 |
 |
|
The Village of Elk Grove has long supported the original Elgin-O'Hare Expressway Plan. In fact, the Village's 1967 Comprehensive Plan and 1973 Long-Range Transportation Plan call for the development of a western access point into OHare. Unfortunately, the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway has become the latest political tool for advancing new, reconfigured runways at O'Hare Airport. The originally planned Elgin-O'Hare Expressway would have provided much desired western access into O'Hare Airport. This access would be accomplished by routing the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway across vacant O'Hare Airport property, located at the southwestern section of the airport. The Elgin-O'Hare would then connect to the Tri-State Tollway as well as to a new western by-pass Interstate to be constructed on the western edge of O'Hare to connect to the Northwest Tollway at Elmhurst Road. These proposed roadways are needed to meet current traffic demands. Imagine how gridlocked our existing roads will be if O'Hare is expanded. Unfortunately, in order to build reconfigured runways, Chicago and the airlines have proposed routing the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway outside of the airport property. While the airport property is vacant, the land around the airport is fully developed. Routing the Elgin-O'Hare outside of the airport property will result in the demolition of hundreds of people's homes in Bensenville. And, it will require the bulldozing of dozens of businesses in Bensenville, This plan impacts families, friends, and children in Bensenville. It rips people from their homes, communities, and jobs. All while a peaceful, planned alternative exists that has been on the drawing boards for decades. Moreover, if the bypass road is moved west of O'Hare to accommodate new reconfigured runways, dozens of businesses in Elk Grove Village would be lost. This disrupts employees and their families. It also negatively impacts the Village's property and sales tax base. Finally, the reconfigured Elgin-O'Hare will allow Chicago to reconfigure and expand runways at O'Hare. This reconfiguration will include the development of a dual, triple-parallel runway system that will point every aircraft taking off directly over Elk Grove or Bensenville. This dual, triple-parallel runway system will bring aircraft lower and closer to our residential community. It will increase noise, diminish safety, and add pollution such as unburnt jet fuel to our community. The construction of the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway alone is simply insufficient to improve roadway transportation. And, adding or reconfiguring runways at O'Hare will exacerbate current traffic problems, Elk Grove businesses are highly concerned about traffic gridlock, roadway congestion, and the inability to move goods into or out of the area during peak traffic times. Adding capacity to O'Hare means more vehicle congestion in the area. This congestion will paralyze traffic on existing streets. For true air and traffic capacity relief, the State of Illinois needs to move forward with the construction of a 3rd regional airport in the south suburban area, In addition, the construction of the original Elgin-O'Hare Expressway and western access by-pass is needed to serve current traffic demand. Studies have shown that the 3rd airport will improve the economy for Illinois. It will create temporary construction jobs and permanent full-time jobs. It will expand our tax base by bringing businesses to Illinois instead of seeing businesses go to Milwaukee, Detroit, or Atlanta where reserve airport capacity still exists. The 3rd airport will reduce delays for airfreight and passengers, and reduce costs for air freight and time sensitive business travelers. The 3rd airport will relieve the tremendous airside, roadside and landside burdens being placed on O'Hare due to O'Hare for exceeding its planned capacity. And, it will provide all of the ancillary goals the region is seeking with the construction of the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway. This 3rd airport proposal is also a bipartisan effort that will create thousands of permanent jobs and even more temporary construction jobs for the residents of southern Cook County, Du Page County, and other areas south of O'Hare Airport. The 3rd airport, in conjunction with the original Elgin-O'Hare plan, will assist in providing true long-term benefits to the economy of northeastern Illinois and the mitigation of traffic congestion into O'Hare Airport. Elk Grove Village favors the original plans for routing the Elgin-O'Hare expressway into O'Hare Airport. Our businesses need more roadway capacity in this area. However, we will look very critically at any route outside the original plan as it will have a significant impact upon our tax base, businesses, employers and employment base in our community as well as neighboring communities.
|
