It took less than an hour for a convoy of truckers and trucking advocates to come and go through Skaneateles Friday. But participants are continuing the effort against a proposal that would keep them off some rural, upstate routes.

That effort ended up in Albany on Monday as representatives from the state's trucking industry met with officials from Gov. Paterson's office to discuss the draft proposal.

The draft, which has already received some changes, still has a few steps to go before it can become an official set of regulations.

But industry leaders are still committed to making sure any rules will not hinder truckers.

Charlie Claburn, Northeast Regional Director for Truckers and Citizens United, who helped organize Friday's protest, said he and a handful of trucking advocates discussed concerns about how the proposal will financially affect them.

No agreements or changes were made, he said, and the organization will likely contact representatives in Washington to see if anything can be done at the federal level.

“I'm pretty confident it's all going to play itself out,” said Claburn after the meeting. “Right now, people are trying to make sure everyone's needs get met.”

Gov. Paterson announced the proposal for regulations during a visit in May to Skaneateles.

If passed, the regulations would keep long-distance, commercial trucks off of rural routes such as 41 and 41 A.

However, Route 20 - which runs through Skaneateles and was the road on which the truckers staged Friday's demonstration - would not be included.

The May announcement came after groups such as Upstate New York Safety Coalition Task Force lobbied for the changes. Downstate trucks hauling trash to upstate landfills take rural routes to save time and avoid tolls. Some residents and officials of area communities have said the trucks produce fumes and noise while creating environmental and safety hazards.

But Claburn said Monday that the protest in Skaneateles showed many people support the truckers' stance. It also showed how people can work together to make a point peacefully, he said. Claburn specifically commended Skaneateles Police Chief Lloyd Perkins for allowing the truckers to demonstrate without much interference.

“I understand that these citizens have legitimate concerns,” said Claburn, who added that it would “not be a good situation” if truckers looking for a quicker and more economic trip only had Route 20 as an option.

“The current regulations are only going to make things worse for Skaneateles,” he continued. “We're going to have to come up with a compromise here.”

The proposal still has a few steps before it becomes a set of laws, according to State Department of Transportation spokesperson Skip Carrier. The department is in the process of advancing the draft to the governor's Office of Regulatory Review. Once it is reviewed, it will be subject to a 45-day public comment period before becoming official, Carrier said.

After Friday's demonstration, Skaneateles Mayor and Upstate New York Safety Coalition Task Force participant Bob Green said the task force will continue to lobby for the regulations. The group consists of numerous leaders and citizens from communities throughout upstate New York, not just Skaneateles, he said.

In fact, proponents of the regulations met with officials in Albany two weeks ago, according to Green.

“We've gained attention of the state's leaders,” Green said.

Carrier said the truck issue is “tricky,” as the regulations need to preserve the quality of life in these upstate communities while maintaining a competitive economy throughout the state. State transportation officials have met multiple times with representatives from both sides to try and find a compromise, he said.

“This has been an honest, good-faith effort to come up with something that is workable and enforceable to address the problem,” Carrier said.

The governor's office did not return calls seeking confirmation of Monday's meeting. However, Carrier said the office has been in contact with the organizers of Friday's protest in recent days.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.