Viewing page 99 of 507

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

HELICOPTER AIR SERVICE PROGRAM     91

Mr. PUCINSKI. No, sir. I will tell you why my interest is in Midway. My district adjoins O'Hare. With 1,400 operations in and out of O'Hare every day, the FAA people and the CAB people are fully aware of my efforts to reactivate Midway so that we can transfer some of that traffic to Midway. 

Senator MONRONEY. I can appreciate that, having had the sonic booms run over my home city of Oklahoma City.

I think you have a very good point there, Mr. Pucinski. The traffic in Chicago is and will continue to be the Nation's heaviest. One airport undoubtedly will not be able to handle it very long. if you throw the helicopters down the drain, you disrupt the link that links this Midway with O'Hare as a part of an airport complex, the same as you would the New York complex and the Los Angeles complex. 

You have to have helicopters if you are going to have more than one airport for the transportation and above all for the transfer of interline passengers. 

No one airport can always accommodate those. Consequently, it is just impossible to have surface transportation do the job when interline passengers must be accommodated in transferring to other lines flying from that No. 1 airport. 

Mr. PUCINSKI. I am sure that the people of Chicago are most grateful for your sympathetic views on this subject. 

Senator MONRONEY. I appreciate very much your help on this. Let me ask you another question.
 
Downtown to O'Hare is how far by car?

Mr. PUCINSKI. From the Loop to O"Hare?

Senator MONRONEY. Yes, from the Loop to O'Hare. 

Mr. PUCINSKI. Approximately 11 miles, via the expressway. 

Senator MONRONEY. How long?

Mr. PUCINSKI. During the rush hour, it will take a good hour. During the noon rush hours, we can make it in perhaps 35 minutes or so. 

Senator MONRONEY. I went out there early one morning after attending a banquet from the near north side. It seemed to me it was like 30 minutes with a clear road out.

Mr. PUCINSKI. Yes, sir. The Kennedy Expressway to O'Hare now during non-rush-hour traffic is excellent communications. Our problem, Senator, is not between the Loop and either Midway or O'Hare Field. we have no problem in moving our passengers between our Loop facilities and the two respective airfields. Our problem now is connecting Midway to O'Hare. If the helicopter service should go out of business, this would just crush all of our plans for reactivating Midway; because we have to provide this fast communication for those who want it. If we do not have that fast communication between Midway and O'Hare, I am afraid that this would- we have a fantastic investment in Midway. 

Senator MONRONEY. How much is that investment? 

Mr. PUCINSKI. If my memory serves me right, it is about $164 million over the years. 

Senator MONRONEY. That would include real estate value as well. 

Mr. PUCINSKI. Yes, sir. 

Senator MONRONEY. $164 million?

Mr. PUCINSKI. Yes. Mr. Downs could probably answer that question better when he testifies.