DOT 30-04
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
Monday, March 15, 2004

DOT Seeks Applications For Nearly $20 Million in Grants
To Improve Air Service to Small Communities

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today invited smaller U.S. communities to apply for grants under a program to help these communities enhance their airline service.

This is the third year DOT will award grants under the Small Community Air Service Development Program. Approximately $19.9 million is available for grants to help communities address their local air service problems, such as high fares and insufficient levels of service. In today’s request for proposals, DOT invited communities to develop their own innovative solutions to their air service problems and demonstrate how federal funds would help address these problems.

“The Small Community Air Service Development Program challenges communities to find new and innovative ways to attract and improve commercial air service,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. “We want to invest in innovation by supporting communities willing to do what it takes to connect their economy to the national transportation system.”

The department may award a maximum of 40 grants, no more than four of which may be to the same state. Last year, DOT received 170 proposals and awarded $19.85 million for 36 programs in 35 states and Puerto Rico.

DOT will give priority to those communities that have high airfares compared to other communities, contribute financially to the project from sources other than airport revenues, have established or will establish a public/private partnership to improve their air service, submitted proposals that will benefit a broad segment of the public with limited access to the national transportation system, and will use the assistance in a timely fashion.

The program was established in 2000 by the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, and was reauthorized by the Vision 100 – Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, signed by President Bush on Dec. 16, 2003.

Applications for grants are due May 14. The department’s request for proposals is available on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov, docket number OST-2004-17343. Community proposals also will be filed on this docket. Information on 2003 grant recipients is available at docket OST-2003-15065 and on 2002 grant recipients at docket OST-2002-11590.

Briefing Room