SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 

ASSOCIATION of 

GOVERNMENTS 

Main Office 

818 West Seventh Street 

12th Floor 

los Angeles, California 

90017-3435 

t (213) 236-1800 

f {213) 236-1825 

www.scag.ca.gov 

Officers 

President 

Carl Morehouse, San Buenaventura 

First Vice President 

Cheryl Viegas-Walker, El Centro 

Second Vice President 

Michele Martinez, Santa Ana 

Immediate Past President 

Greg Pettis, Cathedral City 

Executive/Administration 

Committee Chair 

Carl Morehouse, San Buenaventura . 

Polley Committee Chairs 

Community, Economic and 

Human Development 

Margaret Finlay, Duarte 

Energy & Environment 

Deborah Robertson, Rialto 

Transportation 

Alan Wapner, San Bernardino 

Associated Governments 

May 13,2014 

Secretary Anthony Foxx 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Secretary Foxx, 

-- "' '·.-- ,,. '·:) 

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is writing in support of El 

Centro's appeal to reverse the Department of Transportation's Tentative Order to 

terminate the Essential Air Service (EAS) program in El Centro, California located in 

Imperial County. 

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the largest Metropolitan 

Planning Organization (MPO) in the country representing six counties, 191 cities and 

over 18 million residents. SCAG advocates for a sustainable Southern California, while 

enabling dialogue between elected officials, agencies and citizens throughout the 

Region. Imperial County's Regional Council members and SCAG staff regularly utilize the 

flights between Imperial County and the Burbank Airport. 

In 2014, the travel time via single occupancy vehicle between Bob Hope Airport (BUR) 

and the City of El Centro ranges between 213- 265 minutes to travel 225 miles (SCAG 

2012- 2035 Regional Transportation model). While the DOT eligibility is based on 

mileage and even with improvements to the surface transportation network, the driving 

times are long and unpredictable. Flying allows for more productivity. 

In the adopted 2012-2035 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Community 

Strategy (RTP/SCS} the adopted Aviation Element advocates for a decentralized aviation 

system in Southern California that provides airport access across the Region. It is 

forecast Imperial County's population will grow from 180,000 to 270,000 which will yield 

substantial passenger grown at Imperial County Airport by 2035. This growth relies 

upon Imperial County's ability to provide quality education, encourage business growth 

and create good quality jobs in the future. Imperial County has one of the highest 

unemployment rates in the United States. The El Centro EAS service is the only 

reasonable means for Imperial County residents to discover opportunities for a more 

prosperous future. 

SCAG strongly supports El Centro's request to reverse the Tentative Order Regarding 

Termination of EAS Eligibility for El Centro, CA. 

Sincerely, 

~cYlb Hasan lkhrata (jd) 

Executive Director 

The Regional Council consists of 86 elected officials representing 191 cities, six counties, six County Transportation Commissions, one representative 

from the Transportation Corridor Agencies, one Tribal Government representative and one representative for the Air Districts within Southern California. 

2014.05.05 printed on recycled paper@