e 

US.0eparfin«ntOf 1200 New jersey Avenue, SE 

Transportation Washington, DC 20590 

Office of the Secretary '•'~' 

of Transportation 

NOV 1 8 2009 

Mr. Rustyn Sherer 

President & Executive Director 

Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce 

P. O. Box 505 

Queen Creek, AZ 85242 

Dear Mr. Sherer: 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Phoenix-Mesa 

Gateway Airport for grant under the Small Community Air Service Development 

Program (Small Community Program). 

The Small Community Program was established to help smaller communities address air 

service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares and insufficient service. 

Congress appropriated $8 million for grant awards under this program in 

Fiscal Year 2009. Under the statute, the U.S. Department of Transportation may use the 

funds to make a maximum of 40 grant awards each year, although no more than four may 

be to communities in the same State. In order to provide communities with latitude in 

developing solutions to their air service problems, the statute provides significant 

flexibility in how the financial assistance may be used. 

On July 10, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in 

receiving a grant this year file their applications by August 28. As these grant requests 

are pending before the Department, I am sure you understand that I cannot comment on 

the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you, however, that the Department will 

give full consideration to all the proposals that have been filed. 

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

OST-2009-0149 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest 

in this program. 

Sincerely yours. 

/ \ 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Development Program 
JOiGqUOlprbia, 

Queen Creek 

Chamber of Commerce 

P.O. Box 505 

Queen Creek, Arizona 85242 

www.queencreekchamber.orq 

(480)888-1709 

August 20. 2009 

Ms. Aloha Ley 

Associate Director, X-50 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE W86-310 

Washington. DC 20590 

RE: Small Community Air Service Development Grant Application 

Docket DOT-OST-2009-0149 

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport 

Dear Ms. Ley. 

The Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the grant application submitted by the PhoenixMesa Gateway Airport, per the requirements of Docket DOT-OST-2009-0149. 

As you know, air service is vitally important to the airport's operations; other businesses within the immediate 

area; and the regional economy in general. Currently, all passenger service to major U.S. hub airports and 

beyond is provided out of the Phoenix Sky-Harbor Airport, a roughly 55 minute. 40 mile drive from Queen Creek, 

Arizona. 

Increasing passenger service to larger markets departing from the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport affords this 

community a much greater opportunity to increase visitor and business passenger traffic; and attract potential 

economic development to the area. In addition, travel costs for a potential flyer from Queen Creek who departs 

from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport are far less in terms of fuel, parking and most importantly, time. Therefore, 

we support and encourage any effort(s) to strengthen potential services provided out of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway 

Airport. 

Thank you for considering this grant application on the behalf Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and the business 

community of Queen Creek. 

Respectfully, 

Rusji^ Sherer 

President & Executive Director 

Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce