New York State Route 408
Encyclopedia
New York State Route 408 (NY 408) is a 15.95 miles (25.67 km) state highway
located entirely within Livingston County, New York
, in the United States. It runs north–south from an intersection with NY 70
near the hamlet of Dalton in the town of Nunda
to a junction with NY 63
in the town of Groveland
near NY 408's exit with Interstate 390 (I-390). Most of NY 408 is a two-lane rural highway that passes through lightly developed areas; however, the last two miles (3 km) of the highway, where it runs in a due east–west direction, are heavily trafficked as NY 408 becomes a key connector road in both directions.
The origins of NY 408 date back to the early 20th century when the portion of the route north of the village of Nunda
became part of two unsigned legislative route
s. One of the two, Route 15, utilized the segment of modern NY 408 northeast of Mount Morris
, and this segment became part of the signed NY 36
in the mid-1920s. Most of the route remained unnumbered until the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, however, at which time NY 36 was moved off the highway and all of what is now NY 408 became part of NY 63. That route was realigned as well in the early 1940s to head southeast from Mount Morris to Dansville
, giving way to NY 408.
NY 408, like its predecessor, initially extended southwest from Dalton to Hinsdale
in Cattaraugus County
via Angelica
. During the first few years of its existence, NY 408 had an easterly alternate route between Angelica and Dalton. The route, designated New York State Route 408A (previously New York State Route 63A), became part of NY 408 itself in the late 1940s. NY 408 was cut back to its current southern terminus in the mid-1970s following the construction of the Southern Tier Expressway between Hinsdale and Angelica.
at the hamlet of Dalton in the southern portion of the town of Nunda
. It follows a mostly straight and rural road, save for one easterly deviation to bypass a hill, for 2 miles (3.2 km) to the village of Nunda
, where it takes the name State Street. In the center of the village, NY 408 intersects NY 436
, another route of regional importance. From Nunda, it continues as Mount Morris – Nunda Road in the same direction for the next 10 miles (16 km) through open farmland and meadows in the towns of Nunda and Mount Morris
. Midway along this stretch, County Route 3 (CR 3), formerly the westernmost portion of NY 258
, leaves to the east.
North of Nunda, NY 408 roughly parallels the eastern edge of Letchworth State Park
, gradually getting closer to the park as it proceeds onward. Eventually, the route connects to the park at its northeast entrance, but subsequently curves to the northeast to enter the village of Mount Morris
on Chapel Street. In the village's business district, NY 408 joins the village's main street, NY 36
, for one wide block north to State Street. Here, NY 408 breaks from NY 36 and leaves Mount Morris in a more easterly direction. A slight descent starts a straight route across the low-lying wetlands next to the Genesee River
, and I-390
is visible in the distance. There is almost no development on this portion due to the wetlands; however, there is a grade crossing with the Genesee and Wyoming Railroad
subdivision of the Rochester and Southern Railroad
.
Immediately after crossing Canaseraga Creek, a tributary of the Genesee River, NY 408 meets I-390 at the freeway's exit 7. Just northeast of the interchange is a junction with NY 63
, where NY 408 comes to an end. NY 63, meanwhile, turns north here to follow the right-of-way of NY 408 northward on Mount Morris – Geneseo Road toward the village of Geneseo. Although I-390 passes close to Geneseo, there is no exit for the village itself; instead, the connection is made via exit 7 (NY 408 and NY 63) heading northbound and exit 8 (U.S. Route 20A
) heading southbound. As a result, the segment of NY 408 between I-390 and NY 63 has the second-highest traffic volume of any section of the route—an estimated 9,400 vehicles per day as of 2009. In fact, the piece of NY 408 from Mount Morris east sees far higher traffic volumes than the remainder of the highway, with the part that overlaps NY 36 carrying an average of 11,680 cars per day in 2009.
s assigned by the New York State Legislature in the early 20th century. In 1908, the portion northeast of Mount Morris
became part of Route 15, which initially extended from Hornell
to Caledonia
via Dansville
and Mount Morris. Route 15 mostly followed modern NY 36
; however, from Dansville to Mount Morris, it used what is now NY 63
and NY 408 instead. In 1911, the Nunda
– Mount Morris segment of modern NY 408 was included in Route 43, a highway leading southwestward from Mount Morris to Portageville
via Nunda. West of Nunda, Route 43 utilized today's NY 436
. The remainder of modern NY 408 did not become part of a legislative route; however, it was taken over by the state of New York by 1926 nonetheless.
