S10-090922-101 

O 

u s . Daportmen t of Assistant Secretary 1200 New Jersey Avenoe, SE 

TtanSportOtion Washington, DC 20590 

Office Of theSeoBtory [)£(; ^ 9 2009 

of Transportation 

The Honorable Charles E. Schumer • 

United States Senate -:] 

Washington, DC 20510 f\ 

Dear Senator Schumer: 

Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submitted by the Ithaca Tompkins 

Regional Airport for a grant under the Small Community Air Service Development 

Program (Small Community Program). I am responding on behalf of Secretary LaHood. 

The Small Community Program was established to help smaller communities address air 

service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares and insufficient service. 

Congress appropriated $8 million for grant awards under this program in 

Fiscal Year 2009. Under the statute, the U.S. Department of Transportation may use the 

funds to make a maximum of 40 grant awards each year, although no more than four may 

be to communities in the same State. In order to provide communities with latitude in 

developing solutions to their air service problems, the statute provides significant 

flexibility in how the financial assistance may be used. 

On July 10. the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in 

receiving a grant this year file tJieir applications by August 28. As these grant requests 

are pending before the Department, I am sure you understand that I cannot comment on 

the merits of any particular proposal. I assure you. however, that the Department will 

give full consideration to all the proposals that have been filed. 

As is our normal practice, 1 am placing a copy of your letter cuid this response in Docket 

OST-20()9-0149 as a contact outside the record of this matter. I appreciate your interest 

in this program. 

Sincerely yours. 

Susan L. Kurland 

Assistant Secretary for 

Aviation and International Affairs 
S10-090922-101 

CHARLES E. SCHUMER 

NEW YORK 

BnitEd <@tateB Senate 

WASHINGTON, DC 20510 

COMMITTEES: 

JOINT ECONOMIC 

BANKING 

JUDICIARY 

RULES 

FINANCE 

September 15,2009 

The Honorable Ray L. LaHood 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

400 7* Street, SW 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Secretary: 

I am pleased to write in support of the application submitted by Ithaca Tompkins Regional 

Airport for funding under the Small Community Air Service Development Program. Such funding 

will enable Ithaca to improve air service at Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. 

The Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport is a key transportation link, vital for meaningful 

economic development in Ithaca, Tompkins County, and the Finger Lakes/Central New York 

regions. Tompkins County's primary economic sector is educational services, with almost 30,000 

students and 12,000 education staff. Inconvenient air travel affects visits to the region's campuses, 

limiting their interest in applying to the colleges. 

With funding, the Tompkins Regional Airport will be able to make air service to and from 

Ithaca Tompkins Regional more efficient and more accessible. Specifically, funding will go to the 

development of a back up bus service, guaranteeing passengers a return trip to Ithaca Tompkins 

Airport once the last regularly scheduled flight has departed. This grant will also provide Tompkins 

with general marketing assistance, funding a promotional campaign to promote the air services 

available to customers flying into and out of Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. I applaud Ithaca 

Tompkins Regional Airport for its foresight, and I hope the application for funding meets with your 

approval. 

Thank you for your consideration. For additional information, please do not hesitate to 

contact me or my Grants Director, Grant Kerr, in my Washington office at 202.224.6542. 

Sincerely, 

y^^^JiAUr^ ^^J L 

Charles E. Schumer 

United States Senator