Residents encouraged to take survey on O'Hare noise

With the O'Hare International Airport overnight runway rotation plan that has provided better sleep for some and inconvenienced others coming to an end on Christmas, the agencies in charge of deciding whether it has been a success are seeking input from residents through an online survey.

Under the Fly Quiet program, which began July 6, different combinations of arrival and departure runways are used each week in a 12-week rotation designed to relieve nighttime noise for residents from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

Owen Kilmer, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Aviation, said officials believe the rotation test is doing what it was designed to do -- balance overnight noise among surrounding communities.

When the program ends on Christmas, the department, Federal Aviation Administration and the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission will review the data and determine what to do next.

Mount Prospect Mayor Arlene Juracek, who serves as chairwoman of the noise commission said she is cautiously optimistic about the rotation but acknowledged that not every community is happy about it.

"The winners are really happy, and the ones who are getting more noise are not," Juracek said.

"I suppose that's good that everybody's not quite happy and nobody's quite sad."

John Kane, a spokesman for Fair Allocation in Runways, said there has been a 26 percent decrease in complaints. The residents group that pushed for Fly Quiet program wants to see it extended.

"The first month of the program was bumpy because there was significant pushback from some communities," Kane said.

"We predict that those (complaint) numbers will come down further as long as they stick to the Fly Quiet program."

Juracek said Fly Quiet has been so popular in some communities that officials could keep the rotation going after Dec. 25 while the three agencies review the data, but that has not been decided yet.

To participate in the survey, visit surveymonkey.com/r/flyquiet.