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



### Mr. John R. Ramun President Allied Erecting 

### & Dismantling Co., Inc. 2100 Poland Avenue Youngstown;OH 44502
Dear Mr. Ramun: Assistant Secretary 

### July 3, 2012 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590



### Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by the**YoungstoW~I-Warren** 

### Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretary has requested that I respond on 1'\is 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. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 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 ofprojects that can be funded.
On May 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested inreceiving 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 ofany particular proposal. 

### l assure you that the Department will 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 in Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours,

Susan 

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

### uw: G., 20 12

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary ofTransportation U.S. Department ofTransportation 400 7111 Street, SW, Room 6401 Washington, DC 20590 Subject: Youngstown·Warren Regional Ail·poa·t Small Community Air Service Development P1·ogram Grant Application Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069
Dear Secretary LaHood: 

### Industrial Contractors

We are writing to respectfully express om· support for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport's grant application for 0



### 0 :::r 

# a· .J::>.. .t:>. funding under 

### the Small Community Air Service Development Program. 

### A successful grant application is one ofseveral**~** steps in the Airport's proposed Passenger Service Enhancement Strategy to re-establish regularly scheduled commercial "' air scr·vice in the Youngstown-Warren-Sharon metropolitan service area. 

### • 

# w**~ ~.~..:·.~!'~**  r;. .:i**q~!r~n~** 

### tl1.e

..**P.fl~.t** 15 years, the Airpmt has received in excess of$60 

### million from federal, state, 

### and local government 

# S agencies-tor capital improvements. The local community has formed a vital partnership ofgovernments and private .....t organizations and businesses through the creation ofthe Western Reserve Port Authority, which owns and manages tl1e 

# f.: Airport. Although the community is strongly supportive ofthe Airpo1t, the lack ofcompetitive pricing and quality air 

### 6**serv.i.~,e~.·jn** the past has now caused the Airp011 to be underutilized and has resulted in the 800,000 residents ofEastern**~** 

### bhio and Western Pennsylvania to dri\'e to Cleveland or Pittsburgh for their ah· travel needs. In addition, l!:u·ger airports OJ now require an additional, one to two hours for air travelers to secure**parkit~gan~ qhr~~,_through**  security systems. The o success ofother regional airpm1s.such as**~kron-Canton** clearly demonstrates that**th~~~.is.avia~le** plac,efor small to

... '@ midsize airports in the aviation industry. With the assistance ofthis grant, the Airport would be able to offer superior air 

# 8 services at lower costs to the community and would contribute greatly to securing the**futu~e** ofthe Airport. "'(;;



## . .....,



### . 

# .**~** Congress developed this program specifically to help communities like the**Youngstown-Warren-Sh~ron** metropolitan 

### rl> service area improve their business climate, spur economic development, and enhance the quality

## oflife through the'**~**



## .. ri.c:-velopmt>nt ofair .:;e,·vicc. The Youngstown-Warren-Sharon rretropolitan service area is the most concentrated manufacturing region in Ohio but has one ofthe highest unemployment rates ofany lnetropolitan area in Ohio. As the Airport is a critical component ofthe cmmimnity's economic development strategy, failure to redevelop air service will**~** only impede our ability to attract and retain employers to our community. Therefotc\ it is imperative that our Airport is X successful in securing funding under the Smail Community Air Service Devttlopment Program. 

# - w w 0 

# - We support and appreciate**y~ur** positive consideration ofthe proposal for a Small Community Air Service Development

. ...._, 

### Pt:ogram grant for the Youn,gstown-Warren Regional Airport and the comniunity it. serves. .:**~**

. '**~** ... '**~** ..... ,·. ' ; ::
. .. '**~** -. i ··'

...**~**

.. , '**-~-.** :• ·. :

. . r ·•.

. -**$_incerel:Y~** ·J.:

# ·.:< .,. ,; :. ,**.;,::~.:**

# ..**~·**

# .. ,,**~** 

## y·1, 

## tJ'·**~,v;-·** ¥7'1 '" •.. ;.•..
-**~~~,..,/.<·~·**

### ..<';(,.,.....**•j4;~** 

### ... , :,:L :-' ·

. /v/v ·;·"!, 1\.._ / ...''-':-.. '-"'- !'1/'L·t..,!.--;;,_.,,"-' 

### / John .R.**Rn~ium** Pt\"sidcut . '**~** .. 

## .. · 

## ..

# ~ 

# .. ..Jt. 00

...... 0

.**~**

### .. ' 

## ..