Chicago Airport Developments Snag On Disagreements
<B> Chicago Airport Developments Snag On Disagreements</B>
By Deborah Mora
Business travelers around the world might be wondering whether they will have to fly into an airport 37 miles away from the city several years from now because O'Hare will be ill-equipped to handle more air traffic. But as the millennium approaches, this scenario could be squashed.
State lawmakers have floated the idea of a third airport in south Peotone for several years, all the while facing opposition from major airlines. Even amidst several aviation studies on the economic benefits of expanding O'Hare, one politician refused to waver on the Peotone plan.
"There is very little way you can squeeze flights into O'Hare," said Dave Urbanek, spokesperson for Republican Gov. George Ryan. "He doesn't believe expanding capacity at O'Hare is an option." Ryan's new $468 million Peotone airport project calls for one runway and 12 gates on 4,100 acres of land.
In a study released earlier this month, the Commercial Club of Chicago recommended adding a new runway at O'Hare and banking up to $30 million in land near Peotone to prepare for a possible third airport. Ryan, however, said it is unnecessary for the state to rush land banking.
Another recent piece of action that works in Peotone Airport's favor is an agreement between Chicago city officials, Illinois Central Corp. and Canadian National Railway Co. to lay out eight new miles of track for a high-speed connection to Peotone, which is about 40 miles away from the city.
Under the plan, Peotone will have a direct link to Union Station rather than to the city's below-ground railroad station downtown.
Doubt as to whether a third airport is necessary for the city surfaced recently when the Federal Aviation Administration released plans to lift the cap on O'Hareflights. The 30-year-old restrictions were imposed to limit delays.
Mayor Richard Daley, an opponent of Ryan's proposed plan to build a third regional airport, last month unveiled a $1 billion plan to build two additional terminals at O'Hare to handle international and domestic flights. Although he was vague in how the project would be funded, Daley also proposed reconfiguring roadways and building U.S. Customs stations in domestic terminals.
U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., who backs the third airport plan, has strongly opposed Daley's proposal and called for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the city's possible use of federal funds for the expansion and for FAA to release all documents received from the city regarding the project. He said the potential expansion plan was an attempt by the city to avoid safety and environmental reviews.
An expansion proposal echoing Daley's idea was proposed in December in a study conducted by Booz-Allen Hamilton Inc. At any rate, adding more runway capacity needs the governor's approval, and with politics moving slowly, many people may remain frustrated with the ongoing debate. Some believe Peotone's location is inconvenient for passengers living in Chicago and do not want money diverted from O'Hare to pay for an additional airport.
"We don't see a need for a third airport 37 miles away," said American Airlines spokesperson Mary Frances Fagan when the Booz-Allen study was released. "Most of our frequent flyers are located in the north and northwest areas of the state, not in Peotone."
The Booz-Allen study concluded that if Peotone is built, it should be a secondary airport. What city and government officials have to decide is whether Peotone is the ideal location for a third airport, said Ron Gidwitz, chairman of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the Midwest Aviation Coalition.
"They're on their own," Fagan said of lawmakers who are fighting to keep the Peotone proposal alive. "As long as they don't expect us to pay for it.