 1962 and 1963, with
2507-499: A traffic alternative to the Bronx River, and nearly a decade and a half after the parkway was deeded land. This time, Bronxville opposed the project rather than Yonkers, but an agreement was worked out in 1951. This new alignment would bypass the parts of Bronxville and Yonkers to construct the freeway. Construction of the alternative highway began in 1958, with the stretch from the Bronx River Parkway to Tuckahoe Road. This section
2616-453: Is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway , motorway , and expressway . Other similar terms include throughway or thruway and parkway . Some of these may be limited-access highways , although this term can also refer to a class of highways with somewhat less isolation from other traffic. In countries following
2725-468: Is considered as a risk factor more specific to monotonous roads such as motorways, although such data are not monitored/recorded in many countries. According to Vinci Autoroutes , one third of accidents in French motorways are due to sleepy driving. New York State Route 131 (1930%E2%80%93mid-1940s) New York State Route 129 ( NY 129 ) is a 7.75-mile (12.47 km) long state highway in
2834-735: Is controlled mainly by two-way stop signs which do not impose significant interruptions on traffic using the main highway. Roundabouts are often used at busier intersections in Europe because they help minimize interruptions in flow, while traffic signals that create greater interference with traffic are still preferred in North America. There may be occasional interchanges with other major arterial roads. Examples include US 23 between SR 15 's eastern terminus and Delaware, Ohio , along with SR 15 between its eastern terminus and I-75 , US 30 , SR 29 / US 33 , and US 35 in western and central Ohio. This type of road
2943-655: Is necessary to exit onto a surface road to transfer from one freeway to another. One example in the United States (notorious for the resulting congestion) is the connection from Interstate 70 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike ( Interstate 70 and Interstate 76 ) through the town of Breezewood, Pennsylvania . Speed limits are generally higher on freeways and are occasionally nonexistent (as on much of Germany's Autobahn network). Because higher speeds reduce decision time, freeways are usually equipped with
3052-450: Is not lower than 50 km/h [31 mph] and the maximum speed is not higher than 130 km/h [81 mph] (except Germany where no speed limit is defined). Motorways are designed to carry heavy traffic at high speed with the lowest possible number of accidents. They are also designed to collect long-distance traffic from other roads, so that conflicts between long-distance traffic and local traffic are avoided. According to
3161-532: Is now NY 9A instead. NY 129 was designated to most of its current alignment as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York . It originally followed Croton Dam Road, the southern perimeter road around the New Croton Reservoir , while Croton Lake Road, the northern route, was designated as NY 131 by the following year. The alignments of NY 129 and NY 131 in
3270-431: Is provided with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic). Principal arterials may cross through urban areas, serving suburban movements. The traffic is characterized by high speeds and full or partial access control (interchanges or junctions controlled by traffic lights). Other roads leading to a principal arterial are connected to it through side collector roads. In this view, CARE's definition stands that
3379-407: Is sometimes called an expressway . Freeways are usually limited to motor vehicles of a minimum power or weight; signs may prohibit cyclists , pedestrians and equestrians and impose a minimum speed. It is possible for non-motorized traffic to use facilities within the same right-of-way, such as sidewalks constructed along freeway-standard bridges and multi-use paths next to freeways such as
Sprain Brook Parkway - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-480: Is specially sign-posted as a motorway and is reserved for specific categories of road motor vehicles." Urban motorways are also included in this definition. However, the respective national definitions and the type of roads covered may present slight differences in different EU countries. The first version of modern controlled-access highways evolved during the first half of the 20th century. The Long Island Motor Parkway on Long Island , New York , opened in 1908 as
3597-545: Is the result of several changes, including infrastructure safety and road user behavior (speed or seat belt use), while other matters such as vehicle safety and mobility patterns have an impact that has not been quantified. Motorways are the safest roads by design. While accounting for more than one quarter of all kilometres driven, they contributed only 8% of the total number of European road deaths in 2006. Germany's Federal Highway Research Institute provided International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) statistics for