Although the entirety of modern NY 408 was state-maintained by 1926, only one section of the route—the portion designated as part of legislative Route 15—was assigned a posted route number by that time. In the mid-1920s, this piece was designated as part of NY 36, which initially continued north to Geneseo on modern NY 63. It remained part of NY 36 until the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York when NY 36 was altered to exit Mount Morris to the north instead. Its former routing from Mount Morris to Geneseo became part of the new NY 63, which originally continued southwest from Mount Morris for 52 miles (84 km) to a junction with NY 16
in Hinsdale
, a hamlet in eastern Cattaraugus County
.
NY 63 left Mount Morris on the former routing of legislative Route 43 and followed it south to the village of Nunda, from where it continued to the hamlet of Dalton over the previously unnumbered Dalton–Nunda state highway. Past Dalton, NY 63 proceeded southwest to Hinsdale by way of Old State Road, what is now Allegany County
's CR 15, CR 16, and CR 20 (with a brief concurrency
with NY 19
separating CR 16 and CR 20), and modern NY 446
. Also assigned as part of the renumbering was NY 63A, an easterly alternate route of NY 63 from Angelica
to Dalton along current CR 16, CR 15B, and NY 70
. Prior to 1930, the Hinsdale–Amity
(Belvidere) segment of NY 63 was part of NY 17
while the portion of NY 63A south of what is now NY 70 was the westernmost portion of NY 38.
NY 63 continued to pass through Mount Morris until the early 1940s, at which time it was rerouted south of Mount Morris to follow its current alignment through Dansville
to Wayland
. NY 63's former routing to Hinsdale was redesignated as NY 408 while NY 63A was renumbered accordingly to NY 408A. The NY 408A designation was short-lived, however, as NY 408 was realigned ca. 1948 to follow NY 408A from Angelica to Dalton. In the early 1970s, the Southern Tier Expressway was constructed alongside NY 408 from Hinsdale to Angelica, leading to the truncation of NY 408 to its current southern terminus in Dalton ca. 1975. The portion of NY 408's former routing between NY 70 and Main Street in Dalton remained state-maintained until April 1, 1983, when ownership and maintenance of the road was transferred to Livingston County
as part of a highway maintenance swap between the two levels of government. It was subsequently designated as CR 24A.
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...
located entirely within Livingston County, New York
Livingston County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, in the United States. It runs north–south from an intersection with NY 70
New York State Route 70
New York State Route 70 is a short state highway in the western portion of New York in the United States. It travels through three different counties in just and is the primary road to and from the village of Canaseraga. The northern terminus of the route is at an intersection with...
near the hamlet of Dalton in the town of Nunda
Nunda (town), New York
Nunda pronounced to the out of towner as "none day", is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 3,017 at the 2000 census...
to a junction with NY 63
New York State Route 63
New York State Route 63 is a state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 15 and NY 21 in the village of Wayland in Steuben County. Its northern end is at a junction with NY 18 in the town...
in the town of Groveland
Groveland, New York
Groveland is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 3,853 at the 2000 census.The Town of Groveland is centrally located in the county, south of Geneseo.- History :...
near NY 408's exit with Interstate 390 (I-390). Most of NY 408 is a two-lane rural highway that passes through lightly developed areas; however, the last two miles (3 km) of the highway, where it runs in a due east–west direction, are heavily trafficked as NY 408 becomes a key connector road in both directions.
The origins of NY 408 date back to the early 20th century when the portion of the route north of the village of Nunda
Nunda (village), New York
Nunda is a village in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2000 census.The Village of Nunda is located on the west side of the Town of Nunda. Note: the town and village name is pronounced "None-day."...
became part of two 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...
s. One of the two, Route 15, utilized the segment of modern NY 408 northeast of Mount Morris
Mount Morris (village), New York
Mount Morris is a village located in the Town of Mount Morris in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 3,266 at the 2000 census. The village and town are named after Robert Morris....
