NY 198 begins at exit 11, a semi-directional T-interchange, of I-190 in the Black Rock section in the city of Buffalo, alongside the Niagara River.

[2][3] The portion of Humboldt Parkway between Delaware Avenue and the Kensington Expressway was upgraded into a divided highway in the mid-1960s,[7][8] at which time it became part of NY 198.

[10] The New York State Department of Transportation is investigating eight possible plans for the expressway based on suggestions by community groups over the last fifteen years.

According to the state, there are environmental and economic studies, as required by federal law, currently underway on all eight plans which should be concluded in 2016 at which point public hearings will be held to determine the fate of the corridor.

[11] Due to a fatal accident when a car driven by 28-year-old Christian Myers went off the road and into the park, striking Mary Sugorovskiy and her two children, five-year-old Stephanie and three-year-old Maksym, killing Maksym almost instantly, the speed limit has been permanently dropped as of May 31, 2015, to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h).

Mayor Byron Brown is on record as wanting the speed limit raised beyond Delaware Park in both directions as is Assemblyman Robin Schimminger, while some community groups and Assemblyman Sean Ryan have petitioned Governor Andrew Cuomo to issue an immediate order for conversion in violation of federal law regarding economic and environmental study requirements and construction.