l 

l 

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 

The Honorable Joseph Maturo, Jr. 

Mayor of East Haven 

250 Main Street 

East Haven, CT 06512 

Dear Mayor Maturo: 

August 22, 2013 

Thank you for your letter supporting the application submitted by the Tweed-New Haven 

Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community 

Air Service Development Program. 

The Small Community Air Service Dfwelopment Program was established to help smaller 

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

insufficient service. Under the statute, the Depattment may make a maximum of40 grant 

awards each year, although no more than four awards 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 of projects that can be funded. 

On June 24, the Department issued an order setting a deadline of July 26 for applications. 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 full and fair consideration to all 

proposals that have been properly filed. 

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

DOT -OST -2013-0120 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest in 

this program. 

Anthony R. Foxx 
EAST HAVEN OFFICE OF THE MAYOR 

joseph Maturo, Jr. 

July 26, 2013 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secretary, US Dept of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

RE: SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 

Docket Number: DOT-OST-2013-0120 

DUNS: 800203864 

Dear Secretary Foxx: 

I am writing with regard to the application by the Tweed-New Haven Airport 

Authority for funding under the Small Community Air Service Development Program. 

Southern Connecticut continues to grow and emerge from the Recession with a 

stronger economic base. This trend, however, is at risk due to a severe lack of 

alternative transportation options along the Northeast Corridor. In our area, high levels 

of congestion on Interstate 95 and the limited service schedule for intercity Amtrak 

service inhibit vehicular traffic. Access to airports in other cities often add an 'extra leg' 

to business trips which is expensive and time consuming for large and small 

businesses. 

Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport is a valuable economic asset to this region. 

Both the State of Connecticut and the City of New Haven have invested over $10 million 

dollars in operating Tweed over the past decade. Coupled with the support of FAA 

entitlement funding, Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport has utilized this financial 

support to make significant facility improvements as well as actively seek out new airline 

partners. However, due to the minimal revenue provided by the airport's current air 

carrier, Tweed has limited funds to offer marketing incentives to prospective carriers to 

bring in new air service. 

The Federal Aviation Administration has identified Tweed-New Haven Regional 

Airport as one of eleven integral service providers in the New England Region. The 

funding which accompanies this designation will allow the Tweed-New Haven Regional 

Airport Authority to attract non-stop service to one of Washington DC's two airports, 

either Dulles International or Reagan National. These Washington DC flights would be 

operated in conjunction with United Airlines or US Airways respectively and would not 

only provide New Haven with fast and convenient nonstop service to the Nation's 

250 MAIN STREET • EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06512 

·w.townofeasthavenct.org • (203) ,!68-3204 • FAX (203) 468-3372 • email: eh.mayor@atr.net 

Mayor 
l 

I 

I 

Capital Region, the flights would provide New Haven with national connectivity to new 

destinations via one of these two airline hubs. 

As you may or may not be aware, Tweed New Haven Airport was and continues 

to be an issue of critical importance to neighbors who live around the airport. Of utmost 

importance to me is to continue to balance their quality-of-life concerns with the 

interests of making Tweed economically self-sufficient and more successful. I do not 

believe Tweed's application under this program will significantly lower the quality for 

neighbors surrounding the airport. 

I want to stress that I believe the continued development ofT weed-New Haven 

Regional Airport's commercial air service will be an integral piece of the Southern 

Connecticut's future economic health and vitality. l believe that you will find that the 

Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport Authority has provided a strong application and I 

hope that you will give their request every possible consideration. I appreciate your 

time and consideration of my comments. 

Sincerely, 

j/~~yor ~~/