3706-408: Is two lanes, but work has begun to make all of it four-lane.) These are often called Super two roads. Several such roads are infamous for a high rate of lethal crashes; an outcome because they were designed for short sight distances (sufficient for freeways without oncoming traffic, but insufficient for the years in service as two-lane road with oncoming traffic). An example of such a "Highway to Hell"
3815-629: The Dartford Crossing (the furthest downstream public crossing of the River Thames ) or where it was not economic to build a motorway alongside the existing road such as the former Cumberland Gap . The A1 is a good example of piece-wise upgrading to motorway standard—as of January 2013, the 639-kilometre-long (397 mi) route had five stretches of motorway (designated as A1(M)), reducing to four stretches in March 2018 with completion of
3924-867: The Suncoast Trail along the Suncoast Parkway in Florida . In some US jurisdictions, especially where freeways replace existing roads, non-motorized access on freeways is permitted. Different states of the United States have different laws. Cycling on freeways in Arizona may be prohibited only where there is an alternative route judged equal or better for cycling. Wyoming , the second least densely populated state, allows cycling on all freeways. Oregon allows bicycles except on specific urban freeways in Portland and Medford . In countries such as
4033-571: The Taconic State Parkway . The authority was abolished in 1979, at which time, all maintenance of the Sprain Brook Parkway was turned over to NYSDOT. The Sprain Brook Parkway, designated by the New York State Department of Transportation as NY 987F, a state reference route , begins at a fork from the Bronx River Parkway along the latter's right-of-way along the Bronx River in the city of Yonkers . Crossing through
4142-538: The United Kingdom new motorways require an Act of Parliament to ensure restricted right of way. Since upgrading an existing road (the "King's Highway") to a full motorway will result in extinguishing the right of access of certain groups such as pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving traffic, many controlled access roads are not full motorways. In some cases motorways are linked by short stretches of road where alternative rights of way are not practicable such as
4251-424: The United Kingdom , do not distinguish between the two, but others make a distinction; for example, Germany uses the words Kreuz ("cross") or Dreieck ("triangle") for the former and Ausfahrt ("exit") for the latter. In all cases one road crosses the other via a bridge or a tunnel, as opposed to an at-grade crossing . The inter-connecting roads, or slip-roads , which link the two roads, can follow any one of
4360-467: The Vienna convention , the motorway qualification implies that walking and parking are forbidden. A fully controlled-access highway provides an unhindered flow of traffic, with no traffic signals , intersections or property access . They are free of any at-grade crossings with other roads, railways, or pedestrian paths, which are instead carried by overpasses and underpasses . Entrances and exits to
4469-915: The governor of New York at the time, also noted that the extension of the parkway north from the Cross Westchester to the Hawthorne Traffic Circle was still in final design and would begin construction in 1971 with completion of a new interchange in Hawthorne. The delay of the final 2.7 miles (4.3 km) long portion of the Sprain Brook from the Cross Westchester Expressway and the Taconic State Parkway near Hawthorne Circle spent multiple years without progress until demands were placed upon Governor Hugh Carey to get state funds attached to
Sprain Brook Parkway - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-490: The shoulder at regular intervals. In the United States, mileposts usually start at the southern or westernmost point on the freeway (either its terminus or the state line). California , Ohio and Nevada use postmile systems in which the markers indicate mileage through the state's individual counties. However, Nevada and Ohio also use the standard milepost system concurrently with their respective postmile systems. California numbers its exits off its freeways according to
4687-501: The A1(M) through North Yorkshire . The most frequent way freeways are laid out is by building them from the ground up after obstructions such as forestry or buildings are cleared away. Sometimes they deplete farmland, but other methods have been developed for economic, social and even environmental reasons. Full freeways are sometimes made by converting at-grade expressways or by replacing at-grade intersections with overpasses; however, in
