### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON. DC 20590



### The Honorable J. 

### Michael Houston Mayor ofSpringfield 

### 300 Municipal Center 

### East Springfield. IL 62701 

### Dear Mayor Houston: September 5, 2014 _ ij



### Thankyou for yourletter supporting the application submitted by the Springfield Airport Authority for a grant 

### under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program. The 

### Srt1alt Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies; particularly issues related to high airfares and insufficient service. Under the statute, 

### the Department may make a maximum of

### 40 grant awards each year, although no more than four may be to conununities iu 

### the same State. To provide communities with latitude 

### iu developing solutions 

### to.their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility 

### in the types ofair service development projects that can be funded.
On Jttne 30,the Department issued an order setting a deadline ofJuly 31 for applications. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I 

### cannol comment on the merits ofany particularproposaL 

### I assure you, however, 

### that the Departr:nent will give 

### full and fair consideration 

### to all proposals that have been properly filed. As. is our standard practice1 

### I am placing acopy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-"OST-2014-0113 a.<> 

### a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I 

### appreciate your interest in this. program. Sincerely,July 28, 2014 Secretat·yAnthony Foxx US Department ofTransportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590 OHice

### o£theMayor Cih.J ofSprlllg{ield,Dlinols J.Micho.elHouston MalJor

RE: Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI), Springfield IL SmaiJ Community Air Service Development Program Application Deat· Secretary Foxx: On behalfofthe City ofSpringfield, I am writing in strong supp01t ofthe Springfield Airpo11 Authority's application to theDepartment'sSmall CommunityAil· Service Development Grant Program. AbrahamLincoln Capital Ait·port, located inSpringfield, remains a critical economic engine fot·lllinois' Capital City. Om· local airportprovides essential

# ail' transpot1ation services to a broad and diversified population base in the Spt'ingtield area. Itendeavors to serve the au· transportation needs ofthe capital ofIllinois, including: a strong and vibrant local private business sector, a large base ofgovernmental entities and affiliated organizations, a large number ofhigher educational institutions, a diverse and rapidly growing medical services sector, atourism trade known internationally, and for two locally-situated militat·y installations. The City ofSpl'ingfield has ahvays maintained an excellentworking relationship as a public partnet· with the Spdngfield Airport Authority. Given the cm·rent state ofa consolidated airline industry, the fact that Springfieldbas higher ahfares relative to othet· similady situated airports in the region and loses a considerable amount oflocal airtravelers to otherairports; it is imperative that we are solidified as a community and increase our efforts to ensure we retain vital daily networkpassenger airtransportation services currently provided by United and American Airlines. The City fully supports the airport's community oriented awareness progt·am to achieve the goal of reversing losses to othet· airports and to gt·ow ridership on the network air setvice providers currently serving ourcommunity on a daily basis. We thankyou in advance for your favorable consideration of this application made in partnership with the Springfield AirportAuthority. Sincerely,



# J~~~ Mayor.300 Munlclpa] Center 

### East • Sprlng{leld,Illinois 62701 • (217)

**789~2200**• Pax(217) 789

.. 2109