New York State Route 164 (1939)

Infobox road
state=NY


type=NY
route=164
length_mi=13
length_round=0
length_ref=cite map|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?q=from%3A%20McLean%20Ave%20%4040.920444%2C%20-73.895809%20to%3ANereid%20Ave%20%4040.899230%2C%20-73.846159%20to%3A%20Baychester%20Ave%2FThomas%20E%20Brown%20Ave%20%4040.881270%2C%20-73.838740&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl|title=Overview map of former NY 164|publisher=Google Maps|date=2008|cartography=NAVTEQ]
alternate_name=McLean Avenue
Nereid Avenue
Baychester Avenue
Eastern Boulevard
established=1939
decommissioned=by January 1, 1970
direction_a=West
starting_terminus=
direction_b=East
ending_terminus=
counties=Westchester, Bronx
previous_type=NY
previous_route=163
next_type=NY
next_route=164The second alignment of State Route 164 (also known as NY 164), assigned in 1939, was a highway in the New York City Metropolitan Area. Route 164, which ran along McLean Avenue in Yonkers, and four other local streets in the Bronx, was assigned for the purpose of getting people to the 1939 World's Fair, which was going to be held New York City. The highway began at U.S. Route 9 and New York State Route 9A in Yonkers, headed eastward along McLean Avenue and into the Bronx, where it changes to Nereid Avenue (also known as East 238th Street). Route 164 then followed Nereid to the intersection with Baychester Avenue, where it turned south along Baychester (part of the original Baychester Avenue has been paved over by the New England Thruway). South of the Pelham Parkway, Route 164 continued along Eastern Boulevard (the original road has been paved over by the Bruckner Expressway) until Southern Boulevard (former NY 1A).

Although the World's Fair in 1939 passed, the designation along these city streets remained for 25 or so years. As I-95 and the Hutchinson River Parkway opened in the 1950s and 1960s, Route 164 was proressively shortened from its south end. By January 1, 1970, the New York State Department of Transportation (created in 1967), had reassigned the 164 designation up in Putnam County along part of New York State Route 216. At the time Route 164 was removed from New York City, the designation had ended at Boston Road (US 1) in the Baychester section of the Bronx.

During the peak of expressway and parkway construction in New York City, a proposed expressway paralleling the northern segment of Route 164 known as the City Line Expressway was developed. The proposal was never implemented.

Route description

Route 164 began at an intersection with U.S. Route 9 and New York State Route 9A (a suffixed spur of US 9) in the city of Yonkers, in Westchester. The highway headed southeastward as McLean Avenue, passing Sutherland Park and Pelton Park at an intersection with Van Cortlandt Park Avenue. Radford Street merged into 164 not too far after. The city street continued southeastward, intersecting with Park Hill Road. The route then made a U-turn to the north, interchanging with the Saw Mill River Parkway. The New York State Thruway came after.

Just after the Thruway interchange, Route 164 turned to the southeast and into the Bronx, where it became known as East 240th Street. The route crossed Webster Avenue and changed name to Nereid Avenue and East 238th Street. Not far by was a station for the New York City Subway. The highway continued as Nereid Avenue until the intersection with Baychester Avenue, where it turned southeastward on the aforementioned street. The route went past Seton Falls Park, terminating at U.S. Route 1 (Boston Post Road).

History

Route 164 was assigned in 1939, as an access road to the 1939 World's Fair, which was to take place in the city. The route served as a guide for traffic heading to the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge from points in Manhattan (via Route 1A) and from the Alpine-Yonkers Ferry in Yonkers. The route was designated along city streets from US 9/NY 9A to NY 1A. [cite web|url=http://www.nycroads.com/roads/state_NYC/|author=Steven Anderson|title=New York City:State and U.S. Routes|accessdate=2008-08-14|date=2008] The highway designation continued to exist even after the World's Fair had passed [cite map|title=Official Highway Map of New York State |publisher=State of New York Department of Public Works |edition=1947-48 |cartography=General Drafting] , lasting for at least another 25 years. By the beginning of 1970, the New York State Department of Transportation had reassigned the designation to a road in Putnam County. [cite web|url=http://www.greaternyroads.info/pdfs/state70.pdf|title=Official Description of Touring Routes in New York State|date=1970-01-01|author=State of New York Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-08-14] In the late 1950s, Route 164 also proposed to be realigned onto a new expressway (the City Line Expressway), which would have run along the Bronx–Westchester border. [cite web|url=http://www.nycroads.com/roads/city-line/|title=City Line Expressway|author=Steven Anderson|accessdate=2008-08-14|date=2008]

Major intersections

NYint
county=Westchester
cspan=1
location=Yonkers
lspan=1
mile=0.00
road=jct|state=NY|US|9|NY|9ANYint
county=Bronx
cspan=1
location=Bronx
lspan=1
mile=5.0
road=jct|state=NY|US|1

References