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Parkways in New York facts for kids

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Standard parkway markers in New York
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Sign informing truckers it is illegal to use a parkway in New York City.

In New York, most parkways are special roads. They are part of a big system owned by different groups. However, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) takes care of most of them. Some other roads in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island are also called parkways but are not part of this main system.

These parkways were some of the first expressways ever built. Expressways are roads designed for faster travel. Early parkways were not divided into separate directions. They also had intersections where other streets crossed them. An early private road, the Long Island Motor Parkway, was the first expressway to charge a fee (a toll road). It was also the first to use bridges and overpasses to avoid intersections, making travel smoother.

New York's parkways are quite different from each other. Some, like the Sprain Brook Parkway, are like modern freeways. Freeways are major roads with no traffic lights or intersections. Others, like Seven Lakes Drive, are smaller, two-lane roads. Most parkways are found in downstate New York, which is where the state parkway system first started many years ago.

New York State Parkways

The state's parkway system began as roads for fast travel. They were built to offer a beautiful way to drive into, out of, and around New York City. The first part of this system opened way back in 1908. Many of these early roads have been updated. They were made wider and better for today's faster cars and more traffic.

Later parkways, built north of New York City, often had a wide, grassy area in the middle. This separated traffic going in opposite directions. They also had service areas along the way. These spots offered fuel and restrooms for drivers. In the 1930s, a famous city planner named Robert Moses helped create many parkways in the New York City area.

Many of these parkways were built by local groups. These included the Long Island State Park Commission (LISPC) and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC). Today, the NYSDOT takes care of most parkways outside New York City. Inside the city, the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) maintains them.

Most state parkways today are like other expressways. However, they have a few unique features. First, many New York parkways do not have shoulders. Shoulders are the paved areas on the side of the road. This is because they were designed a long time ago. Second, designers wanted these roads to be scenic. So, many parkways curve and follow rivers, rather than being straight. Finally, most parkways have low, stone bridges. These bridges are too low for large trucks and commercial vehicles. Because of this, trucks are not allowed on most parkways. In Manhattan, this means almost all trucks must use local streets. This is because the island has only one short Interstate highway.

