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Assistan t Secretar y 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , SE Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

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### Mr . Josep h S . Paxto n ^ ^ , County Administrato r

'TJ _ Rockingha mCount y Administratio n Cente r - ^ P.O . Bo x 125 2 - ^ Harrisonburg , V A 2280 3 ^ Dea r Mr . Paxton : Than k yo u for you r lette r t o Secretary LaHoo dsupportin g th e proposa l submitte db y th e Shenandoah Valley Regiona l Airport Commissio n for

agran t unde r th e Smal l Community Ai r

Servic e Developmen t

Progra m(Smal l Communit y Program) . Th e Secretary ha s askedtha t

I^espon do n hi s behal f Th e Smal l Commimity Progra mwas establishe dt o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s ai r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dt o hig h airfare s an dinsufficien t service. Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen t ma y us e th e fund s t o mak e amaximu mo f 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , althoug h n o mor e tha n fou r may b e t o commimitie s i n th e sam e State . I n orde r t o provid e communitie s wit h latitud e i n developin g solution s t o thei r ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut e provide s significan t flexibility i n ho w th e financial assistanc e may b e used . O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen t issue da n orde r

requestin g tha t

communitie s intereste di n receivin g agran t

thi s yea r file thei r application s b y Augus t

2 . A s thes e gran t

request s ar e pendin g befor e th e Department , I amsur e yo u understan dtha t I carmo t commen t o n th e merit s o f an y particular

proposal . 1 assur e you , however , tha t th e Departmen t

wil l giv e full consideratio n t o al l proposal s tha t hav e bee n properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a mplacin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-0119 a s acontac t outside th e recor do f

thi s matter . I appreciat e you r interes t i n thi s program . I f

I ca n provid e further

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e fee l fi-ee t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours ,

Susan L . Kurlan d Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio n an dInternationa l Affair s

### S I 0- 1 10826-00 9 

# f { SHtNANDOA H VALLE Y 

# is m ^ 0

ROCKINGHA M COUNT Y

inl y 5 , 21)1 ! uoAti o O F suresvtsoH S

D M 6 , i=i.oyt

i V«LUA M » , KYoe aJ « MiCHAE t A . ttnanxs i

Tli c llwMjrahl c Ru)iuuri dII . I^li«>t ] Secretar y o f TransfhHlalio n U.S . Departmen t

o f t ransporiaiio n 130 0 Ntt w Jerse y Avenue , St

i Washingloa , D C 2(1590 Dea rSecrciatj ' LaHood : llucktngha mCount

y i s «I K o f tlt c five jurisdiction s tha

t coniiKis e th e Shenandoah X'jille y Regiona l Aiipo o CKmntission . Rtickingha mWrongl y iuppon s (h e Shenandoah Vailc y Kcgi»mo

l Aiiport Commission' s grai

U (^plicatio n befor

e Ihe I>cpani[Hc

mo f IranSjfKtrlaiJi

mundlc r th e Smal l C^omraunit

y Ai r Servic e Ucve!opm« mProgram . I h e AtrfXJr

t i. < crilicu ) fo

r th e cconomit

- vitaitt

y o f ou r regio n an dit s future . Th e Courtl y value s Ihv

* inan y ti«iM.-fU5

i provido J by i

» rggiona t airiHtr l tim i cwnliuue * l o itivci- i signtficanll y in \K

% Ucvclopmen

I ()u f ctmiiimritty'siii r

servic e wa s dtiunalicaH v irapaclcvi follovvini i Ih c event- ; o f

Scplemhc r

11 , 2001 . I'rio t

U i 2001 , tlH ; irgio u hu

dprovr n it s abilit y to supixn t

laisubiidij'^ dair

servic e provide d(h

e carrie r wa s abl e ( aortc r

viable , linicl y an doMnwnita l acuc M l o ailica ! hub s Uu r incumfoc mai r canici , Colga

n Air , bc^an pruvtdtn g Unite dKxprcs s s<.*rvi« « lu WashingU mDulle s Inlcmaiional Airpor t in 20(18 . Upgradin g th e aircraft , i n additio n t o addin g thi s ne w ser

v ic e wit h gneatly-improvc' dfar< s an dconnccliviiy , ha s resulte di n an increasin i numbe r

o f boardings , f

he$ c investment s b y Colgan Ai r represent it e first substantial impmvcmcn l b y a n ai r ciurrie r i n ou r scaic * i n anumbe r

o f years . A s noted , th e rcspoa-i e to thi s chsmge ha s been ver y favorable ; however , th e etudieng e for

tf w Cuinmiiisinn i s tt

t communicate thi s impruvemcn t in ai r service , fare s is A equipment . It i uvcrconi c eight year s o f les s than desirabl e service , an aggressive , sustaine dmarketin g campaig n \ % critical t o adequatel y communicat e thi s positiv e change . lit e oss t ti l intplemen t

suc h aprtigntn i exceed s availabl e loca l resources . Th e Commtsiiio n \\mapplie dfo r agran t t o meet thi s importan t

need .

POS T OFnc t

BO X »*&£ , HAn(»»M«DOBa , V!B«»« A SM3 3



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# He a immBtt^ Iciit- i l o NciTLiii y '.> f 1 ransponaiiol i Jul y 5 . 20 ! i Pag e 2 Approvin g thi s gian t

!b r Ih c Siicncmdoa

h Valle y .••\ir|XJV l Cisminissio n vvi! ! continu e th e positiv e growii i i n passenge

r traffic an diRerca> e revcnvi u fo r tl w carrier , thereb y iessening . o r

possibl y cliniinalin^ , wurtoainwnity' s relianc e o n ih c .Siubsid y unde r tli e Essentia ! ,Ai

r Servic e Progra

m Iliuiik you i n advanc e fu

r your consideralio n o t

thi s appUcatian , .Sitieerel y '"losepli'-^ . {'axto

n 'if^'-'/:y~:'^-^^: t ISP.'g s c : Gregor

y W , Campbell , K.seculivc Director . Slien^uidoa h Vai!$y RegioiiH ! Airpor

t Patrick .1 . Coffield , Count

y Adniinisirator , AugustaCount y Kur t D Hodgen , C!it

v Manager . Cit

y o f lliutisonbta- g Stephe n F . Owx-n

, City Manager , Cit

y o f Stautitot i Michael G . Hamp , ill . Cit

y Muiiager , Cit

y o f Waynesbor

o

AU;iii! i ^liiirctf'. l ctiK^vlSf^' t alln . J R.», , hV({,' \jitiif K Sjifiiii.ai.-'r

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