REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS

SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
CHICAGO O’HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
NEW RUNWAY OPENING

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
NOVEMBER 20, 2008

11:45 AM 

Good afternoon.  Thank you, Mayor Daley, for that kind introduction and for hosting us today. 

I want to apologize in advance that I can’t stay for the entire event because I have to get to the Seattle runway opening.  But I couldn’t miss the opportunity to be here in the Windy City today as we open the first new runway in 37 years at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.   

With this new runway, the world’s second busiest airport will be able to handle growing traffic without growing gridlock.  More than 52,000 additional planes will be able to take-off and land on this runway each year.   

Most important, the added capacity means passengers on those planes will face fewer delays getting into and out of Chicago.  That’s welcome news as the holidays approach.  You could say Thanksgiving is coming early this year for travelers visiting Chicago.  But instead of cuts of turkey, we’re serving strips of concrete.  

Today not only marks the opening of this new runway, it’s also the first day of operations for the new north airfield air traffic control tower.  I just received a first-hand look at first-day operations of the new 255-foot tower, and it is as beautiful on the inside as it is in the outside.  

Local leaders here have worked hard to build and improve air service in Chicago, and deliver better travel connections, a healthier economy and a cleaner environment.

This new runway is a testament to you, Mr. Mayor, and to you and your team’s dogged determination to make O’Hare the envy of other airports and the dream of every traveler. 

I admire your dedicated approach to getting the job done, and I’m proud to be part of a team with the Bush Administration that shares your vision of making the traveling experience safer, more comfortable, and more convenient. 

In the aftermath of 9-11, we acted quickly to put new security measures in place. 

We’ve implemented new safety technologies techniques, and standards.  As a result, aviation in America is safer today than at any period since that first flight at Kitty Hawk.   Considering the record numbers of passengers and cargo filling our skies, this is simply remarkable. 

To accommodate this growth, we have expanded the capacity of our aviation system by adding new runways from coast to coast.  Since 2000, we’ve opened 11 new runways at America’s busiest airports, making it possible for an additional 1.6 million planes to take off and land each year.   

Today, we are opening three more runways, not just here in Chicago, but also at Washington Dulles and Seattle-Tacoma airports.  Combined, these new strips will allow for an additional 330,000 take offs and landings every year.  

All told, we’ve invested almost 50 billion dollars in airports, runways, and aviation technology.  We’ve launched a ground-breaking effort to modernize air-traffic control from radars and radios to satellites-based navigation and communication.     

This NextGen system is already transforming the way America flies.  When it is fully deployed, it will allow our airports and our airways to safely handle the growing numbers of passengers and flights coming in the years ahead.

 We have acted aggressively to clear congestion and protect passengers.  Over the last year, we’ve taken more than 30 different actions to break the bottleneck in New York that is causing delays to ripple throughout the entire system, including employing market mechanisms.

 We’ve proposed slot auctions and other vital reforms to our aviation system that will encourage better use of existing facilities, make it easier to invest in new technology and facilities and reduce congestion across the aviation system.  The idea is simple: It shouldn’t take the relentlessness of a Mayor Daley to bring about change.   

All of our efforts have been driven by a single purpose: improving the air travel experience.  In the last week alone, we’ve announced new proposals to protect travelers when their planes are held on the tarmac, and increased the amount of compensation for cancelled flights, lost baggage, and other consumer issues.

 And just two days ago, President Bush announced that we would be opening military airspace for Thanksgiving Express Lanes again on the East Coast, and also here in the Midwest and other regions across the country so families spend less time traveling and more time together this holiday season.

 Hopefully, thanks to this new runway, travelers suffering heartburn will have Grandma’s dinner—and not their trip—to blame. 

I’m proud of the dedication and persistence that has gone into the aggressive O’Hare Modernization Program.  Due to your hard work, the Second City will be known for its first class air service. 

Congratulations, Chicago!