From: stephen@sprunk.org   
      
   On 10-Jun-14 14:08, Adam H. Kerman wrote:   
   > Every so often, I drive around the construction areas on the O'Hare   
   > campus to try to figure out where all the value comes from for the   
   > billions spent.   
   >   
   > The new intersection with the Access Road from the relocated   
   > east-west road to the south of the campus caught my eye. It still   
   > leads to the same temporary road, but now completed is the brand-new   
   > subway under the yet-to-be-built southern-most runway. It will lead   
   > to the cargo docks of many of the air freight carriers, entirely on   
   > the land side.   
   >   
   > It's massive.   
      
   Massive?  The last time this came up, you said the cost would be the   
   same as a normal underpass, and you ridiculed me for saying otherwise.   
      
   > Given the discussion of what airports elsewhere in the world are   
   > doing with direct intercity rail access to passenger air terminals,   
   > it sure looks like it wouldn't have been too costly nor too dangerous   
   > to do with rail.   
      
   Yet when DART and TRE tried to do exactly that, the TSA and FAA told   
   them where they could shove that idea; instead, they had to go around   
   the runways, adding miles to the route and two sharp curves that will   
   slow trains down significantly, not to mention the special mitigation   
   measures to prevent planes from being confused by headlights passing so   
   close to the runway ends (and not hit the catenary, for DART).   
      
   S   
      
   --   
   Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein   
   CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the   
   K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking   
      
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