Here's an example of the problem. I recently flew from Charlotte to Zurich via ORD. After arriving in UA's C terminal, I had to make my way through the underground walkways to B, exit the secured area, take the ridiculously slow ATS, then go through the very lengthy security line at T-5. I had over 2 hours to connect to my Swiss flight and barely made it - and felt stressed the entire time. Pray that Air India is not departing at the same time as your flight.

This is just one of the reasons travelers to not favor connecting in Chicago.

Right now O'hare has 747 8 flights operating for the following air cargo operators:

Atlas Air
British Aircargo
Cathay Pacific
Cargolux
Nippon Cargo Airlines
Korean Air Cargo

They do have taxiway restrictions but are still coming in daily. I think the international passenger operators prefer frequency at ORD with several flights a day rather than one A380 or 747 8.

Google has updated its maps. Ongoing construction of new runway 10C/28C coming along nicely.

More T5 updates:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7396/8...6a07191e_b.jpg
Terminal improvements at T5 by flyt5, on Flickr

Tortas Frontera
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8266/8...1b2958d2_b.jpg
Tortas Frontera at T5 by flyt5, on Flickr

Big Bowl
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3760/8...87fb0cab_b.jpg
O'Hare T5 Big Bowl by flyt5, on Flickr

Vosges
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3774/8...3b61ea3e_b.jpg
Vosges Haut-Chocolat at T5 by flyt5, on Flickr

CONRAC/Intermodal Center

I'm frustrated that there's no direct Metra connection, but there will be a path connecting the existing Metra station to the ATS, and the garage appears to have provisions included for a much more extensive express service in the future. The TOD mention is awesome, too. Some offices and restaurants here would really help make connections pleasant here.

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/t...2C7D9936D1.jpg

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/apps/...-130619874.jpg
src

I for one will be very excited for the ATS extension and a new Metra station that has an enclosed walkway connection. Right now it is a bus transfer that waste time and fuel.

BTW Ardecila, can you repost and resize the image? It is massive.

^ Mods, can you remove that image posted by Ardecila? No offense Ardecila, but it's huge and delaying my ability to load up this page.

Just did a quick resize of the above photo
http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/t...2C7D9936D1.jpg

I think the picture is look much better, but not more than 1200 x 800. You have to be reduce the picture size is 800 x 600 pixels. Please don't make a big pictures again.

Would it have killed them to bring the ATS over just a bit, perhaps pulling it east around the north (Zemke Blvd., in the image the far) side of the garage? As at MDW's Orange Line station, making us transit riders walk through a parking garage ("if only you drove here, you could be home by now!") is unnecessary and frankly insulting -- especially if this is how a future Metra/NCS ORD Express service will interface with the airport.

Not sure what sort of TOD would end up there, besides airport hotels. It's not "transit oriented" enough to entice office tenants, given the poor transit service and complete lack of walking-distance amenities.

Agreed Payton. Though I couldn't hope for something as grandiose as Frankfurts HSR Station/Hilton/Squaire I was hoping ideally something much more scaled down and modest using a similar format.

Making train travelers traverse a dark ugly parking garage in order to transfer just seems ridiculous. There is no reason the ATS shouldn't end up just alongside or over the Metra Tracks with a quick escalator platform to get from one to the other.

Did you not notice the office towers in the rendering background? There's a fairly strong market for offices around O'Hare; this site is even more attractive because of the quick, free linkage to airport terminals.

Calling it TOD is probably an overstatement; you're right that there's no transit service here that is of use to substantial numbers of commuters. Any office workers at this site would likely drive. That doesn't mean it can't attract office tenants.

In the longer run, CN is supposed to shift more of its trains to the EJ&E around Chicago, clearing the way for an airport express or at least increased NCS service. Nobody's really looking to do an airport express anymore but I'm sure that there is a fiscally responsible way to create one whenever the political will returns.

IIRC, the connection through the garage will be a pedestrian only corridor, fairly spacious, that will act as a pathway for all users (ATS, Rental, Private, METRA). Seems like it could be a lively space with so much foot traffic.

Lol :tup: You're welcome.

Maybe the inside will be OK but an atrium wrapped around parking darks doesn't leave much room to create pleasant aesthetic design that such an intermodal station deserves........

I also see future building use more oriented towards a hotel. I just think that is a much better use where you could have more terminal to front lobby hotels other then the Hilton O'Hare. During the winter it something that I think some travelers who are stuck on layovers or canceled flights will appreciate.

