U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary ofTransportation

Mr. Andy Van Meter Chairman Sangamon County Board 200 South Ninth Street, Suite 201 Springfield, 

### IL 62701
Dear 

### Mr. Van Meter: Assistant Secretary


### AUG 25 2014. 1200 New Jersey Avenue. SE Washington. DC 20590

Thank you for your letter, addressed to Secretary Foxx, supporting the proposal submitted by Springfield Airpo11 Authority for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. Secretary Foxx asked that I respond to you on his behalf.
The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares and insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than four may be to communities in the same State. To provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofair service development projects that can be funded.
OnJune 30, the Department issued an order setting a deadline ofJuly 31 for applications. As these grant requests are pendingbefore the Department, I carmot comment on the merits ofany particularproposal. I assure you, however, that the Department 

### will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have beenproperly filed.
As is our standard practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2014-0 113 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours, ()

# ~ Susan 

### L. Kurhmd Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Atiairs

# SANGAMON COUNTY COUNTYBOARD OFFICE 200 SouthNinth Street, Suite201 •Springfield, 1162701 •Tel. (217) 753-6650 •Fax(217)753-6651

July28, 2014

Honorable Anthony Foxx Secretary US Department ofTransportation 1200 New JerseyAvenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 RE: AbrahamLincoln CapitalAirport (SPI), Spdngfield IL Small CommunityAir Service Development Program Application DocketDOT-OST-2014-0113 Dear SecretaryFoxx: Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport located in Springfield remains a critical economic engine for Illinois' Capital City and a large portion ofCentral Illinois. Ourlocal airport provides necessary air transportation services to a broad and diversified population base in the Springfield area. It endeavors to serve the air transportation needs for a strong local private business sector, large base ofgovernmental entities, numberof educationalinstitutions, diverse medical services sector, vibrate tourism trade and two locally situatedmilitaryinstallations. Sangamon Countyhas always maintained an excellent working relationship as a public partnerwith the Springfield AirportAuthority. By this letter, we renew our supportfor our local airport as we seek to enhance and grow the commercial air service options atAbrahamLincoln CapitalAirport. Given the current state ofa consolidated airline industry, the fact that Springfield has higher airfares relative to other similarly situated airportsin the region and leaks considerable amount local air travelers to other airports, it is imperative thatwe are solidified as a community and increase our efforts to ensure we retain vital passenger air transportation with the network air service providers currently operating in ourcommunity. We fully support the airport's community orientated awareness program to achieve the goal ofreversing leakage to other airports and to grow ridership on the network air service providers currently serving our community on a daily basis. We thankyou in advance for yourfavorable consideration ofthis application made in partnershipwith the Springfield AirportAuthority. 

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Andy Van Meter, Chairman Sangamon CountyBoard