KUR T SPYCHE R COUNCILN'reN'ffiE R 

# ^OFPARTMEN TO F mMMSPORTATlON ' i;OCKE TOPERATION S 201 0 OCT.- UA S^2U . OFFIC EO FTH ECIT Y COUNCI L

15 6 S.BROADWAY . SUIT E23 U I TURLOCK , CALIFORNI A953S 0 | PHON E209-668-554 0 l FA X209-668-566 8 Augus t 9 , 201 0

Ra y LaHood , Secretar y o f Transponalio n U.S . Deparlmen l orTmnsportatiu n <I00 7 " Street , S W Washiiiglon , D C 2059 0 Subject : Smal l Coininunit) ' Ai r Sen'ic e Developmen t Progra m Modest o Citj--Count y Airport , Modesto , C A Dea r Mr . Secretary , I a mwritin g t o shar e m y stron g suppor t fo r th e Modest o Cily-Counl y Airport' s elTort s t o atquir e gra mfund s throug hth e Federa l Departmen t

o f Transportaiion' s Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Program . Thes e fund s ar c intende dt o improv e ai r servic e t o ou r

community , b y assi-stin g a nairlin e t o ad ddirec t dail y passenge r

ai r servic e betwee nModest o (MOD ) an dPortlan do r

Phoenix . Existin g passenge r

sen'ic c a t

MO D consist s o f

flight s t o an dfro mSa n Francisco' s SF O airport . Unfortunately , thes e flight s ar e frequentl y delaye ddu e t o SF O weathe r concern s o r

ai r traffi c congestion , resultin g i ntravelers ' reluctanc e t o depen dupo nthe mfo r

timel y connection s (se e attachment) . Thi s leve l o f servic e doe s no t

mee t th e need s o f

th e area' s ai r uavclcis . I believ e tha t ther e i s hig hdeman dfo r ai r servic e t o othe r

hub s wit hmor u reliabl e fliglit s an dadditiona l trave l options . A s congestio no nare atoad\vay 5 an dgasolin e price s boti i increase , ai r traveler s ar e burdene db y length y drive s t o distan t airports . Th e additio no f ane w hu b wil l provid e awelcom e solutio nfo r thos e i nou r

community , a s wel l a s traveler s fro moutljin g area s o f th e centra l valle y an dtli c foothill s region . Commercia l ai r

servic e at

Modest o City-Count y Airpor t play s a nimportan t

rol e i nprovidin g suppor t t o business , government , education , an dleisur e trave l t o an dfro mou r area . Futur e growt han dvitalit y i nth e Modest o communit y depends , i npa no nth e airport' s abilit y t o mee t th e need s o f

e.xistin g loca l businesses , a s wel l a s companie s considerin g lli c Centra l Valle y a s alocatio nfo r thei r operations . Eas e o f

trave l t o an dfro mou r

communit y vi adirec t

dail y passenge r servic e i s a nimportan t

elemen t i nlayin g th e groundwor k fo r th e community' s future . I a mconfiden t

yo u wil l agre e tha t

a ninvestmen t

i nthi s projec t

a t Modest o City-Count y Airpor t wil l pro\id e grea t beneflc s fo r

traveler s thnjughou t

th e entir e Centra l Valley . Thi s i s aprojec t (ha t ha s sticn g communit y support , an dwit h you r help , ca nprovid e substantia l benefit s t o th e community . Fo r thes e rcasons, I urg e yo u t o strongl y conside r Modest o City-Count y Airpor t

a s aworth y recipien t

o f th e Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Progra mgrant . Sincerely, , KUR T SPYCHE R Councilmeinbe r KS:kei v 

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Modest o City-Count yAirpor t - Smal l Communit yAi rServic e Developmen t Gran t - Augus t 201 0 5 3