Letter from Chip Northrup

Ban Heavy Vehicles from State Route 80

Except for local deliveries, very large trucks and tour buses over 10,000 pounds should be prohibited on roadways next to Otsego Lake. Both roads adjacent to the lake have had catastrophic failures in recent years due to the fact that the underlying soil conditions simply do not support the ongoing impact of 18-wheeled trucks and large tour buses. The damage to roads by overly large vehicles is exponentially greater than that of a car. Neither road is sufficiently policed for speeders—so large trucks use the lake roads as freeways. State Route 80 should be rerouted away from Cooperstown and Springfield Center. The Village of Cooperstown should take the lead on this along with Otsego County. The destruction of the lakeside by 18-wheelers must stop.

Chip Northrup
Cooperstown