U.S. Department of Transportation Office ofthe Secretary OfTransportation



### The Honorable Patty Murray United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Murray: 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. Washington, DC 20590



### Thank you for your letter supporting the application submittedby the City ofYakima for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Program.
The Small CommunityAir Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no more than four awards may be to communities inthe same State. In orderto 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 June 24, the Department issued an order setting a deadline ofJuly 26 for applications. As these grant requests are pending before the Department, I cannot comment onthe merits ofany particularproposal. I assure you thatthe Department will give full and fair considerationto all proposals that have beenproperly filed.
As is our standard practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-2013-0120 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program.PATTY MURRAY WASHINGTON 

# 'lanited**~ta.trs ~enatr**  WASHINGTON, DC 20510-4704 August 2, 2013

Brooke Chapman, Associate Director Office ofAviation Analysis United States Department ofTransportation 1200NewJersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590

Dear Associate Director Chapman: COMMITTEES: APPROPRIATIONS BUDGET HEALTH, EDUCATION. LABOR. AND PENSIONS RULES AND ADMINISTRATION VETERANS' AFFAIRS



### I am writing in support ofthe application submitted by the City ofYakima to the 

### Small CommunityAirService Development program. Funding from this programwill augment

### the public/private partnership resources to enhance departure frequency and business at Yakima Air Terminal-McAllister Field (YKM).
YakimaAir**Terminal~McAllister** Field serves travelers to and from the Yakima Valley and South Central Washington region. In the 12 monthperiod ending March 20

### 13, total hoardings at YKM totaled 54,000. The airpo1t is currently servedprimarilyby three Alaska/Horizon Airlines daily departures, a reductionfrom the 2007 level offive daily departures. It is important inthis vast rural area that people have the ability to connect to the nation's air transportation system without having to drive 140 miles to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Grant funding will support the priorities ofYakima air service development through 

### the public/private partnership created to enhance business at Yakima Air Terminal-McAllisterField. These priorities include reducing fares to compete with similar markets; strengtheningthe partnership with Alaska/Horizon Airlines and work to increase daily departures; and expanding nonstop services to new markets. These efforts are critical 

### to serving travelers who rely on 

### YKM for their business and pleasuretrips.
Thank you for your consideration ofthe City ofYakima's applicationto the Small Community Air Service Development Program. Please feel free to contact my Seattle office at (206)**553~** 5545 with any questions.

PM/ab

448 RuSSELl. SENATE. OFFtC:E BUILDJNO WASH!N(ITON, DC 2051()..4704 (202) 224-2621

THE**MA~SHII.LL** HOUSE 1323 OFFICER'S RoW VANCOUVER, WA 98661-3656 i360l 696-7797 2930 WETMORE AVENUE Surrn 903 EvERETI,. WA 98201-4107 (425) 259-6515 Patty United

2988 JACKSON FEDE"AL BUILOING 915 2NO AVENUE Sf.ATILE. WA98174-1003 (206) 553-554!; TOLl. FREE: (866) 481-9186

web11\1o: httil:l!muJruy.t(!h<!HLgov**e·rn<t~l:** hltp:/tmurrny.r.annl(t.iJt>V!C:!YraH PRINTED ON flECYCLED PAI'Ef1 10 NORTH POST STRF.E'f Sum; 600 SPOKANE, WA 99201-0712 (509) 624-9515 950 PACIFIC AvENUE SUlTE 650 TACOMA, WA 98402'-4450 (253) 572-3636

402 EAS1' YAKIMA AVENUe SutrE 420 YAKIMA. WA 98901-2760 {509) 453-7462