Wall Street Journal, 7/31/01, Editorials

Almost every air traveler eventually passes through Chicago's massive O'Hare airport, and many will recall being delayed there. The airport's capacity was reached long ago, and bad weather can quickly turn its cavernous concourses into waiting rooms.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says enough is enough, and has stepped forward with a $6 billion plan to build an unprecedented eighth runway. Trouble is, hundreds of homes and businesses would be demolished in the process. We have crusaded for more airport capacity, but travelers often would be better off with fewer airport expansions and more smaller airports.

Mayor Daley's massive project would take up to 15 years to complete and no doubt burden the existing facilities during that time. A competing proposal is to build a third Chicago airport on already available land at Peotone, some 40 miles southwest of Chicago. One reason why Mayor Daley may not be keen on a Peotone airport is that it would lie outside his reach when it came to patronage and politics.

In addition, the human costs of eminent domain must be considered. Estimates are that 543 homes and 82 businesses would have to be torn down for the O'Hare expansion. While compensation will be made, such massive dislocations should take place only when there's no other reasonable way to accomplish the public good.

Too often other motives are involved. New London, Conn., for example, wants to demolish an Italian neighborhood to build a hotel, upscale housing and office space. Hardly a public use notes the Institute for Justice, which is suing to block the redevelopment corporation's plans. Its head, Claire Gaudiani, justifies the project by saying, "Anything that's working in our great nation is working because somebody left skin on the sidewalk."

That kind of thinking quickly leads to government officials acting like bullies rather than servants. The takings clause of the Fifth Amendment was written by the Founders in order to limit arbitrary government action, and in recent years the Supreme Court has breathed new life into it. We hope it is scrupulously followed in Chicago, where the frustration of airport delays shouldn't allow the city to needlessly run roughshod over O'Hare's neighbors.

http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/...4410000000.htm

I don't think having multiple small airports is better than expanding existing large airports (sorry, NIMBY's!)

Airlines tend to operate a certain level of frequency (or more) to one airport, so having more airports means the total number of planes in the air increases. This adds further pressure on ATC. For example, in Southern California, you have flights going to LAX, SNA, ONT and BUR, and while those airports themselves aren't maxed out like ORD, the L.A. center is one of the busiest (I think L.A. is #2 and New York is #1).

While it's not cheap, it is easier to add runways to existing airports than to expand ATC. Basically, you condemn land, pave it, and install ILS, which has been done many times before. ATC, on the other hand, is being improved but only incrementally. There is no silver bullet with ATC, unless you're willing to cough up hundreds of billions of dollars for it. The FAA's massive improvement plans a few years ago were a total disaster. It's not like buying another PC for your office, where you plug it in and away you go.

Furthermore, if you look into the distant future, ATC will hit a capacity wall (there is only so much atmosphere), whereas the amount of land, while expensive, is practically limitless. One airplane needs a fraction of space on the ground than it does in the air.

Also, having multiple airports makes it more difficult to service them with rail transit. And you have more highway construction and congestion for an additional airport and so on.

First off, I live near ORD and am all for expanding it. It's such an economic engine for the area and planes aren't nearly as noisy as they were many years ago. Granted, Mayor Daley's main beef about Peotone is that he wouldn't control it but Peotone has other more pressing problems. First, the residents of Peotone don't want it (again, NIMBY) plus Peotone is supposed to be pretty good farm land with family farms that have been around for generations. The only people in that area that seem to want Peotone are the politicians for creating jobs in that area of IL and getting to line their own pockets as well. Second, the airlines (particularly UA, AA & WN) don't support Peotone. With no airlines wanting to commit to utilizing it, what would be the point? Lastly, being 40 miles outside of downtown Chicago, it would be extremely inconvenient to get to. ORD is about 15 miles away from downtown and MDW is about 6 or 7. If I'm not mistaken, even Gary's airport is closer than 40 miles. I think Gary would be a more logical choice for a regional 3rd airport but, of course, IL doesn't want that 'cause they don't want to share w/ IN. It'll be interesting to see how all this develops...

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Regards,
- Anna

Anna - I agree about Gary. It is too bad that the politicians cannot see that - why can't IL and IN cooperate like NY and NJ have done and have one authority overseeing all air transport?? Peotone will continue urban sprawl in a different direction - with no easy way to get their (at least initially) except by car. How many more multi-lane highways filled with hotels, restaurants and strip malls do we need in Chicagoland? Anyone who lives near O'Hare and does not like the noise is free to move. I live in Chicago and the suburbs act like only the suburbs hear the planes. Well, I hear them too and I know that it is an important part of our local economy.

