THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON. DC 20590 

The Honorable J. Michael Houston 

Mayor of Springfield 

300 Municipal Center East 

Springfield. IL 62701 

Dear Mayor Houston: 

September 5, 2014 _ij 

Thank you for your letter supporting the application submitted by the Springfield Airport 

Authority for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation'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 of air service development projects that can be funded. 

On Jttne 30,the Department issued an order setting a deadline of July 31 for applications. As 

these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannol comment on the merits of any 

particular proposaL 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 a copy of your 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·y Anthony Foxx 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

OHice o£ the Mayor 

Cih.J of Sprlllg{ield, Dlinols 

J.Micho.el Houston 

MalJor 

RE: Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI), Springfield IL 

SmaiJ Community Air Service Development Program Application 

Deat· Secretary Foxx: 

On behalfofthe City of Springfield, I am writing in strong supp01t ofthe Springfield Airpo11 

Authority's application to the Department's Small Community Ail· Service Development Grant 

Program. Abraham Lincoln Capital Ait·port, located in Springfield, remains a critical economic 

engine fot·lllinois' Capital City. Om· local airport provides essential ail' transpot1ation services to a 

broad and diversified population base in the Spt'ingtield area. It endeavors to serve the au· 

transportation needs ofthe capital of Illinois, including: a strong and vibrant local private business 

sector, a large base of governmental entities and affiliated organizations, a large number of higher 

educational institutions, a diverse and rapidly growing medical services sector, a tourism trade 

known internationally, and for two locally-situated militat·y installations. 

The City ofSpl'ingfield has ahvays maintained an excellent working relationship as a public partnet· 

with the Spdngfield Airport Authority. Given the cm·rent state of a consolidated airline industry, the 

fact that Springfield bas higher ahfares relative to othet· similady situated airports in the region and 

loses a considerable amount of local air travelers to other airports; it is imperative that we are 

solidified as a community and increase our efforts to ensure we retain vital daily network passenger 

air transportation 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 our community on a daily basis. We thank you in advance for your favorable consideration of 

this application made in partnership with the Springfield Airport Authority. 

Sincerely, 

J~~~ Mayor 

.300 Munlclpa] Center East • Sprlng{leld, Illinois 62701 • (217) 789~2200 • Pax (217) 789 .. 2109