4796-507: The Bronx River Parkway and the traffic circle in Hawthorne. This new piece of the parkway was built with 70% of the required funds provided by the federal government, and was designed to redistribute traffic along different parkways, with NYSDOT estimating about 44,000 cars daily using the completed roadway. The effects of the completion of the parkway were nearly immediate. Traffic on the Saw Mill River Parkway lessened with
4905-422: The Bronx River Parkway, boasting an interchange connection through western Westchester with Interstate 287 . New York's Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) refers to it internally as New York State Route 987F ( NY 987F ), an unsigned reference route . The Sprain Brook was first proposed in the early 1920s as a parkway between the Bronx River Parkway and the Hawthorne Circle . The parkway sold
5014-408: The Bronx River Parkway, extending to a point just north of Jackson Avenue. A hearing was held on June 18 that mentioned that only "Route F-1", which would cost $ 14.579 million, and was longer would be the only other acceptable proposal. People living along the "Route A" track preferred "Route F-1", which would take fifty-four homes, over the thirty from the accepted proposal. During the meeting of
5123-476: The Bronx River and the development of Ridge Road Park. The Moses-led committee also suggested that $ 25,000 be appropriated for a study, survey and report on the new parkway and possible expansion of the Ridge Road Park. The city of Yonkers also became involved in the proposal because a 5 acres (2.0 ha) section of land needed between NY 100 (Central Park Avenue) and Palmer Road was deeded over to
5232-584: The Cross Westchester Expressway in Elmsford. This new section of Sprain Brook Parkway cost $ 15.4 million, extending the parkway to a length of 10 miles (16 km) from the Bronx to Elmsford. This also included an interchange with NY-100B in Greenburgh . An additional exit was planned at Ardsley Road to provide access to Scarsdale , Ardsley , and Dobbs Ferry , but was never built. Nelson Rockefeller ,
5341-553: The East Hudson Parkway Authority announcing the opening of the extension on December 23, 1963, at a cost of $ 3.6 million ($ 36 million in 2023). The new interchange with Jackson Avenue would also serve Sprain Ridge Park, which was also being opened at the same time as the new parkway. The 5.2-mile (8.4 km) long section of the Sprain Brook Parkway was opened on November 27, 1969 from Jackson Avenue in Greenburgh to
5450-569: The Hutchinson, along with the Bronx River and Taconic parkways. However, NYSDOT reported during a meeting in Albany that contracts on the new extension would be given in 1978. However, the EHPA also wanted more monetary funds for the maintenance of the parkway system in Westchester and wanted to raise the tolls to help pay for that cost. Along the state funding from Albany, the rest of the money for
5559-599: The Northeast Yonkers neighborhood as a six-lane freeway , the Sprain Brook crosses an interchange with NY 100 (Central Park Avenue) south of Andrus Park. Bending to the north through Yonkers, the Sprain Brook reaches an interchange with Tuckahoe Road, with the northbound and southbound lanes splitting around the Grassy Sprain Reservoir . The two directions bend northeast along the reservoir. The southbound lanes cross Sprain Ridge Park, while
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#17327765944645668-534: The Ridge Road picnic area in Greenburgh was not given to the state. Remaining opposition stated that the route would cut $ 517,000 from tax revenue, and damage now $ 3 million worth of homes in the "Route A" section, which included the house of Jefferson Armstrong. In December 1953, the county executive for Westchester County, Herbert Gerlach, proposed that the now $ 22 million ($ 251 million in 2023) parkway should be constructed with tolls to help pay for
5777-587: The Sprain Brook extension was to be paid for through federal funds. The new parkway extension, which had a slated completion in December 1980, was bid on in 1978 and won by Yonkers Contracting Company for a total of $ 22.8 million ($ 241 million in 2023). Various materials in the extension included 100,000 cubic yards (2,700,000 cu ft) of gravel, 37,000 cubic yards (1,000,000 cu ft) of concrete, 24,000 cubic yards (650,000 cu ft) of asphalt and 1,900 pounds (860 kg) of steel. While
5886-690: The Sunningdale Country Club. Continuing its north/northeast winding, the Sprain Brook enters an interchange with NY 100B (Dobbs Ferry Road), passing by East Rumbrook Park. Crossing over NY 119 in Elmsford , the parkway enters an interchange with Interstate 287 (the Cross Westchester Expressway). After crossing through the interchange, the Sprain continues northward as a six-lane parkway back through