List of State Parkways

Parkway Opened Region From To Owner Maintained by
Bay Parkway 1892 as 22nd Avenue New York City Brooklyn Brooklyn NYSDOT/NYCDOT NYSDOT
Bay Parkway N/A Long Island Jones Beach State Park Jones Beach State Park NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Bear Mountain State Parkway 1932 Hudson Valley Peekskill Cortlandt NYSDOT NYSDOT
Belt Parkway 1941 New York City Brooklyn Queens NYSDOT/NYCDOT NYSDOT/NYCDOT
Bethpage State Parkway 1936 Long Island Massapequa Bethpage State Park NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Bronx River Parkway 1908 Hudson Valley The Bronx North Castle NYCDOT/Westchester County NYCDOT/Westchester County
Cross County Parkway 1947 Hudson Valley Yonkers Eastchester NYSDOT NYSDOT
Cross Island Parkway 1940 New York City Queens Queens NYCDOT NYCDOT
Eastern Parkway 1874 New York City Brooklyn Brooklyn NYCDOT NYCDOT
Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive 1955 New York City Lower Manhattan Upper Manhattan NYSDOT/NYCDOT NYSDOT/NYCDOT
Grand Central Parkway 1936 New York City Queens New York City line NYSDOT NYSDOT
Harlem River Drive 1964 New York City Upper Manhattan Upper Manhattan NYSDOT NYSDOT
Heckscher State Parkway 1959 Long Island West Islip Heckscher State Park NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Henry Hudson Parkway 1937 New York City Manhattan New York City line NYSDOT/NYCDOT/PANYNJ NYSDOT/NYCDOT/PANYNJ
Hutchinson River Parkway 1928 Hudson Valley The Bronx Connecticut state line NYSDOT/NYCDOT NYSDOT/NYCDOT
Jackie Robinson Parkway 1935 New York City Brooklyn Queens NYCDOT NYSDOT
Korean War Veterans Parkway 1972 New York City Staten Island Staten Island NYSDOT NYSDOT
Lake Ontario State Parkway Western New York Carlton Rochester NYSDOT/NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Little Neck Parkway New York City Queens Queens
Lake Welch Parkway 1971 Hudson Valley Harriman State Park Harriman State Park PIPC NYSDOT
Long Mountain Parkway Hudson Valley Harriman State Park Bear Mountain State Park NYSDOT NYSDOT
Loop Parkway 1934 Long Island Lido Beach Jones Beach State Park NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Meadowbrook State Parkway 1934 Long Island Jones Beach State Park Westbury NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Mosholu Parkway 1937 New York City Bronx Park Van Cortlandt Park NYSDOT/NYCDOT NYSDOT/NYCDOT
Niagara Scenic Parkway Western New York Niagara Falls Porter NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Northern State Parkway 1931 Long Island New York City line Hauppauge NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Ocean Parkway New York City Brooklyn Brooklyn
Ocean Parkway Long Island Jones Beach State Park Captree State Park NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Palisades Interstate Parkway 1958 Hudson Valley Fort Lee, NJ Bear Mountain State Park PIPC NYSDOT/NJDOT
Pelham Parkway 1911 New York City The Bronx Pelham Bay Park NYCDOT NYCDOT
Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway 1969 Adirondacks Lake George Prospect Mountain NYSDEC NYSDEC
Robert Moses Causeway Long Island Robert Moses State Park West Islip NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Rockaway Parkway New York City Brooklyn Brooklyn
Sagtikos State Parkway 1952 Long Island West Islip Commack NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Saw Mill River Parkway 1954 Hudson Valley New York City line Bedford NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Seven Lakes Drive Hudson Valley Sloatsburg Bear Mountain State Park PIPC NYSDOT
Southern State Parkway 1949 Long Island Valley Stream West Islip NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Sprain Brook Parkway 1961 Hudson Valley Yonkers Hawthorne NYSDOT NYSDOT
Sunken Meadow State Parkway 1957 Long Island Commack Sunken Meadow State Park NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Taconic State Parkway 1925 Hudson Valley North Castle East Chatham NYSDOT NYSDOT
Wantagh State Parkway 1929 Long Island Jones Beach State Park Westbury NYS OPRHP NYSDOT
Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway 1935 Adirondacks Wilmington Whiteface Mountain NYSDEC NYSDEC

Other Parkways in New York

Some areas in New York have parkways that are not owned or maintained by the state government. For example, Westchester County has some highways that were once part of older parkway systems. Suffolk County has kept a part of the old Long Island Motor Parkway (LIMP) for driving. They also built their own roads on land that was meant for other parkways.

The part of the LIMP that still exists in western Suffolk County is called the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway. It is now a regular surface road. It is no longer an expressway, and trucks are allowed on it.

List of Other Parkways

Parkway Opened Region From To Owner Maintained by
Arden Valley Road 1922 Hudson Valley Harriman State Park Harriman State Park PIPC PIPC
Central Westchester Parkway Hudson Valley White Plains White Plains Westchester County Westchester County
Farragut Parkway Hudson Valley Hastings-on-Hudson Hastings-on-Hudson Westchester County Westchester County
Fire Island Beach Road Long Island Fire Island Fire Island Suffolk County Suffolk County
Memorial Parkway Mohawk Valley Genesee Street, Utica Albany Street, Utica City of Utica City of Utica
Playland Parkway 1929 Hudson Valley Harrison Playland Westchester County Westchester County
Tiorati Brook Road Hudson Valley Harriman State Park Bear Mountain State Park PIPC PIPC
Vanderbilt Motor Parkway Long Island Melville Lake Ronkonkoma Suffolk County Suffolk County
William Floyd Parkway Long Island Fire Island Rocky Point Suffolk County Suffolk County
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