:)

Actually, not to once again be complaining about b.s. in architect renders, but most of the render's "office towers" do not exist - it's mostly small residential structures (though there are also several office buildings), and the person who made the render took liberties... Anyway your main point about office TOD is of course very true.
This is huge because for the first time in a half century there would be a new hotel accessible from the terminals that does not require using a taxi or shuttle bus. And, also for the first time, the City of Chicago would enjoy the hotel taxes, since I believe this area is not on the Rosemont side of the line. However, the O'Hare Hilton has always had some kind of exclusive right to lodging facilities at O'Hare - does anyone know whether this right applies to just the terminal areas, or to some slightly broader area?

Yes and no. The office towers in the left half of the background are very real (Rosemont's O'Hare International Center and Des Plaines' 1700 Higgins Centre).

The right half of the background is a residential neighborhood with a mix of multi-family and single-family. The heights are exaggerated probably because the renderer was sloppy or he cribbed inaccurate buildings from Google Earth.

I wonder to what extent this area will grow with airport/airline workers? Having a direct and free connection to the airport within walking distance of apartments is pretty attractive. Cumberland filled up with multi-family for the same reason. At any rate, it's a good reason to start planning some kind of TOD with moderate density. Heights will be limited on some sites because of the 9C-27C RPZ.

Add another 747 8F cargo operator at ORD, Air Bridge Cargo. I see no reason LH would have problems at ORD other than with the jetbridges being used. When they brought the A380 in on a demo flight it went straight in off 4L into T5 with no problem. The cargo 747 8F is also longer than an A380.



You can add the new Etihad 747 8 freighter to the list of 747 8 operations at ORD. It started coming in last month.

Yes, I still hear a rumors lately. Emirates is considering ORD service sometime in the future. I think it will operated 77W aircraft. I think they have enough the gate space available. Terminal 5 is getting more extremely overcrowded. I think they will arrived in ORD at 8am, but the immigrations & customs is not too busy during early morning.

Lufthansa is testing the 747-8i on one of their flights today to see how the airport can handle it and demonstrate it to the FAA. I believe this is the first time a passenger-full 747-8i will be flying into ORD. Two more test flights are planned for next month.

747-8 is one of my favorite planes. It looks like it just belongs in the sky. Where is the flight coming in from?

I totally agree.

It's coming from Frankfurt.

How was it? Any photos?

I caught the landing it was really cool seeing the 747-8i come in. Hopefully we start seeing it more soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWYebUijFJw

Nice! Couldn't have been a better day for it.

Beautiful aircraft! I love when people like you come out of the woodwork and contribute something concise and interesting like this! Thanks!

..

What'e even more important is O'hare is gaining on the international and cargo traffic with other North American cities. I will predict ORD will move up a spot in US Cargo rankings within the next 2 years. If you compare ORD to ATL, the amount of international carriers at ORD is alot higher. I think ATL has around 10 carriers compaired to ORD with over 30. Also alot more people flying to ORD stay in Chicago. ATL has a much higher connection percent wich makes sense as Atlanta metro is around half the size of Chicagoland. The Delta operations is amazing at ATL, something other airlines should and will try to copy.

Bring the title back! My current company moved here due to the flight availability to remote locations and international connections. This is the same reason why Coeur Mining moved here earlier this year. O'Hare is Rahm's strongest asset to pull more international companies to Chicago for North American HQs.

Got an email from the Illinois tollway saying the Elgin Ohare west access will start construction this fall

What is the reason for this occurring now? (I'm glad about it, but doesn't Chicago have horrible fuel prices - and jet fuel is presumably the main cost in the cargo business. Maybe the airlines just negotiate national kerosene prices with the oil companies?)

Either way, with the I-90 and Elgin O'Hare and Western Bypass projects, cargo surface operations will see many more benefits.
And why a downtown express train should be a no brainer, especially given the further increasing position of the city as a national gathering place (Lollapalooza, zillions of conventions, still-booming hotel construction, explosion in unique and creative dining options) and further congestion worsening on the Kennedy.

Can you point out some examples of these; also, are they recent or longstanding practices?

Here the system map:

http://www.illinoistollway.com/docum...onProjects.pdf

Found it!

http://www.illinoistollway.com/const...western-access

Can you guys tell me when they will be completely?

The city has been picking up alot more international cargo service for the past few years partly due to location and also due to the cities commitments to building new cargo teminals. Yes the airlines do negotiate fuel and pumping prices, but it is still more expensive. There is also the problem of landing fees at ORD, one of the highest in the nation(higher than JFK and LAX).

I am not going to get into detail on the Delta airline operation at ATL, but it is state of the art.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,2913545.story

Umm... ATL is studying a sixth runway already. I'd put its odds of happening as "likely."

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/p....html?page=all

Hey! Wait it minutes! This is very old news, but there is no news from ATL. There is no sixth new runway.

