New York State Route 434 (NY 434) is a state highway located in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. The route extends for from an intersection with NY 96 in the village of Owego to an intersection with U.S. Route 11 (US 11) in the city of Binghamton. In between, NY 434 passes through the towns of Owego and Vestal. The portion of NY 434 from the Tioga–Broome county line to downtown Binghamton is known as the Vestal Parkway. NY 434 is the former route of NY 17 prior to the construction of the Southern Tier Expressway (STE), which NY 434 parallels. The portion of the expressway from Owego to Johnson City opened in 1969, at which time NY 17 was realigned to follow the STE from Owego to Vestal and NY 17's former routing between the two locations was redesignated as New York State Route 188. However, in October 1969, NY 188 was renumbered to NY 434 as the New York State Department of Transportation believed that the 188 designation would lead to confusion with the then-future Interstate 88 (I-88) northeast of Binghamton. One month later, the portion of former NY 17 between Owego and the Tioga–Broome County line was removed from the state highway system. The NY 434 designation was officially assigned on January 1, 1970, and initially extended from the Tioga–Broome county line to Vestal. It was extended eastward to downtown Binghamton by 1973 following the completion of the STE between Johnson City and Binghamton and westward to Owego in the late 1970s after NY 17's former routing from Owego to the county line was re-added to the state highway system. Route description The highway traverses two distinct areas, loosely separated by the Tioga–Broome county line. While the Tioga County section serves small communities and sections of undeveloped, rural areas, the portion in Broome County is a major arterial that runs through Binghamton's western suburbs. The easternmost two blocks of NY 434 in the city of Binghamton are locally maintained while the remainder of the route is maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Tioga County NY 434 begins south of the village of Owego at an intersection with NY 96. The highway heads to the east as a two-lane road, closely paralleling the Southern Tier Expressway (NY 17) as it runs along the southern edge of the Susquehanna River