And, does Illinois need another boondogle airport like the one we built outside of St Louis? I don't think so. Only one minor airline (Pan Am) is using that field last I knew - what a waste of all of our money.

Debate on Expanding O'Hare Airport Moves to House Panel

Taking a blunt approach to air travel delays, a House subcommittee took up a bill today to forbid states to block airport expansion and, specifically, would allow Chicago to rebuild O'Hare International Airport and add a runway without state permission.

O'Hare has the nation's second- highest volume of air traffic, and delays there frequently gum up traffic around the country.

Opposing any expansion, residents in the vicinity say the airport is already too noisy and produces too much air pollution.

The debate over O'Hare mirrors airport controversies around the country, but this afternoon the hearing of the House subcommittee on aviation was at times an all-Illinois dispute.

"The interests of a powerful few cannot and should not override the national interest," said the bill's sponsor, Representative William O. Lipinski, Democrat of Illinois, who complained that local politics was hurting people traveling to or through Chicago.

Representative Henry J. Hyde, the Illinois Republican who is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, opposed the bill, saying it violated the Constitution. He pointed out that most airports were built by agencies created by the states.

"The law is clear," he said, " Congress has no power to intrude upon or interfere with a state's decision as to how to allocate state power."

Mr. Hyde's interest may have been more than legal. Gov. George Ryan of Illinois, a Republican, testifying against the bill, pointed out that the O'Hare rebuilding plan put forward by Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago "takes out the condominium that Henry Hyde lives in."

Mr. Hyde touched on the philosophical aspect of the problem.

"Congressman Lipinski used the term `local politics' as a pejorative," Mr. Hyde said. But local politics, he continued, amounted to "the consent of the governed, which is the core of our democracy."

At issue is whether to build a major new airport 30 miles south of the city, near Peotone, a project for which the Illinois Legislature has appropriated money.

On July 9, Mr. Daley proposed a 15- year, $6.3 billion O'Hare project. The airlines oppose a new airport, saying it will increase infrastructure costs.

"The stakes for the national air transport system and indeed our nation's economy are far too high to allow the expansion of O'Hare or any other critical airport to be held hostage by local politics," Donald J. Carty, chairman and chief executive of American Airlines, said today.

Behind the debate is the realization that for many hours of the day traffic at airports around the country is above capacity as measured by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The airport improvements are subsidized by the F.A.A., but Illinois and 25 other states, including New York and New Jersey, require that those payments be channeled through a state agency, giving the state veto power.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/02/po...rchpv=nytToday

The main argument for Peotone seems to revolve around the fact that blighted south suburban neighborhoods such as Park Forest, Harvey, etc. will get better air service, so better jobs will go there. But, from a Federal perspective, one can argue that Gary, Hammond, and Michigan City have the same problem - if not much worse. But Gary doesn't have the political support, especially from Congressman and mayoral-wannabe Jackson.

Neither Gary or Peotone will do a bit to help O'Hare, unless you call a new home for airlines such as Spirit and Spanair progress. The only way to force progress at Peotone would be artificial - like LGA vs. EWR, IAD vs. DCA, and LHR vs. LGW.

1. Force all non-US carriers to fly from Peotone instead of O'Hare
2. Put in a 1000 mile perimeter rule at MDW (which makes the new International terminal kind of stupid...)

There is no way that UA/AA/WN/ATA would stand for these types of machinations. So, Peotone/Gary is going to end up being the reliever for Midway. And while Midway has been revitalized thanks to Southwest and ATA, you didn't see Boeing considering Bedford Park for their new headquarters!

Meanwhile, a different way to cut down on problems at O'Hare would be to pump money into MKE, and pump money into the infrastructure between MKE and the northern Chicago suburbs down to about Gurnee. But that's not politically expedient, either.

First, I would like to correct the very first article from the Wall Street Journal. The Mayors of Chicago have been saying "enough is enough" ever since the 80's, but with IL's republican governors, and the stupid runway veto, nothing has been done for 20 years. If it wasn't for the nimby's, Mayor Daley's O'Hare plan would've been in existence today and ORD would've been the best airport ever.

Second, screw, I repeat screw the "human cost". There is no human cost, ORD was built before those sprawling burbs, the nimby's moved in where homes should not have been allowed, now it's rightfully their time to leave!

Third, the ignorance over Peotone is just mind boggling to me. If people had any sense or even slight geographic abilities, they would look at a map of the Chicago metro area, and of course Peotone wouldn't be on it. So you would have to look at an IL state map, and see that Peotone is no where near Chicago, but right next to Kankakee, Governor Ryan's hometown. I am sick and tired of sprawl, miles and miles of boring, monotonous suburbia, flat offices with giant front yards, and the death of all forest and farmland, I'm sick of sprawl and I'm sick of suburbs, they should all be annexed by Chicago so it can once again become the great city it was, sorry that's off track.

