# u.s. Department ofTransportation Office of 1he St=U::retarv ofTronsportatlon



### The Honorable Robert F. 

## Hagan Ohio House ofRepresentatives 

## Columbus, OH 43215

DearMr. Hagan: 

## ,..,., ,: I 

### July 2012



### Thank 

### you for

### your letter 

### addressed to.

### Secretary LaHood suppo(ting the proposal submitted by 

### the Younastown-Wmen 

### Regional Airport for a gnmt 

### under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. ·The Secretary has requested that I respond on his behalf.
The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address 

### air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to

### hish airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, 

### the Department 

### may 

### make a maximum of40 grant 

### awards 

### each 

## year,**altho~gh** 

### no more than 4 

### awards may be to 

### communities in 

### the same State. In 

### order to provide 

### communities wlth latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute 

### provides flexibility in the types ofprojeeta that can be 

### funded.
On May 15, the Department 

### issued an order requesting that communities**interes~¢** 

### in receiving a grant

### this year file their applications by June 11. As these grantrequests are pending before the Department, I 

### cannot comment on the merits ofany particularproposal. Iassure you that the 

### Department will give 

### tUU and fair consideration to all proposals that

### have been properly filed.

As 

### is .ournonnal practice, l am, 

### placing a**~py** 

### ofyour letter and 

### this response in 

### Docket DQT

..QST**-20l2~0069** 

### as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate yourinterest In this 

### program. Sincerely 

### ye>urs,

Susan L. 

### Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

# E
State Representative, 60th House

June 5, 2012


### The Honorable Ray 

### LaHood Secretary ofTransportation U.S. Department ofTransportation 400 7'" Street, SW, Room 6401 Washington, DC 20590**Subj~ct: Youngstown~w~m·en**  Regionni Airport S11mU 

### Conununity Air Service DeveiOJHnent 

### Pr•ogram Grmtt Application Doclict**DOT~OST~2011-0069** Dear Secretary LaHood:

I am writing to respectfully express my support tbr the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport's gt·mtt npplicatiot1 for fhnding under the 

### Sn1all Community Air Service Development Program. During the past 15 years, the Airport bas received in excess of$60 million from t:e4etal, state, and local government agencies tor capital improvements, The local community has formed a vital partnership ofgovernments and private organizations and businesses through 

### tile c1·eation of

### tlte Western Reserve Pott Authority, which o

.. vns and manages the Airport. Although the comtnunity is strongly**s~•ppoa·tive** ofthe Ah·port, the lack ofcompetitive pricing and qu!'lllty air services in the past has now caused the Airport to be underutilized and has resulted in the 

### 800,000 residents ofEastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania to drive to Cleveland or Pittsburgh 

### for their air travel needs. In additio11, larger airports now require an additional
one to two hours for air travelers to secure parking and check through security systems.

The success ofotl:}er regional airports such as Akron..:Canton clearly derfloilstrates that there is a viable place f()r small to midsize aitports 1!1 the aviation.industry. With**t~te** 

### assistance ofthis**fPJ~nt,** the Airport 

### woulq be able to offer supet·ior air services at lower costs to the cmmnunity and would contribute greatly to securing the future ofthe Airpcnt. Congress developed this progt"nm spii!eUi<:ally to help communities !Ike the**Young$town~ Warre.n~Sharon**  metropolitan s.ervice area improve theirbusiMss 

### climate,. spur 

### eoo.nomlc development,**n~td** enhance tlle qt1ality ofUfe th!'ough the developntent ofair service. The**Youngstown~**

### Warren·Shi:u·on**metl'op<)lit~n** service area is th!ii moot t®eentrl!ted marmfacturing region in Ohio but has one ofthe highest unemt>loyment rates ofany mettopolitAA area.in OhJo. As**~e** Airport is a critical componetlt ofthe cotnmunity's economic development strategy, failure to redevelopair service 

## wm onlyimpede our ability tl> attract and retain employers to ourcon;t\lttJlity. Therefore. it is imperative that ourAirport is successful ill securing funding u:ndet the Small Community Air Service DeveiOI>tnent Pn.Jgrmn.

I strongly encourage yQur positive consideration ofthe pr<lposal for a Small Community Air Service DevelopmeJttProgram**gra~tt** fQrthe 

### Yonngstowt1-Warren Regional Airport and the community it serves. Sincerely,

77 South High Street Co!umous. Ohio 43215-6111 (614) 466•9436 Qistris:<t: Mahoning County 562 Madera Avenue Youngstown, Ohio 44504 {330} 746-8091