WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), with U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) and Bill Foster (D-IL-11) today called for more involvement from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to assist in the completion of the nationally-important O’Hare Terminal Area Program (TAP). In a letter to DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the members are requesting DOT help facilitate a path forward between and convene all O’Hare stakeholders to reaffirm a shared commitment to increase gate capacity by at least 25 percent, reduce projected costs and secure additional federal investment, working together to complete this project like 2018’s O’Hare Modernization Program.
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“To maximize the return on investment from ORD runway modernization, it is imperative that public and private stakeholders once again come together to complete the ORD Terminal Area Program (TAP),” the Members wrote. “This program will greatly enhance O’Hare and the airlines that use it by increasing gate capacity by at least 25 percent and creating a new, first-of-its-kind Global Terminal.”
The Members continued: “With TAP at only 30 percent design, now is the optimal time for USDOT to help the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois and respective Air Carriers identify and implement solutions to lower TAP costs through design modifications and additional Federal investments without compromising on the shared goal of ultimately increasing ORD gate capacity by at least 25 percent.”
Today’s letter follows the Senators’ call earlier this month for United and American airlines continue their commitment to the O’Hare Terminal Area Project.
Full text of the letter is available on the Senator's website.
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