New York State Route 317
Encyclopedia
New York State Route 317 (NY 317) is a 3.12 miles (5.02 km) long state highway
within the town of Elbridge
in Onondaga County, New York
, United States
. It begins at an intersection with NY 5
in the village of Elbridge
and ends at a junction with NY 31
in the village of Jordan
. The highway is known locally as Jordan Road and Main Street.
The route was once part of the Jordan and Skaneateles Plank Road, a plank road
established by a New York State Legislature charter in the 1850s. It spanned a short distance from Jordan to the village of Skaneateles
and was a successor to the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad
, which ceased operations in 1834. However, the plank road lasted less than two decades. In 1866, the Legislature granted another charter, this time creating the Skaneateles Railroad and its corporation, which bought out most of the plank road company.
The alignment of Route 317 south of Jordan was originally County Route 105 (CR 105), a highway maintained by Onondaga County. The highway paralleled Valley Drive, which was designated as New York State Route 31C in the 1930s and located on the opposite (western) side of Skaneateles Creek
. In 2002, heavy flooding of the creek washed out a portion of Valley Drive. A bill to transfer maintenance of most of Valley Drive from the state of New York
to local governments in exchange for maintenance of CR 105 was subsequently passed by the New York State Legislature and took effect April 1, 2003, at which time the NY 31C designation was removed. The former CR 105 and the portion of former NY 31C in Jordan were designated as NY 317 at the same time.
NY 317 begins at an intersection with NY 5
(Main Street) and South Street (CR 122) in the Onondaga County
village of Elbridge
. The route heads northward from the central intersection, passing a small commercial lot to the west and several residential homes to the north and west. Just to the west of the highway is Valley Drive, formerly NY 31C, which parallels Route 317 for its entire length. Separating NY 317 and Valley Drive is Skaneateles Creek
, which runs between the two highways.
After a short distance in the village, Route 317, known as Jordan Road, continues northwest into the surrounding town of Elbridge
, where roadside development ends and the highway passes through predominantly open fields. It loosely parallels Skaneateles Creek, turning slightly northward and northwestward to match curves in the waterway. It is during the latter northwest–southeast stretch that Valley Drive ends at a cul-de-sac
amongst the woods that line the creek.
A short distance to the northwest, Valley Drive resumes near Crego Road. On Route 317, the highway passes Maple Grove Cemetery, a small graveyard located in Elbridge. After this comes the intersection with Crego Road, one of two connectors between Valley Road and Route 317. NY 317 then intersects with Whiting Road (CR 183), which heads to the east, before entering the village of Jordan
.
In Jordan, Route 317 becomes Elbridge Street and turns west to intersect the northern terminus of Valley Drive. The highway proceeds through the southern portion of the village and crosses Skaneateles Creek to reach a junction with South Main Street. NY 317 turns north onto Main Street and has intersections with Mechanic Street (CR 60) and North Hamilton Street (designated as CR 271 south of Jordan) before it terminates at a junction with NY 31
north of the village center but within the village limits.
from Jordan
southward to Skaneateles
. This plank road was constructed in the 1850s in place of the Syracuse and Auburn Railroad and a small railroad from Skaneateles to Skaneateles Junction, two crude railroads that were in the area which had ended service in 1836 and 1850 respectively. On March 25, 1853, the New York State Assembly
proposed an additional toll gate to be constructed in Elbridge along the plank road. On June 15, 1853, the bill was passed by the Legislature and went into effect.
Although the plank road company lasted less than two decades, it had its share of controversy. In the January 1853 case of Wilson v. Rochester and Syracuse Railroad Company, Wilson, the plaintiff, was traveling southbound along the plank road through Elbridge
. At a grade crossing with railroad tracks, Wilson fell off his horses and wagon upon hitting the tracks. He then fell onto the tracks below and was permanently injured as a result. In 1861, during Jordan & Skaneateles Plank Road Company vs. Morley, the company sued Morley for evading the toll in Elbridge. Morley countered that the road was in disrepair. However, on the plaintiff's side, the toll collector was aware that Morley had passed through the toll gate but took no action to enforce the toll. If Morley had paid, he would have been liable for $62.50 (equivalent to $ in ).
On April 17, 1866, the plank road company was bought out by the Skaneateles Railroad Company. The state chartered the bill, the railroad was constructed and tolls were to be collected by the railroad company rather than the plank road company.
, was included in Route 20, an unsigned legislative route
extending from Rochester
in the west to Elbridge in the east. The highway was gradually taken over by the state of New York
, beginning with the segment between the Elbridge and Jordan village lines. This section of Valley Drive was legislatively designated as part of State Highway 487 (SH 487) and added to the state highway system on November 2, 1908. The portion within Elbridge was included in the state highway system on December 7, 1911, as part of SH 5080. The Jordan segment was added to the state highway system as part of SH 5630 sometime after 1920.
