Gov. David Paterson came to Skaneateles on Monday to announce that he's directing the state Department of Transportation to establish regulations that will keep large, long-haul trucks on interstate highways for as much of their trip as possible and off local roads in upstate cities, villages and towns.

The new regulations will first be applied to the Finger Lakes region, where local communities have long complained about the impact of large garbage-hauling trucks using local roads to avoid the state Thruway tolls.

"For far too long, people living throughout the Finger Lakes in Onondaga, Cayuga and Tompkins counties have been suffering, trying to get big rigs off the back roads winding through the region," Paterson said in a press release "Residents have rightfully voiced concerns about trucks spilling garbage into lakes and watersheds. People also have expressed concern that the large trucks are damaging roads and houses, emitting fumes, creating noise and making it dangerous to walk or ride bikes on the roadways. I am pleased to announce that I have directed the New York State Department of Transportation to develop a new regulatory policy aimed at keeping large trucks off the Main Streets of Central New York and on the Interstate System, where they should be."

Paterson was joined Monday by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, who has long advocated for a solution to the truck issue, as well as numerous local and state officials.

New Jersey recently developed similar regulations for large trucks, and Paterson intends to use that state's model in developing the New York policy.

For more on this story, read Tuesday's edition of The Citizen.