The reconstruction of NY 205 transformed the road into the main north–south connection between West Oneonta and Oaksville. At the same time, the parallel Southern New York Railroad had become unprofitable as the highways running alongside the track had become more appealing to shippers and travelers than the railroad itself. In 1940, the railroad abandoned the section of its line between West Oneonta and Jordanville, Herkimer County. The track ran alongside state routes for most of its length, and the presence of NY 205 and NY 167 was noted as a contributing factor to the line's demise in the railroad's abandonment petition to the Interstate Commerce Commission.