5995-550: The Taconic, but the ramps were removed in 1969 and a new interchange was built on nearby Underhill Avenue. NY 129 begins at an intersection with NY 9A (South Riverside Avenue) in the village of Croton-on-Hudson , next to U.S. Route 9 (US 9). NY 129 proceeds northward from NY 9A along Maple Street, a two-lane commercial street through the village. At Van Cortlandt Park, NY 129 becomes residential, passing Croton-Harmon High School as it bends to
6104-409: The US, any at-grade intersection that ends a freeway often remains an at-grade intersection. Often, when there is a two-lane undivided freeway or expressway, it is converted by constructing a parallel twin corridor, and leaving a median between the two travel directions. The median-side travel lane of the old two-way corridor becomes a passing lane. Other techniques involve building a new carriageway on
6213-484: The United States, allow for limited exceptions: some movable bridges , for instance the Interstate Bridge on Interstate 5 between Oregon and Washington , do require drivers to stop for ship traffic. The crossing of freeways by other routes is typically achieved with grade separation either in the form of underpasses or overpasses . In addition to sidewalks (pavements) attached to roads that cross
6322-712: The Vienna Convention. Exits are marked with another symbol: [REDACTED] . The definitions of "motorway" from the OECD and PIARC are almost identical. In the European Union , for statistical and safety purposes, some distinction might be made between motorway and expressway . For instance a principal arterial might be considered as: Roads serving long distance and mainly interurban movements. Includes motorways (urban or rural) and expressways (road which does not serve properties bordering on it and which
6431-651: The Westchester County Board of Supervisors on August 6, two officials from Yonkers attempted to filibuster the meeting to avoid the transfer of the Sprain Brook right-of-way, along with the "Route A" proposal, to the state. This filibuster failed, as the board voted 39 to 2 to transfer the right-of-way. The Taconic State Parkway Commission, Westchester County Park Commission, and the Westchester County Planning Commission all endorsed "Route A" over "Route F-1". However,
6540-793: The bridge. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge / Dartford tunnel at London Orbital is an example of this. London Orbital or the M25 is a motorway surrounding London , but at the last River Thames crossing before its mouth, motorway rules do not apply. (At this crossing the London Orbital is labeled A282 instead.) A few of the more common types of junction are shown below: There are many differences between countries in their geography, economy, traffic growth, highway system size, degree of urbanization and motorization, etc.; all of which need to be taken into consideration when comparisons are made. According to some EU papers, safety progress on motorways
6649-492: The common European definition, a motorway is defined as "a road, specially designed and built for motor traffic, which does not serve properties bordering on it, and which: (a) is provided, except at special points or temporarily, with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic, separated from each other, either by a dividing strip not intended for traffic, or exceptionally by other means; (b) does not cross at level with any road, railway or tramway track, or footpath; (c)
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#17327765944646758-517: The early 1920s in response to the rapidly increasing use of the automobile , the demand for faster movement between cities and as a consequence of improvements in paving processes, techniques and materials. These original high-speed roads were referred to as " dual highways " and have been modernized and are still in use today. Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. The Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"),
6867-485: The first built in the world, connecting Milan to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore , and now parts of the A8 and A9 motorways, was devised by Piero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924. This motorway, called autostrada , contained only one lane in each direction and no interchanges. The Bronx River Parkway was the first road in North America to utilize a median strip to separate the opposing lanes, to be constructed through
6976-412: The first half of the 20th century. Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. Italy opened its first autostrada in 1924, A8 , connecting Milan to Varese . Germany began to build its first controlled-access autobahn without speed limits (30 kilometres [19 mi] on what is now A555 , then referred to as
