,----------------



### U.S.Deportment

### of**Tn:m~** 

### OOk::e

## otthe

### Seaetory ofTtomparloHOn



## Mr. Paul A. Lyden Vice President Lyden Oil Company ll 

## LeHarps Drive Youngstown, OH 44515 Dear Mr. Lyden: · Assislonl Sflcrttory



## July 3, 2012



## Thank you for your letter addressed to LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by the**Youngstown~Warren** 

## RegiOlutl Airport. for a .grant under the U.S. Department of**Tr~msportation's** 

## Small Community Air Service Development Program. The Secretnry has requested that I respond on his behalf. The SmaU Community Air Service Development (lrogram was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insuffieieot service. Under the statute, the Departn1en.t may a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than 4 

## may be to communities in the same State. In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies. the statute provides flexibility in 

## the types ofprojects that can be funded. On May I 

## the Department issued an order requestingthat comtnunities i.nterested in receiving a 

## grant this year file their applications 11. these grant requests are pending before the Department, .l 

## cannot cornment on 

## the merits particular proposal. 

## I assure you that the Department will give full 

## and fair conS:lderattonto all 

## proposals that have been properly filed. As is 

## our normal practice, J

## mn 

## plaeing a qopy ofyour letter attd this response in Docket**DOT~OST-2012~0069** 

### as a

## contact outside the record ofthis matter, I 

## appreciate your interest in this 

## program. Sincerely

Kurland Secretary for Aviation and lnternatlonal Affairs • i1'he Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary ofTransportation 

## u.s. Department ofTransportation 400 

## ih Street,sw, Room 

### !5401 WashlngtQn, DC 20590

Dear Secretary LaHood: Community

We are writing to express oursupport for the**Vour~~stown~W~rren** Regional Airport's grant application for funding underthe smaU CommunityAir SeM<:e Development Program. Asuccessful grant application is eKtremely lm!)ortantto hEalplng the ·Airportachieve Its proposed PassengedieNlce Enhancement Strategy that

# wm lead to reestablishing regularly scheduled commerclall!llr service In the Voungstown/Warren/SI"raron MSA.. During the past 

### 15 years, the Alr:porthas received in excess of$60 mUli(;}n frQm federal, state and local government agencies for capital improvements. The local community has formed avital partnership ofgovernments and private organlzaticms and 

### busines$es through 

### the creation ofthe,Western Reserve 

### Port**Authority~** which owns and manages 

### 1he Airport.

.Although the

· c.omrnunit.y ls;sttonglvsupportive ofthe Airport, the lack ofcompetitiVe**prici~** and quality airserVices In the past has now caused theA.irportto be underutilited and consequehce, 800,000 reSidents ofEaster Ohi.o and Westel11 Pennsylvania now todrive to Cleveland or Pittsburgh rortheir air need. !.arget airports now reqUire an additional one to two hours for tosecure parking and dearthe security which makes it even more dlffi.cult for our residents to travel. The suooess ofother regional.airports such asAkron·Canton clearly demonstrates that there Is aviable place for small to midsize airports inthe aviation industrv. With the.assistance ofthis grant, the Airport would bill offer superior air services at lower costs to the community and woutd c:.ontribute greatly to securing the future of the Airport. Congress developed this program specifically to help communities like the Youngstown/Warren Sharon MSA.lmprove their .business climate, spur economic del!elppment,and enhance the quality of!Iff; through 

### the development ofalr service. The Youngstown/Warren/St\ilttonMSA is the most concentrated manufacturing regl61l h"' Ohio, but has one ofthe highest unemploymentrates of any MSA In Ohio. As the Airport is at;rltical. component ofthe community's economic development sfrategy,failure to redevelop air service wHI only impede our ability to 

### attract and retaln employers to.our community. Therefore it Is Imperativethat ourAtrportJs successft.tl.ln securing funding under the Small Community Alr Service D.evelopment Progran1. We-support and appreciate your posltlve consideration ofthe proposal fora.Small Community Air Service Development 8rant for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport and the Cl\llrnmunlty itserves.

Paul A. 

### t,yden, Vice**"'~'~"';lnll>nT** 

### Lyden Oil Company