On June 29th, Mayor Daley of Chicago surprised us all by proposing that 6 (six) eastwest runways be developed at O'Hare.

There are currently 2 east-west runways at O'Hare with 7 total runways and only 6 truly utilized runways. Under the new configuration, there will be 8 total runways. All of which will be functional.

The dual , triple parallel runway scenario allows 6 planes (3 takes-offs and 3 landings) on the runways simultaneously. Currently, O'Hare can only handle 3 planes at a time.

This dual, triple-parallel runway configuration will allow O'Hare to handle at least 78% more flights, from 900,000 to 1,600,000 flights per year. Unfortunately, this reconfiguration will also cause a major shift in air traffic take-off's and landings. Municipalities, like Elk Grove, that lie east or west of O'Hare will be significantly impacted by this reconfiguration. Two of these runways will be pointed directly at Elk Grove Village.

In July of last year, we published a Special Airport Edition Newsletter to bring the community up-to-date with respect to O'Hare Expansion Issues. Our goal is to provide you with important information on the future of O'Hare International Airport and its impacts on the living and working environment in our community.

Increasing air capacity in our region is one of the most critical issues facing our economic future. The Chicago area enjoys many benefits from being a key destination for global tourism and business travel. Demand for flights continues to increase but no action has been taken in many years to accommodate the growing amount of air traffic.

A third airport in the south suburban region is the only sensible, long-term solution to preserving our metropolitan area as an international destination for business and travel. The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) has considered the impact of a third airport in its population, employment, and development forecasts. NIPC forecasts a 15% job growth in Elk Grove through 2020 with a third airport. An additional airport will function within a network of airports in northeastern Illinois and remove the demand burden from O'Hare. O'Hare will not be negatively impacted by the operation of a third airport in Peotone.

Additionally, it is important to note that the City of Chicago originally supported the idea of a third airport at Lake Calumet, but changed their position once the site was ruled out and Chicago realized they would lose ownership of the airport. Ownership and turf protection shouldn't be the criteria used to ignore the need for a third airport. The need does exist and the name of the new regional airport has simply been changed from "Lake Calumet Airport" to "South Suburban Airport".

As you are aware, the Village recently began transferring municipal deposits from the banks of the CEOs who signed an open letter to the Governor demanding additional runways at O'Hare Airport. Since this decision, several other communities have proceeded to do the same. This decision was based upon a simple principle - the Public's dollars should be used to forward the Public's interests, and advocating expansion of O'Hare is in direct conflict with Elk Grove's quality of life concerns.

The banks serving Elk Grove Village residents and businesses have, in the past, advised the Village that they want to be a good neighbor in our community. However, at no time did the banks consult with Elk Grove Village before signing that letter. To our knowledge, those banks had no idea how destructive the new and/or reconfigured runways would be to the quality of life in Elk Grove, and a good neighbor would have taken the time to educate themselves on the impacts of new runways prior to signing the letter.

While we are looking for new financial institutions to do business with, we would like to assure you that our funds will still be protected and no interest will be lost. To date, the money has been deposited into two investment pools. A majority of the funds are located in Firstar Bank, which is a Springfield-based investment pool through the State Treasurer's Office, and the rest has been moved into the Illinois Metropolitan Investment Fund.

Our region does not need to be the recipient of more congestion, more noise and more adverse impacts on our quality of life. The City of Chicago needs to face the facts that O'Hare will remain viable with a third regional airport and O'Hare expansion is not the answer to address 2020 growth. Instead of disregarding the facts and attempting to cram more air traffic into O'Hare, Chicago should be working with us to ensure that O'Hare remains viable with a third airport and that the residents of the City of Chicago enjoy the new jobs and economic benefits from a south suburban airport. Chicago needs to work with the suburbs to plan for a new airport rather than protecting its own self interests at the expense of the noise wary suburbs.

The Chicago area needs a 3rd airport like New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles have. The financial well-being of northeastern Illinois is clearly tied to the development of a 3rd airport. While Elk Grove Village opposes any additional expansion of O'Hare Airport and supports a 3rd regional airport, we are grateful for the economic benefits that O'Hare provides to our community. However, Chicago's plans have renewed our urgency in defending the quality of life in Elk Grove Village. Roadways, runways, and capacity, not just delays, are integral to the solution of airport issues. The short term solution to end delays is to reinstate flight caps. The answer to capacity is to construct a south suburban airport.

During the summer weekends, some of us will be experiencing more flights over our neighborhoods, while others will be experiencing overhead flights that they have never previously experienced. This is due to runways at O'Hare being repaired over the summer construction season. However, the change in both flight patterns and aircraft noise provide a sample of the impact that new and/or reconfigured runways will have on our community. The reconfiguration of O'Hare Runways will bring aircraft to areas of Elk Grove Village that currently have minimal aircraft impact.

This newsletter includes the Village's stance on this issue and facts for your information. You will also find contact information for key public policy makers. These people hold our future in their hands. After educating yourself on these important issues, please contact these individuals and let them know your opinion.