U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Office of the Secretary 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Suzanne Atwell 

Mayor of Sarasota 

Sarasota City Commission Office 

1565 First Street 

Sarasota, FL 34243 

Dear Mayor Atwell: 

• ·+i ~ 

., ' 

JUL 5 20t2 

1 200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Sarasota Bradenton 

International Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small 

Community Air Service Development Program. 

The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller 

communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or 

insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of 40 grant 

awards each year, although no .more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. 

In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types of projects that can be funded. 

On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pending before the 

Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you that the 

Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. 

As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and this response in Docket 

DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. · 

Sincerely yours, 

~~% Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Program 

------------ . .. .·, 
June 19,2012 

Ms. Aloha Ley 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, W86-3IO 

Washington, DC 20590 

Re: Small Community Air Service Development Program 

Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) 

:near Ms,.Ley: 

,._ 

I am writing as Mayor of the City of Sarasota to express my strong support for the above referenced grant application to the 

Small Community Air Service Development Program. The recent decision by Southwest Airlines to pull AirTran service 

from SRQ is a major blow to the air service and economic competitiveness of the entire region served by Sarasota 

Bradenton International Airport. AirTran accounted for over 360,000 passengers or nearly 30% of all passenger traffic at 

SRQin2Dll. .·•.,.>·. !l·.,·>:;t_. 

, .. : .. ·: 

Sarasota Bradenton also suffers from a lack of access to a westbound airline gatewily. This forces local consumers to drive 

. to other airports, thereby inflicting economic damage on the local econo~y .. 

A 1997 EcenQmic Impact S~udy completed as part of the SRQ Master Plan Update revealed that 57% of all enplariements at 

SRQ were ot:t ofar·~<t 'isitorg spending an average of $665.00 p<,!r visit. Using the CY 2011 AirTran passenger traffic this 

equates t'J 102,690 v!sitors to the SRQ area. Vfhen combined with the 100,000 passengers lost due to no westbound service 

this equates t:> a !oss of (!VCf $.105;000,000 of direct visitor expenditures annually. When the multiplier effect is factored in 

it equates to a loss ofnec.:-ly $~85,C•OO,?OO of economic impact and 2,600jQbs .~o the area. 

:he community is partnering with the airport to match the grant funds dollar for dollar on this critical matter. We ask the 

Dcprtment consider the serious negative effects the recen; app.-oval provided to Southwest Airlines to acquire AirTran 

Airway~> has had on our community and approve the application for assistance. Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Mayor 

Cc: 

.. ' 

The Horionble Ray H: LaHood •' · · ' ' 

~eqetary of Transp-ortation 

United State'S Department of Transpcrtation 

1200 New.J~~rseyAven4e, S.E. 

Washingtaa.,,.DC 20590 · ,_, . 

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. l ..... 

I. 

,{·; ·'' '' Sa1a~~ma City Cornrr.iss;0il Of~ke 

1565 First Street. Sarasota. Fl. :-f236 

Tdephc·m:: 941.-954-41!5 

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