u.s. Deportment 

of Transportation 

Office of the Secretory 

oiTransportotion 

Mr. Edward C. M~ 

Commissionet~ of Planning 

121 East Court St. 

Ithaca, NY 14850 

Dear Mr. Marx: 

:. l J 

AUG tl ZOI3 

Thank you for your letter addressed to Secretary Foxx, supporting the p.roposal submitted by the 

Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport for a gfant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's 

Small Comrnunity Air Service Develo.pment Program. Secretary Foxx asked that I respond to 

you on his behatt: 

The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established tb help smaller 

communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or 

insufflei.ent service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maxhnum of 40 grant 

awards each year. although no more than four awards may be to commu11ities in the'same Sta~e. 

In ordeho provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service 

deficiencies, the statute provides flexibillty in the types ofprojects thtit can he funded. 

On June 24, the Department issued an order reqttesting that communities interested in receiving a 

grant this year file their applications by July 26. As these grant requests are pending before the 

Department, I cannot comment on the merits of any particular proposaL I assure you that the 

Department will give fu.IJ and fair consideration to all proposals tha\ have been properly Jlled. 

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

DOT -OST ~20 13-0120 as a contact outside Lhe record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Sincerely yours, 

Assistant Secretary for 

A vi at ion and International Affairs 
Tompkins County 

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING 

Edward C. Marx, AICP 

Commissioner of Planning 

July 19,2013 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secretary ofTransportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

121 East Court Street 

Ithaca, New York 14850 

Re: Application for Small Community Air Service Development GrantIthaca Tompkins Regional Airport, Ithaca, New York. 

Dear Secretary Fox..x: 

Telephone (607) 274-5560 

Fax (607) 274-5578 

I am writing in support of the grant application from the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. Tompkins 

County is home to Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College. These 

educational institutions attract students, visiting faculty and researchers from across the country and 

around the world. In large part as a result of our preeminent research university Ithaca has grown hightech and advanced manufacturing companies that rely on having a means of rapid transportation to reach 

their customers, suppliers and investors. Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport provides that vital connection 

for the institutions and firms that are the foundation of our local economy. It is clear that without the 

airport and the scheduled air service it brings, the employment opportunities and economic strength of the 

local economy would be undermined. 

Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport has made great strides in maintaining and expanding air service, yet 

the volatility of the airline industry, and flight cancellations and delays resulting from congestion in the 

New York, Newark, and Philadelphia air traffic control areas make it a constant challenge. More recent 

events concerning contract towers have shaken customer confidence and we are attempting to recover 

from that disruption. The Small Community Air Service Development grant will help us to expand our air 

service offerings and re-establish customer loyalty by providing more non-stop destinations to less 

congested airports. 

I ask that you give you favorably consider Ithaca's Small Community Air Service Development Grant 

application. 

Sincerely, 

Edward C. Marx, AICP 

Commissioner of Planning 

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