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.
"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.
The Citizens' Say
There are 14 comment(s)
Charliek wrote on May 18, 2008 4:18 AM:
nature lover wrote on May 13, 2008 12:04 PM:
MISSEY1941 wrote on May 13, 2008 11:34 AM:
The trucks get off 81 at Homer and travel up thorough New Hope on the west side of Skaneateles Lake then they cross over to 38a just before Dutch Hollow CC and then go into Auburn.The stretch of road that is most dangerous is from the Grocery Store in Qwasco to the city line. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on May 13, 2008 11:12 AM:
The previous owner has 2 indoor/outdoor cats who are always around and happy to see visitors. They also have 2 dogs I haven't met. The owners have lived there nearly 20 years.
In driving by, I have yet to see so much as a dead squirrel in the road right along that stretch.
I picked a place set back a bit from the road (wish it were even more), with trees between road and house, and lots of interesting stuff for cats out back -- all important features for a pet owner. Maybe it's that the place is less than half a mile from town (Moravia) -- I've been there 3 times, for an hour or more each time, (twice at mid-day and once later in the afternoon) and haven't seen any garbage trucks passing -- maybe they get onto 38A further along?
There's not a lot in my price range and I really like this little place, and need to get away from the heavy exposure to agricultural toxins in the huge, beautiful house where I now live. :-(
Thanks, Webmaster -- much better! "
MISSEY1941 wrote on May 13, 2008 9:32 AM:
I live on 38A,Do not let your cats out of the house! All the pets over the last 20 years have been killed on that road when they were allowed to roam free. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on May 13, 2008 7:35 AM:
nature lover wrote on May 12, 2008 8:58 PM:
ballsymf wrote on May 12, 2008 8:36 PM:
nature lover wrote on May 12, 2008 7:18 PM:
Farmer's Gal wrote on May 12, 2008 5:34 PM:
Trucking companies have been cutting corners by passing off their cost of doing business on us -- while endangering our lakes and watersheds, making it unsafe to walk or bike on small roads in our towns, damaging our roads and shaking our homes with damaging noise pollution.
Let the downstate trash haulers pay their own cost of doing business and charge it to those whose trash they are hauling instead of passing it off on us.
And if trucking gets too costly, let them use rail -- less pollution and more containment of traffic. "
Farmer's Gal wrote on May 12, 2008 4:57 PM:
interested wrote on May 12, 2008 4:29 PM:
Coach wrote on May 12, 2008 1:26 PM:
nature lover wrote on May 12, 2008 1:03 PM: