& 

# • m mO r us.Departmen t o f ••--y^niAllO^'^ ! ,^ ^ Transportatio n J i ; J-'P.P/.TfH*',-
. ' 20 0 Ne w jerse y Avenue , S E

- ^ • - - ! -1!'.; ; ,:,: > Wo$hington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f fh e Secretor

y ofThonsportotio n •. ' F ' ' Q O o - 

### Th e Honorable Patrick

J . Toome y SE P 2 1 201 1 Unite d State s Senat

e Washington , D

C 2051 0 Dea r Senato r Toomey : Than k yo u fo r you r letter supportin g the proposa

l submitte dby th e Westmorelan dCount y Airpor t Authorit y fo r agrant unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Smal l Communit

y Program) . Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dt

o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate dto high airfare s andinsufficien t service . Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e th e funds to mak

e amaximu

mof 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although n o mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s i n th e sam e State . I n orde r t o provid e communitie s wit

h latitude i n developing solution s t

o their ai r servic e deficiencies , the statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility in ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen

t issue d a n orde r requesting tha

t conmiunitie s intereste di

n receiving agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2 . A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understandtha

t I cannot commen t on th e merit s o f an y particula r proposal . I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will giv e ful l consideratio n to all proposal s tha t hav e bee n properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop

y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e in Docke

t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outside the recor

dof thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . If

I ca n provide furthe

r information o

r assistance , pleas e fee

l firee t o call me . Sincerel y yours .

AlohaLe y Associat e Directo r Smal l Communit

y Progra m

## <0XPATRIC KJ
. TOOME Y COMMITTEES: PENNSYLVANI A BANKING , HOUSING , AN D I URBA N AFFAIR S 1 COMMERCE , SCIENCE , AN D 1 /SI- * '..
. J r>' ^ ^ r*r ' ^

TRANSPORTATIO N \ 

# Bmte dState s ^tmi t

^ JOIN T ECONOMI C COMMITTE E WASHINGTON , D C 2051 0 Jul y 26 , 201 1

Aloh aLe y Associat e Directo r Smal l Community Ai r

Servic e Developmen t

Program , X-5 5 U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave. , S E Washingto n D C 2059 0 Dea r Ms . Ley , I a mplease d t o writ e i n support o f th e Westmorelan d Count y Airport Authority' s (WCAA ) recen t

reques t for $200,00 0 i n air-servic e marketin g fundin g throug h th e Smal l Communit y Ai r

Servic e Developmen t

Program . I n 201 1 th e Arnol d Palme r Regiona l Airport

i n Latrobe , Pennsylvani aadde d Spui t Airline s t o it s schedule d service , wit h flights t o Fort Lauderdal e an d Myrtl e Beach . I n onl y 5 short month s mor e tha n 30,00 0 passenger s hav e use d th e airport , exceedin g th e number s generall y see n i n an entir e year o f service. Passenger s usin g th e servic e hail fro mal l part s o f Pennsylvania , a s wel l a s Ohio , Wes t Virginia , Virginia , Ne w Yor k an d Maryland . I t

ha s trul y becom e aregiona l airport , filling avoi d i n servic e for tha t are ao f Peimsylvania . Westmorelan dCounty Airport Authorit y no w seek s t o enhanc e thi s successfu l ne w ai r servic e tha t

ha s bee n breaking record s an d settin g ne w precedents . The y ar e considerin g th e additio n o f

ne w destination s for

low-cost , non-sto p direc t je t service. T o support

thei r effor t t o ad d ne w citie s t o th e flight roster , WCA A seek s muc h neede d fund s throu ^ you r Smal l Communit y Ai r

Servic e Developmen t

Program . I a mi n full support

o f thes e effort s an d as k

tha t yo u giv e al l du e consideratio n t o thei r gran t fundin g request . Pleas e d o not hesitat e t o contac t

m y offic e i f

yo u hav e an y question s abou t thi s request . I ca n b e reache d at 610-434-1444 .

oome v • 

# ftkc^ff^y ^ Pat Toome y U.S . Senato r