State Looks at Keeping Big Rigs off Small Roads ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - The New York State Department of Transportation is hoping to keep more big trucks off state highways and on the interstates.

It's rolling out a new set of regulations at a meeting Wednesday night in Syracuse that will tighten restrictions on where long-haul trucks can roll.

DOT Spokesman Charles Carrier says there will be efforts to slow down traffic on certain state highways through towns and villages. Heavy trucks will have to stay on interstates or designated state routes unless they're heading for a terminal or making local pickups and deliveries. The DOT also wants to make it less desirable for truckers to drive state highways by stepping up inspections and permit enforcement checks on those roads.

Carrier says the DOT has worked with local communities and the trucking industry to try and satisfy both sides without hurting business.

This effort is starting in the Finger Lakes because of concerns about long-range trash hauling trucks on roads in Wayne, Seneca and Onondaga Counties. The rules have been worked out between those counties and towns, the state and the trucking industry. If they work out, the DOT wants them to go statewide.
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