- » . ' 

## Offic

e o f th e Mayo

r lli^ mGavi n Newso m Cit y & Count y o f

Sa n Francisc o 

## SI0-100308-04 8 Februar y25 , 201 0 CONTRO L N O Th e Honorabl e Raymon d H . LaHoo d -', : Secretar yl- j Unite d State s Departmen t of Transportatio n 9? , 1200 Ne w JerseyAvenue , S.E . ' . ^ Wasliington , D.C . 2059 0 Dea rSecretar

yLaHood : . r 3 I a m writin g thi s lette ri n respons e t o th e Departmen t of Transportation' s (DOT ) proceedin g (Docket 2010-dD18) t o as k tha t DO T allocat e t o Sa n Francisco on e o f th e fou r(4) ne

w opportunitie s fo rai rservic e betwee n th e Unite d State s an d Tokyo' s Haned a Internationa l Airport . Th e Sa n Francisc

o Ba yAre a i s not onl yhom e t o th e nation' s oldes t an d mos t vibran t Japanese-America n community , bu t ha

s lon g been , an d remains , a ke yfocu s of economi c activit ybetwee n th e U.S . an d Japan . Ou rcit y i s prou d of ou rlon g histor ywit h Japa n that date s bac k t o th e landin g o n ou rshore s of th e firs t officia l diplomati c missio n fro m Japa n i n Marc h of 1860 , that continue d throug h th e fonnatio n o f th e firs t Japantow n i n th e Unite d State s eari ylast century , th e signin g of th e Peac e Treat yo f Sa n Francisc

o i n 1951 , th e formatio n of th e firs t U.S.-Japanes e Siste rCit yprogra m (Sa n Francisco wit h Osaka) i n 195 7 t o th e present , wher e th e vibran t commercia l an d cultura l partnershi p wit h Japa n i s par t o f ou rcity' s fabric . Togethe rwit h Sa n Jos e an d othe rcommunitie s i n th e Ba yAre a Metropolita n Statistica l Area s (MSA) , Sa n Francisc o ha s th e secon d largest concentratio n of Japanes e ancestr yAmerican s i n th e mainlan d U;S . I f yo u includ e th e entir e state , California' s Japanes e populatio n fa rexceed s tha t o f al l othe rstates , an d i s neari yte n time s that o f Ne w Yori ^ an d 1 5 time s that o

f Illinois . O f particula rimportance i n thi s Haned a proceedin g i s th e fac t that busines s trave l represents a disproportionat e shar e o f Sa n Francisco-Japa n travel . Accordin g t o a n analysi s o f U.S . Commerc e Departmen t data , Japanes e traveler s ar e roughl y30 % mor

e likel yt o trave l t o Californi a fo rbusines s purpose s tha n othe roversea s visitors , an d mor e tha n twic e as likel yt o trave l wit h busines s associates . Nonsto p SF O servic e t o Haned a woul d directl yserv e thi s ke yBa yAre a busines s demand , an d s o provid e a n importan t economi c enhancemen t fo rth e stat e an d th e region . A s Asia' s busies

t airport , wit h connection s throughou t Japan , Haned a offer s a majo rservic e iftiprovemen t fo rU.S . travelers , particularl ytime-sensitiv e busines s travelers . Haneda' s geographi c proximit yto'th e financial an d t)usines s center s o f Toky o (abou t 1 5 kilometers ) an d its connection s wit h manyurba n Toky o transportatio n option s makes i t fa r preferabl e fo rtraveler

s seekin g fas t an d convenien t acces s t o downtow n Toky o tha n Narita Internationa l Airport , 7 5 kilometer s away . Whil e estimate s vary , Haned a service coul d cu t a n hou ro rmor e frd m today' s time-consumin g an d costl yjourneybetwee n downtow n Tokyo an d Narita , an d s o th e overal l journe yfro m th e U.S . t o Tokyo .

] Dr . Carlto n B . Goodiet t Place , Roo m200 , .Sa

n Francisco , Californi a94102-464 1 gavin.newsom@sfgov.or g • (415 ) 554-614 1

### Offic e o f th e Mayo r Cit y & Count y o f

Sa n Francisc o 

### Gavi n Neivso m Th e publi c interest i n maximizin g th e benefits of th e newly-negotiate d U.S . carrie racces s t o Haned a cleari yfavor s allocatin g a Haned a servic e opportunit yt o a n applican t - i n thi s case , Unite d Airiine s ~ that seek s t o serve th e Ba

y Area , a focu s o

f US-Japa n commerce . W e congratulat e you rDepartmen t o n negotiatin g U.S . acces s t o thi s importan t Asia n hu b an d urg e y ^

t o ac t expeditiousl yt o mak

e possibl e nonsto p service betwee n Sa n Francisc o an d Haneda .

1 D r Carlto n B . Goodiet t

Place , Roo m200 , Sa

n Francisco , Californi a94102-464 1 gavin.newsom@sfgov.or g • (415 ) 554-614 1