Although NY 961F follows a mostly north–south alignment, it is inventoried as an east–west route by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

This section of the route loosely parallels the Southern Tier Line, which runs through the marshy center of the gully.

[4] The terrain surrounding the highway remains the same in the Steuben County town of Dansville, where the route takes on a slightly more easterly alignment as the valley narrows in width.

[7] During this stretch, NY 961F encounters its first pocket of development, consisting of a small handful of isolated farms and homes.

NY 961F turns east at the river, becoming West Avenue as it crosses the Southern Tier Line at-grade and runs past closely spaced homes on both sides of the road.