Valley Drive received its first posted designation in the mid-1920s when it was designated as NY 31A, a spur route of NY 31
that linked NY 31 in Jordan to NY 5
in Elbridge. The designation was short-lived, however, as the route became the northernmost portion of NY 41
in the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. NY 41 was truncated to its present northern terminus in Skaneateles
ca. 1933. Its former routing between Elbridge and Jordan was redesignated as NY 31C.
NY 31C remained unchanged until 2002 when part of Valley Drive was washed out by flooding from the nearby creek. A bill (S6534, 2002) was introduced in the New York State Senate
on March 18, 2002, that would transfer ownership and maintenance of CR 105, an alternate route between Jordan and Elbridge on the eastern bank of Skaneateles Creek, from Onondaga County
to the New York State Department of Transportation
and give Valley Drive to the town of Elbridge and the villages of Jordan and Elbridge. S6534 was passed by the State Senate on April 29 and by the Assembly on June 20. It was signed into law by Governor George Pataki
on August 6, 2002, and took effect April 1, 2003.
On April 1, 2003, NY 31C was effectively renumbered to NY 317 and rerouted south of the intersection of Valley Drive and Elbridge Street in Jordan to follow the former CR 105 to Elbridge. The washed-out section of Valley Drive was never repaired, leaving Valley Drive as two separate dead end streets. The New York State Department of Transportation has made plans to remove the bridge carrying Valley Drive (former NY 31C) over Skaneateles Creek in the town of Elbridge. Demolition of the structure is scheduled to begin in mid-2014 and cost $300,000. Once removed, the bridge, built in 1921, will not be replaced.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
within the town of Elbridge
Elbridge (town), New York
Elbridge is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,091 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Elbridge Gerry, a Vice President of the United States, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence....
in Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It begins at an intersection with NY 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
in the village of Elbridge
Elbridge (village), New York
The Village of Elbridge, is a village located in the western part of the Town of Elbridge and the western area of Onondaga County, New York, USA, about west of Syracuse. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
and ends at a junction with NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
in the village of Jordan
Jordan, New York
Jordan is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,314 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. The highway is known locally as Jordan Road and Main Street.
The route was once part of the Jordan and Skaneateles Plank Road, a plank road
Plank road
A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were very popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...
established by a New York State Legislature charter in the 1850s. It spanned a short distance from Jordan to the village of Skaneateles
Skaneateles (village), New York
Skaneateles is a village in the town of Skaneateles, Onondaga County, New York, United States. The village is named from and located on the shores of Skaneateles Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. The village, as of the 2000 census, has a population of 2,616 residents. The main highway through the...
and was a successor to the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad
Auburn and Syracuse Railroad
The Auburn and Syracuse Railroad was incorporated on May 1, 1834 to provide easy access to and from Syracuse, New York and the Erie Canal. Construction was begun in 1835, however, was delayed during the Panic of 1837...
, which ceased operations in 1834. However, the plank road lasted less than two decades. In 1866, the Legislature granted another charter, this time creating the Skaneateles Railroad and its corporation, which bought out most of the plank road company.
The alignment of Route 317 south of Jordan was originally County Route 105 (CR 105), a highway maintained by Onondaga County. The highway paralleled Valley Drive, which was designated as New York State Route 31C in the 1930s and located on the opposite (western) side of Skaneateles Creek
Skaneateles Creek
Skaneateles Creek is a river in New York, the United States. It drains Skaneateles Lake to the Seneca River. It flows through Skaneateles, Skaneateles Falls, Mottville, Elbridge, and Jordan before joining the Seneca River, about 2 miles northwest of Jordan, New York.The Erie Canal crossed over...
. In 2002, heavy flooding of the creek washed out a portion of Valley Drive. A bill to transfer maintenance of most of Valley Drive from the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to local governments in exchange for maintenance of CR 105 was subsequently passed by the New York State Legislature and took effect April 1, 2003, at which time the NY 31C designation was removed. The former CR 105 and the portion of former NY 31C in Jordan were designated as NY 317 at the same time.
Route description
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
(Main Street) and South Street (CR 122) in the Onondaga County
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
village of Elbridge
Elbridge (village), New York
The Village of Elbridge, is a village located in the western part of the Town of Elbridge and the western area of Onondaga County, New York, USA, about west of Syracuse. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. The route heads northward from the central intersection, passing a small commercial lot to the west and several residential homes to the north and west. Just to the west of the highway is Valley Drive, formerly NY 31C, which parallels Route 317 for its entire length. Separating NY 317 and Valley Drive is Skaneateles Creek
Skaneateles Creek
Skaneateles Creek is a river in New York, the United States. It drains Skaneateles Lake to the Seneca River. It flows through Skaneateles, Skaneateles Falls, Mottville, Elbridge, and Jordan before joining the Seneca River, about 2 miles northwest of Jordan, New York.The Erie Canal crossed over...
, which runs between the two highways.
After a short distance in the village, Route 317, known as Jordan Road, continues northwest into the surrounding town of Elbridge
Elbridge (town), New York
Elbridge is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,091 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Elbridge Gerry, a Vice President of the United States, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence....