7085-504: The highway are provided at interchanges by slip roads (ramps), which allow for speed changes between the highway and arterials and collector roads . On the controlled-access highway, opposing directions of travel are generally separated by a median strip or central reservation containing a traffic barrier or grass. Elimination of conflicts with other directions of traffic dramatically improves safety, while increasing traffic capacity and speed. Controlled-access highways evolved during
7194-490: The last 2.7 miles (4.3 km) of parkway. The last piece of the parkway was opened on October 28, 1980, having cost $ 25 million (equivalent to $ 92 million in 2023). From its opening in 1961 until 1979, the parkway was maintained by the East Hudson Parkway Authority, a commission created to maintain tolls on the Saw Mill River Parkway , the Bronx River Parkway and to provide general maintenance for
7303-469: The mayor of Cologne . The German Autobahn became the first nationwide highway system. In Canada , the first precursor with semi-controlled access was The Middle Road between Hamilton and Toronto , which featured a median divider between opposing traffic flow, as well as the nation's first cloverleaf interchange . This highway developed into the Queen Elizabeth Way , which featured
7412-400: The motorway system, whilst a junction is a crossing between motorways or a split/merge of two motorways. The motorway rules end at exits, but not at junctions. However, on some bridges, motorways, without changing appearance, temporarily end between the two exits closest to the bridge (or tunnel), and continue as dual carriageways . This is in order to give slower vehicles a possibility to use
7521-598: The new parkway plans from the State of New York. The new $ 16–18 million ($ 228 million in 2023) parkway still had a short section still in question, with various groups preferring two different alignments. The State Council of Parks wanted to use the alignment used by the Odell Parkway, which still would require demolition of thirty homes in the Cedar Knolls section of Yonkers, while other groups wanted
7630-475: The new parkway would lead to the "planning for the destruction of Westchester." He stated that the county was giving away $ 8 million in taxpayer funds to the state with a debt of $ 2.3 million after collecting tolls on the Saw Mill River and Hutchinson River parkways . Residents of the town of Greenburgh protested the county's decision to give the undeveloped Rochambeau Park for development into
7739-470: The new parkway, along with a 20% reduction on the Taconic State Parkway. However, while the route south of the Sprain Brook was seeing less traffic, the portion north of Hawthorne to Campfire Road, a 5 miles (8.0 km) section, was seeing much more traffic with the new parkway. Proposals for solving this problem included a $ 50 million ($ 158 million in 2023) proposal to widen the Taconic State Parkway to six lanes. NY 9A south of Hawthorne also saw
7848-622: The new roadway, would be opened on October 30, estimating the cost at $ 11.116 million. Slated to open in August 1961, this first leg of the Sprain Brook Parkway would connect from the Bronx River Parkway near Bronxville to 1,200 feet (370 m) north of Tuckahoe Road in North Yonkers. At that point in North Yonkers, it would meet with a connector to the New York State Thruway , which could open doors to getting tolls on
7957-466: The new roadway. At this time, the southern 2.6 miles (4.2 km) of the Bronx River Parkway was being reconstructed for use in the new Sprain Brook Parkway, with funds received before the Korean War . Jefferson Armstrong declared the new plan as a scheme by Robert Moses to "spend beyond his pocketbook" and that Gerlach was "intolerant" for proposing this just before the start of the holiday season. At
8066-460: The new roadway. Overpasses would be constructed at Midland Avenue, DeWitt Avenue, Central Avenue, Tuckahoe Road, Palmer Road, Kimball Avenue and the Bronx River Parkway, with an exit at Central Avenue, along with overpasses over the Sprain Brook, Sunny Brook and Grassy Sprain Brook. The section of the Sprain Brook Parkway between Tuckahoe Road and Jackson Avenue in the town of Greenburgh was slated to cost $ 4.103 million ($ 42 million in 2023),
8175-471: The north, the Sprain Brook enters the merging Taconic State Parkway and terminates as the right-of-way continues as the Taconic. The Sprain Brook Parkway sees an average of 95,442 vehicles per day throughout its entire length. The stretch between I-287 and NY 100C sees the highest amount, with 101,460 cars in a 2011 report. The stretch between NY 100 in Yonkers and Jackson Avenue in Greenburgh sees
8284-435: The northbound lanes cross through a golf course. Leaving Yonkers for the town of Greenburgh , the lanes of the Sprain Brook come back together, reaching an interchange with Jackson Avenue. The six-lane parkway continues northward and to the northeast through Greenburgh, crossing under Ardsley Road. After turning northward once again, the Sprain Brook crosses under a former alignment of NY 131 (Underhill Road) and passes by