, and this segment became part of the signed NY 36
New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36 is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monroe County, where it ends at an intersection with NY 31...
in the mid-1920s. Most of the route remained unnumbered until the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, however, at which time NY 36 was moved off the highway and all of what is now NY 408 became part of NY 63. That route was realigned as well in the early 1940s to head southeast from Mount Morris to Dansville
Dansville, Livingston County, New York
Dansville is a village in the town of North Dansville in the eastern part of Livingston County, New York, United States. As of the census, the village population was 4,832. The village is named after Daniel Faulkner, an early settler. Interstate 390 passes next to the west side of the village.-...
, giving way to NY 408.
NY 408, like its predecessor, initially extended southwest from Dalton to Hinsdale
Hinsdale, New York
Hinsdale is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,270 at the 2000 census. The town was named after another location: Hinsdale, New Hampshire....
in Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
via Angelica
Angelica (village), New York
Angelica is a village in Allegany County, New York, USA. The population was 903 at the 2000 census. The village and the town are named after Angelica Church, a daughter of General Philip Schuyler and wife of John Barker Church....
. During the first few years of its existence, NY 408 had an easterly alternate route between Angelica and Dalton. The route, designated New York State Route 408A (previously New York State Route 63A), became part of NY 408 itself in the late 1940s. NY 408 was cut back to its current southern terminus in the mid-1970s following the construction of the Southern Tier Expressway between Hinsdale and Angelica.
Route description
NY 408, also known in the area as Nunda–Dalton Road, begins at a quiet intersection with NY 70New York State Route 70
New York State Route 70 is a short state highway in the western portion of New York in the United States. It travels through three different counties in just and is the primary road to and from the village of Canaseraga. The northern terminus of the route is at an intersection with...
at the hamlet of Dalton in the southern portion of the town of Nunda
Nunda (town), New York
Nunda pronounced to the out of towner as "none day", is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 3,017 at the 2000 census...
. It follows a mostly straight and rural road, save for one easterly deviation to bypass a hill, for 2 miles (3.2 km) to the village of Nunda
Nunda (village), New York
Nunda is a village in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2000 census.The Village of Nunda is located on the west side of the Town of Nunda. Note: the town and village name is pronounced "None-day."...
, where it takes the name State Street. In the center of the village, NY 408 intersects NY 436
New York State Route 436
New York State Route 436 is an east–west state highway located in the western portion of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 39 in the Pike hamlet of Lamont to a junction with NY 36 in the village of Dansville...
, another route of regional importance. From Nunda, it continues as Mount Morris – Nunda Road in the same direction for the next 10 miles (16 km) through open farmland and meadows in the towns of Nunda and Mount Morris
Mount Morris (town), New York
Mount Morris is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 4,567 at the 2000 census. The town and village were named after Robert Morris, the financier of the American Revolution....
. Midway along this stretch, County Route 3 (CR 3), formerly the westernmost portion of NY 258
New York State Route 258
New York State Route 258 is a state highway located entirely within the town of Groveland in Livingston County, New York, United States. It connects NY 36 in the hamlet of Ross Corners to NY 63 in the hamlet of Groveland. NY 258 is named Flats Road and passes through the flat...
, leaves to the east.
North of Nunda, NY 408 roughly parallels the eastern edge of Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park is a New York state park located 35 miles southwest of Rochester and 60 miles southeast of Buffalo in Livingston and Wyoming counties. The park is roughly 17 miles long, covering of land along the Genesee River...
, gradually getting closer to the park as it proceeds onward. Eventually, the route connects to the park at its northeast entrance, but subsequently curves to the northeast to enter the village of Mount Morris
Mount Morris (village), New York
Mount Morris is a village located in the Town of Mount Morris in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 3,266 at the 2000 census. The village and town are named after Robert Morris....
on Chapel Street. In the village's business district, NY 408 joins the village's main street, NY 36
New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36 is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monroe County, where it ends at an intersection with NY 31...
