I must respond to the Suburban O’Hare Commission’s wild cost estimates of the O’Hare improvement project recently published in the Tribune (“O’Hare opponents look for all angles,” Trib West, Jan. 18).
O’Hare’s opponents are using exaggerated estimates to persuade state officials to sabotage an essential economic development tool for the region and a needed improvement to the entire nation’s aviation system. Opponents such as SOC have consistently cited inflated figures in an attempt to confuse Illinois residents into thinking the plan is grossly overpriced and will increase taxes, neither of which is supported by past experience or current law.
The City of Chicago and the Illinois Department of Transportation agree construction estimates are approximately $5.65 billion to $6.75 billion for the plan, and that includes $750 million for land acquisition and additional sound insulation of surrounding homes arid schools. O’Hare opponents have cited figures two to five times as large. Similarly designed Denver International Airport, for example, was built for $4.8 billion, which included new terminals, new runways and new roads.
Whatever the total O’Hare cost, federal law requires that runway construction and on-airfield improvements be funded through Passenger Facility Charges and General Airport Revenue Bonds. This means the airlines and airline passengers will pay for the runway and airport improvements, and not state and federal taxpayers, as is often inferred.
While we can determine what the federal proposal will cost, no price tag can be put on the thousands of jobs and the billions of dollars the region will lose if O’Hare is not improved.
