:: U.S. Department of Transportation Office ofthe Secretary ofTransportation



### The Honorable Charles P. Sammarone Mayor ofYoungstown Youngstown, OH 44503

DearMayor Sammarone: Assistant Secretary 

### July 3, 

### 2012 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590



### Thank you for your letteraddressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport for a grant underthe U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretaryhas requested that I respond onhis behalf.

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. Underthe statute, the Departmentmaymake a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 awards may be to communities inthe same State. In orderto provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojects that canbe funded.

OnMay 15, the Departmentissued an orderrequesting that communities**interes~ed** 

### inreceiving a grant this year file their applications by June 11. Asthese grantrequests are pending before.the Department, I cannot comment onthe merits ofanyparticularproposal. I assure you that the Departmentwill give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed.

As is ournormal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response inDocket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate yourinterest in this program. Sincerely yours,

usan 

### L. Kurland · Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

# ...

# CITY OF**\~{i01UN.GSTOVVN.** l\1AYOR CHARLES P. SAI\11\11\RONE OFl'TCE OF THE MAYOR Cll'Y IIALL •:11J S. PURl'S STRhET •YOUNGSTOWN. OHIO 44503 PHONE: 330.742.8701 •FAX: 330.7-13J335 .June 6, 2012

TI1e Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary ofTransportation U.S. Depart!nent ofTransportation 400 

### 7'h Street, SW Room 6401 Washington, DC 20590

. 

### RE:Youngstown-Warren RegionalAirport
Dear Secretary LaHood: 

### DocketDOT-OST-2012-0069

We are writing to respectfully express our support fot the Youngstown-Warren Regional Aupott's grant application for funding under the Small Community 

### Air Service Development Program. A successful grant application is one of several steps 

### in the Airport's proposed Passenger Service Enhancement Strategy to re-establish regularly scheduled commercial air service in the YoungstownWarren Sharon metropolitan service area. · During the past 

### 15 years, the Airport has received in excess of$60 million from federal, state, and local government agencies for capital improvements. The local community has formed a vital partnership of governments and private organizations and businesses t11rough the creation.

### of the Western Reserve Port Authority) which owns and manages t11e semces in the Airport. Although the conununity is strongly supportive oft11e Airpo1t, tl1e lack ofcompetitive pricing and quality air services in the past has
now caused the Aitpor.t to 

### be l.tndemtilized and has resulted in t11c 800,000 residents ofEastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania to drive to Cleveland or. Pittsburgh fot their air tr.avcl needs. In addition, larger auports now require an additional one to two hours for air travelers to secute'parking and check through security systems. The success of other regional airports such as**Akron~Canton** dearly demonstrates that there is a viable place for small to midsize auports inthe' aviation industry. Witl1 d1c assistance of dus grant, the Airport would be able to offer superior air services at lower costs to t11e community and would contribute grearly to securing the future ofthe Airport. Congress developed tlus program specifically tohelp communities like the**Youngsto\vn~Warren-Shawn** metropolitan service area improve theirbusiness di.tnate, spur economic development, and enhance d1e quality oflife through the development ofair service. The Youngstown-Wa1-ren-Sharon metropolitan setvice area is the most concentrated manufacturing region in Ohio but has one of d1c highest unemploymen.t rates of any metropolitan area in Ohio. As the Ai.tport is a critical component ofthe community's economic development strategy, failure to redevelop air service will only impede ou1: ability to attract and retain employers to our community. Therefore, it is imperative that our Airpott is successful in.securing funding under the Small Community Au- Service Development Pt:ogram.
We support and appreciate your positi\•e consideration of the proposal for a Small Community Au· Service Development Ptogram grant for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Aitport and the conununity it serves.

### r~ 

# ·

-;:c·f**(}D~I~** 

# uCharles P. Satnmarone 

### S10-:.20G 13-009