Also, the blind ignorance of the south suburbs who favor Peotone, and the even blinder ignorance of Jesse Jackson Jr is even more appalling to me. First, Peotone would do nothing for the south burbs, that's the same thing as saying Milwaukee's airport does something for the north burbs. Peotone, if ever successful, would create sprawl towards the south, towards the much closer Kankakee. Also, where in the world is Jesse Jackson getting the idea it will help his district in any way? Being an African-American, he should know that revitalizing Gary's airport will do much more for the south side of Chicago, the depressed city of Gary, and it will help African-Americans economically, they live in that area, Gary and the south side, NOT in Peotone or Kankakee. Why can't Jesse Jackson see what Gary would do for his brothas? Sorry if this seems racist, but I say things straight forward, I say it how IT IS.

People need to realize that the Chicago metro area is not just IL, but 3 states, and Indiana is a big chunk of it, and the entire metro area should work together, like NYC.

So, to conclude, screw suburbia, they've already done enough to mess up Chicago, took away its corporate headquarters, took away its population, created its ghettos, created traffic jams, destroyed farmland, I've had enough of suburbia, so for once, I hope suburbia loses, and 2 million very loud jets rattle their homes on their way to my beloved ORD. Go Mayor Daley, and to hell with Bensenville and the SOC.

Chitown64:

I would hope that you've seen from my posts that I'm as big an ORD supporter as anyone but this city vs. suburbs mentality is precisely one of the big problems here. I have lived in the city limits all my life but will be moving out of them soon to a nearby 'burb. Chicago, IMO, is the entire metro area and ORD expansion will be beneficial to the whole region. There have been polls taken that actually show many residents of the 'burbs around ORD are not opposed to the work that needs to be done. Unfortunately, it's the very vocal few that tend to get all the press. Also, it's important for the city & suburbs to work together on this. As long as the suburbs feel they have a voice and are heard, compromises can be reached. I do not agree with you that people are living "where homes should not have been allowed". I imagine that growth of the suburbs around ORD is due to the airport and the jobs & money it brings so people go to settle there. Also, as long as the city & suburbs work together, hopefully as few people as possible will be displaced by the expansion, no one should be arbitrarily forced from their homes without having a voice, I don't think you'd want to be.

While I normally agree with much of what you say, I think it'd be best to not foster the "us vs. them" mentality for the City of Chicago & it's neighboring towns.

My own $0.02...

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Regards,
- Anna

I agree 100% with Chitown64. I have lived in both cities and suburbs. Suburbs suck, plain and simple.

AnnaS, if you're going to move to the suburbs, whatever you do, DON'T BUY, rent first. If you find out it sucks big time, you can move out pretty easily. I paid more in rent than I would have if I bought when I moved to a suburb, but thank goodness, or I would probably still be stuck there.

JS:

Too late, I've already bought. For the past 7 years, although I technically live in the Chicago city limits, I've been a psuedo-suburbanite since the area I live in is surrounded by suburbs. Also, I'm moving to a suburb that is practically attached to the city, it's not like I'm moving to Gurnee!

Hey, you can take the girl out of the city but you can't take the city out of the girl!

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Regards,
- Anna

I agree with you Anna, but I just said what's really happened, and how sad to lose another Chicagoan to the burbs .

So what do you all think about Governer Ryan's decision not to run? You think he'll just say OK to runways since he's got nothing to lose? I hope he does, it doesn't matter anymore who he ticks off because they won't be able to not vote for him, right?

I hope you enjoy your new place Anna, but pleeease don't move to an SOC town! Just think where your tax money will go, that punk Joe Karaganis!

I live 3/4 mile away from ORD and agree ANNAS!!!!!

I did too, until I drove by it the other day on the Skyway. IT IS TOO SMALL!!!!

The current configuration of Highways, rivers/streams in the area leave no room for
expansion.

I am for a new airport in Peotone...because I thought about this before I posted this (i live outside of Chicago) but since most other airports in IL are PIA, MLI, and SPI that mostly you have to travel to Chicago to travel, so if there was a airport in Peotone, maybe some people will not have to go all the way to Chicago...

Peotone would never be used due to its distance and that it is south of the city....people would more likely use MKE.

O'hare must be expended for the good of all Chicago and Illinois for that matter. As well, it might make sense to expand Midway as well.