, for one wide block north to State Street. Here, NY 408 breaks from NY 36 and leaves Mount Morris in a more easterly direction. A slight descent starts a straight route across the low-lying wetlands next to the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
, and I-390
Interstate 390
Interstate 390 is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway located entirely within New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the Southern Tier Expressway in the town of Avoca. Its northern terminus is at I-490 in Rochester...
is visible in the distance. There is almost no development on this portion due to the wetlands; however, there is a grade crossing with the Genesee and Wyoming Railroad
Genesee and Wyoming Railroad
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. is a short-line railroad holding company that owns or maintains interests in 63 railroads throughout six countries , and operates more than of owned and leased track, with more than under additional track-access arrangements...
subdivision of the Rochester and Southern Railroad
Rochester and Southern Railroad
The Rochester and Southern Railroad , a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc., is a class III shortline that runs from the city of Rochester in Monroe County to Silver Springs, NY. The RSR started in 1986, when the B&O sold off its Buffalo and Rochester branches...
.
Immediately after crossing Canaseraga Creek, a tributary of the Genesee River, NY 408 meets I-390 at the freeway's exit 7. Just northeast of the interchange is a junction with NY 63
New York State Route 63
New York State Route 63 is a state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 15 and NY 21 in the village of Wayland in Steuben County. Its northern end is at a junction with NY 18 in the town...
, where NY 408 comes to an end. NY 63, meanwhile, turns north here to follow the right-of-way of NY 408 northward on Mount Morris – Geneseo Road toward the village of Geneseo. Although I-390 passes close to Geneseo, there is no exit for the village itself; instead, the connection is made via exit 7 (NY 408 and NY 63) heading northbound and exit 8 (U.S. Route 20A
U.S. Route 20A (New York)
U.S. Route 20A is an east–west alternate route of US 20 that extends for across the western portion of New York in the United States. It leaves US 20 in Hamburg, a suburb of Buffalo, and rejoins it in East Bloomfield about five miles west of Canandaigua, the county seat of...
) heading southbound. As a result, the segment of NY 408 between I-390 and NY 63 has the second-highest traffic volume of any section of the route—an estimated 9,400 vehicles per day as of 2009. In fact, the piece of NY 408 from Mount Morris east sees far higher traffic volumes than the remainder of the highway, with the part that overlaps NY 36 carrying an average of 11,680 cars per day in 2009.
History
Most of what is now NY 408 was originally part of one of several unsigned legislative routeLegislative 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...
s assigned by the New York State Legislature in the early 20th century. In 1908, the portion northeast of Mount Morris
Mount Morris (village), New York
Mount Morris is a village located in the Town of Mount Morris in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 3,266 at the 2000 census. The village and town are named after Robert Morris....
became part of Route 15, which initially extended from Hornell
Hornell, New York
Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 9,019 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. Its current population has not yet been released by the new census....
to Caledonia
Caledonia (village), New York
Caledonia is a village in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 2,327 at the 2000 census. The name refers to Scotland.The Village of Caledonia is located inside the Town of Caledonia and is southwest of Rochester, Monroe County....
via Dansville
Dansville, Livingston County, New York
Dansville is a village in the town of North Dansville in the eastern part of Livingston County, New York, United States. As of the census, the village population was 4,832. The village is named after Daniel Faulkner, an early settler. Interstate 390 passes next to the west side of the village.-...
and Mount Morris. Route 15 mostly followed modern NY 36
New York State Route 36
New York State Route 36 is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monroe County, where it ends at an intersection with NY 31...
; however, from Dansville to Mount Morris, it used what is now NY 63
New York State Route 63
New York State Route 63 is a state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 15 and NY 21 in the village of Wayland in Steuben County. Its northern end is at a junction with NY 18 in the town...
and NY 408 instead. In 1911, the Nunda
Nunda (village), New York
Nunda is a village in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2000 census.The Village of Nunda is located on the west side of the Town of Nunda. Note: the town and village name is pronounced "None-day."...
– Mount Morris segment of modern NY 408 was included in Route 43, a highway leading southwestward from Mount Morris to Portageville
Portageville, New York
Portageville is a hamlet located in the town of Genesee Falls in Wyoming County, New York, United States. Its name derives from the Native American canoists who would withdraw their craft from the river to avoid going over three waterfalls in the Genesee River gorge...
via Nunda. West of Nunda, Route 43 utilized today's NY 436
New York State Route 436
New York State Route 436 is an east–west state highway located in the western portion of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 39 in the Pike hamlet of Lamont to a junction with NY 36 in the village of Dansville...
. The remainder of modern NY 408 did not become part of a legislative route; however, it was taken over by the state of New York by 1926 nonetheless.
