O'HARE — City aviation officials said Tuesday they are willing to discuss ways to improve how residents fed up with jet noise can complain by telephone after three congressmen said the process now adds insult to injury.
The 24-hour hotline — 800-435-9569 — is staffed by call-takers who just take messages but can't answer questions and don't know the issue, U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago; Tammy Duckworth, D-Schaumburg; and Jan Schakowsky, D-Evanston said in a letter sent late Monday to outgoing Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino.
What's more, callers often get put on hold and get frustrated and simply hang up before registering a complaint, they said.
The line should instead be staffed with people who understand the issue and are trained to respond compassionately, the lawmakers said. And too many calls are dropped or not answered quickly enough to get an accurate count of how many people are complaining about the noise generated by planes using O'Hare Airport's newest east-west runway, the congressmen wrote.
“Our residents can’t get a decent night’s sleep or even enjoy quality time outside with their children," Quigley said in a statement. "Therefore, we believe it’s imperative that the city fund and operate a telephone hotline that accurately and compassionately responds to their noise complaints.”
Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Karen Pride said O'Hare has "one of the most comprehensive aircraft noise management programs in the world."
However, the department is willing to discuss the issue with the congressmen, Pride said.
In September, 32,532 complaints were made to the city-run toll-free hotline and website, more complaints than were filed in all of 2013, according to the most recent data released Friday by the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission.
Since September 2013 — before a new east-west runway opened last fall as part of the $10 billion O'Hare Modernization Program — the number of complaints have skyrocketed more than 1,400 percent, according to data from the noise commission.
The new runway allows planes to take off and land without crossing paths with other jets while on the ground, which aviation officials said will reduce delays and increase safety.
The new flight path sends hundreds of flights every day over Far Northwest Side neighborhoods like Jefferson Park, Edgebrook, Sauganash and North Park, where residents heard little to no jet racket before the new runway opened.
The congressmen said they have been deluged with complaints from residents who blame the racket for significantly reducing their quality of life by lowering the value of their homes, making it impossible for them to sleep or enjoy their yards.
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