, where roadside development ends and the highway passes through predominantly open fields. It loosely parallels Skaneateles Creek, turning slightly northward and northwestward to match curves in the waterway. It is during the latter northwest–southeast stretch that Valley Drive ends at a cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
amongst the woods that line the creek.
Jordan, New York
Jordan is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,314 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
In Jordan, Route 317 becomes Elbridge Street and turns west to intersect the northern terminus of Valley Drive. The highway proceeds through the southern portion of the village and crosses Skaneateles Creek to reach a junction with South Main Street. NY 317 turns north onto Main Street and has intersections with Mechanic Street (CR 60) and North Hamilton Street (designated as CR 271 south of Jordan) before it terminates at a junction with NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
north of the village center but within the village limits.
Jordan and Skaneateles Plank Road
The modern routing of NY 317 was originally the northern part of the Jordan and Skaneateles Plank Road. Chartered in 1855, the Jordan and Skaneateles Plank Road Company was set to provide a plank roadPlank road
A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were very popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...
from Jordan
Jordan, New York
Jordan is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,314 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area....
southward to Skaneateles
Skaneateles (village), New York
Skaneateles is a village in the town of Skaneateles, Onondaga County, New York, United States. The village is named from and located on the shores of Skaneateles Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. The village, as of the 2000 census, has a population of 2,616 residents. The main highway through the...
. This plank road was constructed in the 1850s in place of the Syracuse and Auburn Railroad and a small railroad from Skaneateles to Skaneateles Junction, two crude railroads that were in the area which had ended service in 1836 and 1850 respectively. On March 25, 1853, the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
proposed an additional toll gate to be constructed in Elbridge along the plank road. On June 15, 1853, the bill was passed by the Legislature and went into effect.
Although the plank road company lasted less than two decades, it had its share of controversy. In the January 1853 case of Wilson v. Rochester and Syracuse Railroad Company, Wilson, the plaintiff, was traveling southbound along the plank road through Elbridge
Elbridge (village), New York
The Village of Elbridge, is a village located in the western part of the Town of Elbridge and the western area of Onondaga County, New York, USA, about west of Syracuse. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. At a grade crossing with railroad tracks, Wilson fell off his horses and wagon upon hitting the tracks. He then fell onto the tracks below and was permanently injured as a result. In 1861, during Jordan & Skaneateles Plank Road Company vs. Morley, the company sued Morley for evading the toll in Elbridge. Morley countered that the road was in disrepair. However, on the plaintiff's side, the toll collector was aware that Morley had passed through the toll gate but took no action to enforce the toll. If Morley had paid, he would have been liable for $62.50 (equivalent to $ in ).
On April 17, 1866, the plank road company was bought out by the Skaneateles Railroad Company. The state chartered the bill, the railroad was constructed and tolls were to be collected by the railroad company rather than the plank road company.
Designation
In 1908, Valley Drive, a narrow, winding road along the western bank of Skaneateles Creek in the town of ElbridgeElbridge (town), New York
Elbridge is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,091 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Elbridge Gerry, a Vice President of the United States, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence....
, was included in Route 20, an unsigned legislative route
Legislative route
In United States, a legislative route or legislative highway is a highway defined by laws passed in a state legislature. The numbering of such highways may or may not correspond to the numbers familiar to the public as part of the state, U.S. highway, and Interstate highway systems...
extending from Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
in the west to Elbridge in the east. The highway was gradually taken over by the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, beginning with the segment between the Elbridge and Jordan village lines. This section of Valley Drive was legislatively designated as part of State Highway 487 (SH 487) and added to the state highway system on November 2, 1908. The portion within Elbridge was included in the state highway system on December 7, 1911, as part of SH 5080. The Jordan segment was added to the state highway system as part of SH 5630 sometime after 1920.
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
that linked NY 31 in Jordan to NY 5
New York State Route 5
New York State Route 5 is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, and several other smaller cities and...
in Elbridge. The designation was short-lived, however, as the route became the northernmost portion of NY 41
New York State Route 41
New York State Route 41 is a north–south state highway in Central New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with NY 17 in the town of Sanford. Its northern terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Route 20 in the village of Skaneateles...
in the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. NY 41 was truncated to its present northern terminus in Skaneateles
Skaneateles (village), New York
Skaneateles is a village in the town of Skaneateles, Onondaga County, New York, United States. The village is named from and located on the shores of Skaneateles Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. The village, as of the 2000 census, has a population of 2,616 residents. The main highway through the...
ca. 1933. Its former routing between Elbridge and Jordan was redesignated as NY 31C.
NY 31C remained unchanged until 2002 when part of Valley Drive was washed out by flooding from the nearby creek. A bill (S6534, 2002) was introduced in the New York State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
on March 18, 2002, that would transfer ownership and maintenance of CR 105, an alternate route between Jordan and Elbridge on the eastern bank of Skaneateles Creek, from Onondaga County
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
to the New York State Department of Transportation
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...
and give Valley Drive to the town of Elbridge and the villages of Jordan and Elbridge. S6534 was passed by the State Senate on April 29 and by the Assembly on June 20. It was signed into law by Governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
on August 6, 2002, and took effect April 1, 2003.