Slaughter Announces $17 Million Grant for Rochester Airport

Funding Will Improve Runway Safety

Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-Fairport), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, is pleased to announce that the Department Of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program has awarded Rochester Airport a $17 million grant to improve the safety of its runways. Rep. Slaughter will accept the grant at a press conference at the airport scheduled for Friday, November 11, 2005. Rep. Tom Reynolds, Rep. Randy Kuhl and Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, along with representatives from the offices of Rep. Jim Walsh, Sen. Charles Schumer and Senator Hillary Clinton, will join her to express their gratitude to the FAA for its continued support.

"I am delighted to mark this important federal investment in our airport infrastructure," Rep. Slaughter said. "This grant will not only make our airport safer, but helps in the process I started nearly two decades ago to make our airport more competitive," she stated.

"Back then, I fought and succeeded in getting the Rochester Airport added to the FAA's airport list. Inclusion on this list was critical in that it obligated the airline carriers-not the county and local taxpayers-to fund the airport's expansion," Rep. Slaughter continued. "Without a place on that list, the County would have had to fund the millions of dollars in needed upgrades and we may not have the improvements we have today," she added.

The funding from the FAA Airport Improvement Program will go toward the construction of two new road tunnels and remove obstructions on airport grounds in a project to create a safety zone at the end of one runway. Now, as the airport assess new improvements through its master planning process, Rep. Slaughter will continue working from Washington to secure funding and make sure Rochester Airport stays on the FAA list .This will free the county from directly paying for improvements and help keep the airport as a revenue generator, rather than a financial burden.