I'd agree that a third airport is probably not required right now, but you can only expand O'hare so much. (Why is it when the wx channel puts up their Airport Delay graphic, that O'hare always has a delay, even in good weather?) Comparing a 3rd Chicago Airport to Belleville/Mid America is not entirely correct.....look at the STL market now, it can barely support the one airport....after American pulled a large amount of flights (wich they insured the city of STL they wouldn't do).
The city of Peotone is about 60 minutes from the loop. Thats 20 minutes more than the drive from downtown Denver to their airport. Has anyone absolutely ruled out the idea of having a high speed transportation system from the loop? Anyone ever driven from downtown DC to IAD? With traffic that can take a while!
The area which I'll refer to as south of the southern suburbs is experiencing huge growth. I've heard from some buddys that work construction that there are nearly 300,000 homes planned to be built in the Chanahon and Minooka Area and something like 200,000 around the Wilmington Area. Thats somewhere around 1.5 Million people moving to just those few areas along the I-55 Corridor. All the cities along I-57 are experiencing the same thing.
I think its only a matter of time before there will be the demand for another airport. In addition to another airport, you'll probably see additional use of airports mentioned, like RFD, as the west, and far west, suburbs explode.
Biggest obstacle to it be built, is finding someone to fly there. Who knows, maybe the state will offer some sort of incentives to get someone to fly there if it ends up being built. Maybe someone like JB?
Illinois Dems = Illinois Nazi's......"I hate Illinois Nazi's"