8393-429: The northeast. At the junction with Grand Street, NY 129 continues northeast on Grand Street, which is a two-lane residential street. The route continues northeast through the village, crossing an intersection with Quaker Bridge Road before becoming a wooded lane in the town of Cortlandt . In Cortlandt, NY 129 continues north as Grand Street, paralleling a local creek and entering Croton Dam Plaza. Running along
8502-439: The other. Other methods involve constructing a service drive that shortens the long driveways (typically by less than 100 metres (330 ft)). An interchange or a junction is a highway layout that permits traffic from one controlled-access highway to access another and vice versa, whereas an access point is a highway layout where traffic from a distributor or local road can join a controlled-access highway. Some countries, such as
8611-411: The parkway extension would include nearly 6,000 new jobs and over US$ 2 million ($ 9 million in 2023) in tax rebates. The fourth and final section of the Sprain Brook Parkway was opened on October 28, 1980, having cost $ 25 million in 1980 dollars ($ 92 million in 2023). The last section, deemed a 2.7 miles (4.3 km) long missing link, finished the parkway to its full length between
8720-484: The parkway to be aligned through Crestwood, which would cost 100 homes. Five different sites were proposed at the meeting with the Westchester County Board of Supervisors on February 15. However, an agreement could not be reached by the committee and it was delayed to the next week. On February 19, the county board gave approval to the state plans, at a vote of 32 to 9. The letters of discontent amounted to fifty-nine letters or telegrams. Chairman Jefferson Armstrong spoke that
8829-639: The prohibitory cost of acquiring land for a widening. The parkway, while creating a needed connection between the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Bronx River Parkway, would not answer the need for diverting traffic off the Hawthorne Circle and the issue of what to do with truck traffic. The parkway, if started, would take about three years to complete and would be constructed by the Taconic State Park Commission. In February 1951, Westchester County started getting ready to approve
8938-519: The project started under the eyes of NYSDOT and EPHA, when the new parkway was complete, the East Hudson Parkway Authority had been disestablished in 1979 and control of the Sprain Brook had been turned back to NYSDOT. The new parkway would lower traffic on NY 9A through Elmsford while also connecting to the Westchester County Medical Center, a local jail, and Westchester Community College . Economic improvements of
9047-435: The project. The project had been delayed multiple times and local lobbying interests including Union Carbide threatened to back out of opening corporate locations in the area of the new extension, which in 1976 was slated to cost $ 20 million ($ 107 million in 2023). The East Hudson Parkway Authority (EHPA) originally proposed raising the tolls on the Saw Mill River and Hutchinson River parkways and building new tolls on
9156-477: The rate is higher than the risk on urban roads. Speeds are higher on rural roads and autobahns than urban roads, increasing the severity potential of a crash. According to ETSC, German motorways without a speed limit, but with a 130 km/h (81 mph) speed recommendation, are 25% more deadly than motorways with a speed limit. Germany also introduced some 130 km/h (81 mph) speed limits on various motorway sections that were not limited. This generated
9265-480: The reservoir, NY 129 intersects with Croton Road before crossing over the Hunters Brook Bridge, where it crosses into the historic community of Huntersville . Continuing northeast from Huntersville, NY 129, now known as Croton Lake Road, bends through the town of Yorktown . Through Yorktown, NY 129 is a two-lane residential street alongside the reservoir, soon making a gradual bend to
9374-575: The reservoirs. In 1908, the New York State Legislature created Route 2, an unsigned legislative route (an unsigned internal route) extending from the New York City line at Yonkers to the Columbia County village of Valatie . Route 2 initially followed modern NY 129, Croton Avenue, and NY 35 between Croton-on-Hudson and Peekskill ; however, it was realigned on March 1, 1921, to use what
9483-643: The rights of light , air and access to highways, but not parkways and freeways; the latter two are distinguished in that the purpose of a parkway is recreation, while the purpose of a freeway is movement. Thus, as originally conceived, a freeway is simply a strip of public land devoted to movement to which abutting property owners do not have rights of light, air or access. Freeways, by definition, have no at-grade intersections with other roads, railroads or multi-use trails . Therefore, no traffic signals are needed and through traffic on freeways does not normally need to stop at traffic signals. Some countries, such as
