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US . Departmen t o f Ttansportdtio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n Assistan t Secretar y 

### Septembe r 9 , 201 1 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0



## Mr . Kur t D . Hodge n Cit y Manage r 345 Sout h Mai n Stree t P.O . Bo x 2003 1 Harrisonburg , V

A 2280 2 Dea r Mr . Hodgen : >



## Than k yo u fo r you r lette r to Secretar

y LaHoo dsupporting th e proposa l submitte db y th e Shenandoa h Valle y Regiona l Airpor t Commission fo

r agran t unde r th e Small Communit y Air Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Small Communit

y Program) . The Secretar y ha s aske dtha

t I^espon don hi s behal f Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe dt o hel

p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularly issue s relate dto high airfare s an dinsufficien

t service . Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e th e funds t

o mak e amaximu

mof 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although n o mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s in th e sam e State . I n orde r t o provide communitie s wit

h latitude in developing solution s t o their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility i

n ho w the financial assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen

t issueda n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste din receiving agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2 . A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pendin g befor e th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understandtha

t I cannot commen t on th e merit s of an y particula r proposal . I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will giv e ftill consideratio n to all proposal s tha t have bee n properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acopy of

you r lette r an dthi s respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outside the recor

do f thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . I

f I ca n provid e fiirther information o r

assistance , pleas e fee

l fi-ee to call me . Sincerel y yours .

Susa n L . Kurland Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n an

dInternationa

l Affair s

## 810-110826-00 6

SHENANDOA H VALLE Y - » 

# Cit y o f Harrisonburg , \/irginl a

Offic e o f th e C % (Manage r

y a Sout h Mai n S(!«« « f'o»10fr!W!fJo x 2003 5 HsniscnbiirB , W

A 22®J 2 {540 ) 432-7?0 1 JFAX (&40 ) 4-i2??? 8 Jul y 7 , 201 1 Th e Horu»^ ^

Ray LaHoo d Sex^etar y o f TranspmiatkH i U.S . Depsfimen t o f Trartspoilatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Av e SE Washin^on , D.C . 2059 0 Dea rSecretai y LaHood . I a m wrWn g t o yo u toda y o n b^al f o f ttte Cit y o f Harr^ot^rg , on a of th e fiv e rr^tnbershi p jurisdk^oi s ttist O'eat ^ th a Shonandoa h Valle y Regiona l Airpor t Commission , t o strongl y expres s ou rstQ^r l o f th e gtBn t appltc^w ) subn^i d b y th e Crnnml^io n und ^ th e ^t^ \

CommunK

y ^ r Swvic e Dstfdq[»T«9n t Prc^^nam . W e vsh m 0i e man y txmelH s o f otM ' regi<H)«i t airpor t an d hav e Investe d »lgnificai % i n it s d«v«*r^Mnen t ove rth e years . Th e /Urpot t t s criticii l t o th a economi c vmaHt y o f ou rM^o n an d fts future . Ov

a (^immimRy vra s dramattedfy impacte d I n th e montt @ an d year a fon«Mn g Septembe r11 , 2001 . fritM ' t o ttiat time , ou rcommunit y ha d prove n tha t yive n th e vi^ e an d erainomica l access , i t ooui d sustai n unsubsidize d ai rservice . Sdwre i yean s ego , ou rIrKiumben t ai rcanler . Co^ n NK , introdutse d Unite d Expres s eennc a t o Washingto n Dulle s InteitiMiona l Airport . Thi s servic e ha s brouoh t greatl y improve d fare s alwi g VHt h improvm i connectivity fo rou rf^msani^m . Co^a n e^ m upgrade d th e aircraf t use d i n th e mevHet . Thi s n^nssEMite d lit e fiiB t substantiv e knprovemen t h . ot rs«vk » i n man y years . \MiH e respon& o t o ttii » dvatig e ha s bee n very favorable , i n ord ^ t o overoim o th e pes t year n o f les s tha n d^itoabl e senm^ , a n eg^isseive , mistairte d mark^r ^ campaig n i s neede d t o adequat e communicat e tt w pc^itjv e change e t o ou rpublic . Ve ^ cos t o f Impteinentin g su< ^ a pr<^ra m exceed s availabl e loca l resources . Shoul d th e Depaifmsn t o f Transportato n awar d a gran t t o t} » Commission , w e wmd d aniiclpat o improw d passeng« rtraflhs , increase d reveni w fo rth e carrie ran d tl w redudio n o reliminatio n d ou r Franc e o n subsidie s unde rttie Sss^nUa l Ai r8en/tc e Program , a "VHti-win * aifualio n fo rbot h tt w Ctopartmen t an d ou rCommission . Yoi rfowsrable consideratto n o ( IM s applicatio n woul d b e gr«Mtt ^ appr^iated . Sirtcarely . , / KurtO.Herma n ^ Cit y Manne r

Tti e Cit y Witf i Th e Planne d Futur e

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