We welcome the announcement by Gov. David Paterson that out-of-town trash hauling trucks will be kept off rural roads in this region.

Paterson has directed the state Department of Transportation to ink a policy, similar to one recently enacted in New Jersey, that would keep trucks on interstate highways more often than not.

Much of the impetus behind Monday's announcement came from U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, who has been at the forefront of this issue and seems to have personally persuaded Paterson to get on board.

We're not entirely unsympathetic to the added expense trucking companies will incur, but we disagree with Don Gentilcore, of the Seneca Meadows landfill, who claims that “more information needs to be gathered” before “quick” decisions are made.

The negative impact on trucks rumbling through small towns and villages in the Finger Lakes region has been verified, studied and criticized for more than a decade.

Perhaps trucking proponents should direct their energy at the state Thruway Authority. The ever-increasing tolls on that interstate are one of the biggest reasons drivers look for alternative routes.

We've expressed concerns about Paterson's approach to economic development in upstate New York, but we're glad to see him take a stand on this issue and make an executive decision that cuts most of the red tape involved.

The other option to curtail truck traffic would have been to have the state Legislature pass a law, and we all know how poorly the state Assembly and Senate work together. Legislation regarding truck traffic has been introduced in the past but has failed to find enough bipartisan support to see it through.

Paterson has made the right move here, and we urge him to continue to keep upstate issues on his radar.