Although the entirety of modern NY 408 was state-maintained by 1926, only one section of the route—the portion designated as part of legislative Route 15—was assigned a posted route number by that time. In the mid-1920s, this piece was designated as part of NY 36, which initially continued north to Geneseo on modern NY 63. It remained part of NY 36 until the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York when NY 36 was altered to exit Mount Morris to the north instead. Its former routing from Mount Morris to Geneseo became part of the new NY 63, which originally continued southwest from Mount Morris for 52 miles (84 km) to a junction with NY 16
New York State Route 16
New York State Route 16 is a state highway in western New York, United States. It runs from the Pennsylvania state line, where it is one of the highest highways in the state in elevation, to downtown Buffalo. NY 16 is a major route through Erie County, despite the construction of the...
in Hinsdale
Hinsdale, New York
Hinsdale is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,270 at the 2000 census. The town was named after another location: Hinsdale, New Hampshire....
, a hamlet in eastern Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
.
NY 63 left Mount Morris on the former routing of legislative Route 43 and followed it south to the village of Nunda, from where it continued to the hamlet of Dalton over the previously unnumbered Dalton–Nunda state highway. Past Dalton, NY 63 proceeded southwest to Hinsdale by way of Old State Road, what is now Allegany County
Allegany County, New York
Allegany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,946. Its name derives from a Delaware Indian word, applied by settlers of Western New York State to a trail that followed the Allegheny River. Its county seat is...
's CR 15, CR 16, and CR 20 (with a brief concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with NY 19
New York State Route 19
New York State Route 19 is a north–south state highway in Western New York in the United States. It is the longest state highway in that region, and the only other one besides NY 14 to completely transect the state from the Pennsylvania state line to the shore of Lake Ontario...
separating CR 16 and CR 20), and modern NY 446
New York State Route 446
New York State Route 446 is a state highway in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It parallels the Southern Tier Expressway very closely between Hinsdale and Cuba. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 16 north of the hamlet of Hinsdale...
. Also assigned as part of the renumbering was NY 63A, an easterly alternate route of NY 63 from Angelica
Angelica (village), New York
Angelica is a village in Allegany County, New York, USA. The population was 903 at the 2000 census. The village and the town are named after Angelica Church, a daughter of General Philip Schuyler and wife of John Barker Church....
to Dalton along current CR 16, CR 15B, and NY 70
New York State Route 70
New York State Route 70 is a short state highway in the western portion of New York in the United States. It travels through three different counties in just and is the primary road to and from the village of Canaseraga. The northern terminus of the route is at an intersection with...
. Prior to 1930, the Hinsdale–Amity
Amity, New York
Amity is a town in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 2,245 at the 2000 census. The name of the town means "friendship."The Town of Amity is near the middle of Allegany County and is northeast of Olean, New York...
(Belvidere) segment of NY 63 was part of NY 17
New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17 is a state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States...
while the portion of NY 63A south of what is now NY 70 was the westernmost portion of NY 38.
NY 63 continued to pass through Mount Morris until the early 1940s, at which time it was rerouted south of Mount Morris to follow its current alignment through Dansville
Dansville, Livingston County, New York
Dansville is a village in the town of North Dansville in the eastern part of Livingston County, New York, United States. As of the census, the village population was 4,832. The village is named after Daniel Faulkner, an early settler. Interstate 390 passes next to the west side of the village.-...
to Wayland
Wayland (village), New York
Wayland is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 1,893 at the 2000 census.The Village of Wayland is in north part of the Town of Wayland, near the north border of Steuben County.- History :...
. NY 63's former routing to Hinsdale was redesignated as NY 408 while NY 63A was renumbered accordingly to NY 408A. The NY 408A designation was short-lived, however, as NY 408 was realigned ca. 1948 to follow NY 408A from Angelica to Dalton. In the early 1970s, the Southern Tier Expressway was constructed alongside NY 408 from Hinsdale to Angelica, leading to the truncation of NY 408 to its current southern terminus in Dalton ca. 1975. The portion of NY 408's former routing between NY 70 and Main Street in Dalton remained state-maintained until April 1, 1983, when ownership and maintenance of the road was transferred to Livingston County
Livingston County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
as part of a highway maintenance swap between the two levels of government. It was subsequently designated as CR 24A.