Yes, there is. Planning is currently underway as part of the new master plan by Chicago firm Ricondo & Associates. They are about midway through the planning process right now.

Just to clarify this, is the reason that total pax numbers remain vastly higher at ATL, despite the matching aircraft movements, almost entirely due to cargo -- or are average aircraft size, and connecting vs o & d, major factors too?

Regarding connecting passengers (a category that is not supposed to be double-counted), does anyone know how they define "connecting" passenger? Would a connecting passenger who happens to be using 2 issued tickets on 2 different (or even the same) carriers (say, a domestic/international connection -- or a mileage ticket and a paid ticket) get double-counted? If a passenger with a single ticket engineers a morning-to-night layover to exit the airport for several hours for afternoon meetings before flying off in a continuing direction, is it single-counted?

Good news.

After moving all 747 operations to SFO last year due to the maintenance base being located there, United is bringing the 747 back to Chicago. The first routes being Shanghai, Tokyo, and Frankfurt.

Weird. I wonder what prompted that ... have oil prices dropped? Are 787 concerns forcing a reshuffling of equipment? Did they bring some 747 maintenance capabilities to O'Hare?

I think it's all about aircraft size. O'Hare sees way more regional jets than Hartsfield-Jackson. Delta is actually phasing them out, and the purchase of all of AirTran's 717's is only going to speed things up. Delta also still uses widebody aircraft extensively on domestic routes, while United and American don't so much any longer.

The O&D and connection figures really don't come into play at all when it comes to total passenger figures. Both airports have a healthy combination of each.

Some 747 aircraft will be transferred back to ORD. They will swapped from 744 to 777 aircraft. UA will deployed 777 aircraft from SFO/LAX-SYD and also, UA will deployed the 787-8 Dreamliner out of SFO-KIX as well.

ORD - 747-8 Passenger Ready?
 

Does anyone know how Lufthansa's tests went at ORD with their 747-8? I know this was a trial with the FAA on their taxi movements to see if the airport was ready for the passenger version. Will O'Hare have to do any further work to modify taxiways or buildings to accomodate this passenger jet?

Also does O'hare have further work to do to get ready for regular A380 service? And do you feel any carriers will bring the A380 to ORD in the future (ie - Korean, BA)? I expected the A380 to go to LAX and JFK initially, but I'm shocked other airports such as MIA, ATL, Dulles, SFO and Toronto have A380 service ahead of ORD.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,3322356.story



O'Hare $800-million project to consolidate rental car garage slated for spring

By Jon Hilkevitch

Tribune reporter

12:05 PM CDT, August 23, 2013



Construction will begin in the spring on an $800-million project at O'Hare International Airport that will put all rental car companies under one roof as part of a new remote public parking garage and extend the light rail People Mover to the new facilities, officials said Friday.

The project, first announced during the Daley administration, now moves toward three years of construction as Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Friday announced final action on a $288-million federal loan.
The rest of the funding will come locally, including from airport bonds and an $8-a-day tax on car rentals at the airport that was imposed in 2010.

The new consolidated rental car and parking garage will be located on the site of economy parking lot F, which at $9 a day offers the least expensive parking at O'Hare. Parking lot F is at Zemke Boulevard and Mannheim Road.

The adjacent cell phone parking lot, which provides free parking for drivers waiting to pick up passengers at the airport, will be relocated this fall to Bessie Coleman Drive near I-190, city Aviation Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino said.

She said parking rates...

The $800-million project, scheduled to be completed in 2016, is expected to create 3,000 construction jobs and 100 permanent car rental and concessions-related jobs, officials said.

Officials also touted the expected benefits ...

The consolidated rental car-parking garage is also near the O'Hare Metra station served by the North Central Service line that runs between downtown Chicago and Antioch.








image of the project in this link

http://www.nbcchicago.com/traffic/tr...220817011.html

Cool. It's about time they started work on this thing. I've mentioned my issues with the plan before, but:

-No improvements to Metra shack station
-Long, confusing walk from people-mover platforms to Metra station
-No provisions for transit-oriented development in adjacent section of Rosemont

If you click the link to the diagram of the project, the last link it does include TOD in it.

The TOD set aside is also inside the City of Chicago rather than Rosemont; which is awesome.

Well, this will actually be a serious intermodal hub. In addition to the People Mover, Metra NCS, and rental cars, the new I-90 express buses will stop here, so suburban riders have a free connection to the airport terminals instead of riding to Rosemont and paying an extra $2 for the Blue Line. I think there will be a new ramp at Lee St to facilitate access from the west.

Hainan China Airlines started service today using an A340-600. Later will use 787's.



http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,6306423.story