9592-495: The routes were swapped in the 1940s, with NY 131 being decommissioned soon after. NY 129 was extended to end at a traffic circle with NY 100 in the hamlet of Pines Bridge. This lasted up to at least 1969, when the designation was truncated back to NY 118, which was extended to the traffic circle instead. The traffic circle in Pines Bridge was removed by 1991. Originally, NY 129 had an interchange with
9701-602: The same time, the proposal was made that the county could gain funds by re-appropriating usage of Westchester County Airport , which would cost the county $ 11 million a year, but would only gain the county $ 26,000 in revenue. On September 30, 1958, the State Department of Public Works notified Westchester County that it would begin construction of the Sprain Brook Parkway. Bids on the new parkway through Yonkers, with 2.27 miles (3.65 km) of six-lane divided parkway plus 4.69 miles (7.55 km) of access roads to
9810-551: The second-highest, at 100,900, which is an upgrade of over 19,000 vehicles since the same report in 1997. What ultimately became the Sprain Brook Parkway began taking form in the 1920s, when the Westchester County Road Commission acquired the right-of-way for a planned 16-mile (26 km) extension of the Taconic State Parkway . The land, bought from 1925 to 1927 for $ 1.5 million ($ 26.3 million in modern dollars), was, however, not used as
9919-432: The side of a divided highway that has a lot of private access on one side and sometimes has long driveways on the other side since an easement for widening comes into place, especially in rural areas. When a third carriageway is added, sometimes it can shift a directional carriageway by 20–60 metres (50–200 ft) (or maybe more depending on land availability) as a way to retain private access on one side that favors over
10028-517: The southeast into an intersection with Underhill Avenue, a former alignment of NY 131 . At the junction with Underhill Avenue, NY 129 turns southward, soon winding its way southeast under the lanes of the Taconic State Parkway , and back alongside the New Croton Reservoir. After crossing under the Taconic, the route then drops back down to the reservoir and passing a house reported to have been moved from Huntersville before it
10137-538: The state by Westchester County for the new $ 13 million ($ 166 million in 2023) parkway. Residents in Yonkers protested that this December 1949 transfer would require the demolition or defacing of $ 1 million worth of homes in the city. In April 1950, the State Council of Parks met in Ardsley . Bronxville opposed the construction, claiming that there would be property value depreciation. However, there
10246-469: The state for construction by the State Council of Parks. The project, which at the time would have cost $ 7 million ($ 152 million in modern dollars), was to connect to the Robert Moses -proposed highway between New York City and Albany . Opposition to this plan was immediate. Yonkers officials publicly disapproved, saying that the county would lose any hope for state aid. In January 1939,
10355-436: The town of Greenburgh, entering an interchange with NY 100C (Grasslands Road). Paralleling NY 100 to the west, the parkway, bending northward into Mount Pleasant and an interchange with County Route 301 (Bradhurst Entrance North Road), which connects to NY 100 (Bradhurst Avenue). North of that junction, the southbound lanes of the Sprain Brook interchange with a crossing NY 100. After several bends to
10464-548: The traffic circle by 1969. Ramps from NY 129 to the Taconic State Parkway were removed by the East Hudson Parkway Authority in November ;1969, to be replaced with a bridge . This required a shutdown of NY 129 and required drivers going north to Underhill Avenue. In fall 1988, the original Hunter Brook Bridge (less than 19 feet (5.8 m) wide) was replaced, as it was never designed to take heavy traffic such as concrete-mixing trucks. Between 1988 and 1991,
10573-572: The use of New York Central Railroad 's right-of-way, or a parkway on the Hudson River . There were also fears a new parkway would siphon off toll-paying drivers who previously used the Cross County Parkway and its new Fleetwood Viaduct. Nor would it help the county's largest bottleneck, the Hawthorne Circle . The county's Board of Supervisors, however, disagreed with the executive. In April 1941, county officials admitted that it
10682-462: The vicinity of the reservoir were swapped c. 1941 and the NY ;131 designation ceased to exist by the mid-1940s. With the route changes, NY 129 was extended to terminate at NY 100 at a traffic circle in Pines Bridge while NY 118 terminated near Croton Lake. This extension lasted for over two decades until NY 118 was extended over the alignment of NY 129 to
