# u.s. Department ofTransportation Office ofthe Secretary ofTransportation



### The**Honor~ble** 

### Joe Schiavoni Ohio Senator Columbus, OH 43215

DearMr. Schiavoni: Assistant Secretary 

### July 

### 3, 2012 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590



### Thank you for your letteraddressed to Secretary LaHood supporting the proposal submitted by the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department of Transpottation's Small CommunityAir Service DevelopmentProgram. The Secretary has requested that I 

### respond on his behalf.


## The Small Community Air ServiceDevelopment Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to

### high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, the Departmentmay make a maximum of40 

### grant awards eachyear, although no more than 4 

### awards may be to communities in the same State. In orderto provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility inthe types ofprojects that can be funded.

On May 15, the Departmentissued an order requesting thatcommunities interested in receiving a grantthis year file their applications by June 11. As these grantrequests are pending before the Department, I 

### cannotcomment on the merits ofany particularproposal. I assure you that the Departmentwill give full 

### and fair consideration to all 

### proposals that havebeen properly 

## filed.

As is 

### ournormal practice, I 

### am 

### placing a copy ofyourletter and this response in

### Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 

## as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. !appreciate your interestin this program.



## 510-120620-019 Sincerely yours,

Susan L. 

### Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International AffairsJune 12, 2012

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary ofTransportation U.S. Department ofTranspot1ation 400 

### ihStreet, SW, Room 6401 Washington, D.C. 20590

Dear Secretary LaHood, 

### SENATOR JOE SCHIAVONI ASSISTANT MINORITY LEADER 33RD DISTRICT Committees Insurance, Commerce & Labor Energy & Public Utilities

- Ranlling Agriculture, Environment & Natural

Resources EdUi;:ation

I am writing to respectfully express our support for the Youngstown- Warren Regional Airport's grant application for funding under the Small Community Air Service Development Program. A successful grant application is one ofseveral steps in the Airport's proposed Passenger Service Enhancement Strategy to reestablish regularly scheduled commercial air service in the Youngstown-Warren-Sharon metropolitan service area. ·· Duriilg the 

## past 15 years, the Airporthas received in excess of$60 million from federal, state, and local government agencies for capital improvements. The local community has formed a vital partnership of governments and private organizations and businesses through the creation ofthe Western Reserve Port Authority, which owns and manages the Airport. Although the community is strongly supportive ofthe Ai_rpot1,**~be** lack ofcompetitive pricing and quality air services in the past has now caused the Airport to be underi.ltilized and has resulted in the 800,000 residents ofEastern Ohio and Pennsylvaniato drive to Cleveland or Pittsburgh for their air travel needs. The success ofotherregional airports such as AkronCanton clearly demonstrates that there is a viable place for small to midsize airports in the aviation industry. With the assistance ofthis grant, the Airpmt would be able

## to offer superior air services at lower costs to the community and would contribute greatly to securing the future ofthe Airport. Congress developed this program specifically to help communities like the Youngstown-Warren-Sharon metropolitan service area improve their business climate, spureconomic development; and enhance the quality oflife through the development ofair service. The Youngstown-Warren-Sharon metropolitan service area is the most concentrated manufacturing region in 

### 0liio buthas one ofthe highest unemployment rates ofany metropolitan area in Ohio. As tlie 

### f\l$bh is a critical component ofthe community's economic development strategy, failure to redevelop air service will only impede our ability to attract and retain employers to our community. Therefore, it is imperative that our Airport is successful in securing funding under the Small Community Air Service Development Program.

We support and appreciate yourpositive consideration ofthe proposal for a Small Community Air Service Development Program grant for the Youngstown-Wan·en Regional Airport**an~** the community it serves and Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069.

## Si"~~Jy, 

## ,

# Q '

...**S•tJ:..S<hW~~ ~.**  Assistant Minority Leader Ohio Senate, 33'd District !'

Columbus Office: Ohio Statehouse •1 Capitol Square • Room 228 • Columbus. OH 43215

· · Email: SD33@ohiosenate.gov Phone: 614-466·8285


### 510-120620-019