10791-513: The village of Bronxville joined the opposition, deeming the new parkway as a "needless expenditure of public money" that would adversely affect local property values and cause flooding. At the same time, proposals in the state legislature provided a sum of $ 25,000 for the project. County executive William Bleakley said that a new parkway should be built, but not so close to the Saw Mill River and Bronx River parkways. He argued instead for
10900-567: The western edge of the plaza, NY 129 bends north at a view of the New Croton Dam , continuing its way north alongside the New Croton Reservoir . NY 129 soon changes names to Croton Dam Road, passing east of the Croton Harman School District headquarters. At an intersection with East Mount Airy Road, NY 129 runs eastward along the reservoir, changing names to Yorktown Road. On a short stint away from
11009-578: The western part of Westchester County, New York . The route begins at New York State Route 9A (South Riverside Avenue) in the village of Croton-on-Hudson near the Hudson River . NY 129 then travels through the towns of Cortlandt and Yorktown , running along the northern edge of the New Croton Reservoir . It passes under (southbound) and over (northbound) the Taconic State Parkway in Yorktown with no direct interchange. NY 129 ends in Yorktown at an intersection with NY 118 . NY 129
11118-406: The year 2010, comparing overall fatality rates with motorway rates (regardless of traffic intensity): The German autobahn network illustrates the safety trade-offs of controlled access highways. The injury crash rate is very low on autobahns, while 22 people died per 1,000 injury crashes—although autobahns have a lower rate than the 29 deaths per 1,000 injury accidents on conventional rural roads,
11227-443: Was European route E4 from Gävle to Axmartavlan , Sweden. The high rate of crashes with severe personal injuries on that (and similar) roads did not cease until a median crash barrier was installed, transforming the fatal crashes into non-fatal crashes. Otherwise, freeways typically have at least two lanes in each direction; some busy ones can have as many as 16 or more lanes in total. In San Diego, California , Interstate 5 has
11336-399: Was completed in 1961. The next piece, from Tuckahoe Road to Jackson Avenue, was constructed during 1962 and 1963, with it opening in the latter. Construction continued to the Cross Westchester Expressway (I-287) and was completed in 1969. At this point, the last missing piece was between the Cross Westchester and the Hawthorne Circle. This piece was delayed until 1976, when construction began on
11445-399: Was designated in 1908 as a section of Route 2, a legislative route designated by the New York State Legislature . However, in 1921, the route was realigned off the route that would become NY 129 in favor of NY 9A. Nine years later, the state designated the route as NY 129 during the state highway renumbering . The route originally followed a route used by NY 131 once
11554-523: Was flooded. Making several winds to the southeast, NY 129 connects to the Gate House Bridge, soon running eastward through Yorktown. NY 129 intersects with NY 118 (Saw Mill River Road). This intersection serves as the eastern terminus of NY 129, as NY 118 continues east along the reservoir. What is now NY 129 was developed in the early 20th century as part of a general project to improve access and transportation across
11663-487: Was instead shortened from Bronxville to Elmsford . In March 1949, the State Council of Parks, led by Robert Moses, recommended the development of a new state park in the Sprain Valley. This new state park, which would also have a parkway built through it, would intend to take traffic off the congested Bronx River Parkway . This new parkway would be one of the construction projects involved, which included rebuilding
11772-480: Was likely that the $ 7 million appropriated would not be enough, and instead it would be better spent on improving other nearby parkways. The proposed parkway would have needed $ 400,000 more for additional right-of-way, and the construction costs would leave no money to repave the Bronx River Parkway, the link to the Cross County Parkway , and to extend the Saw Mill River Parkway. The county would have had to spend $ 8 million of its own money as well. The parkway
11881-489: Was no cited opposition for the parkway from any communities further north of Bronxville, and that officials from Westchester County were looking into ideas for an alternate route around Bronxville. At the time, the county had most of the right-of-way in Bronxville claimed, short of one piece. The need for the parkway was helped by the fact that widening of the Bronx River Parkway was not applicable due to land limitations and
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