"Federal plan would add security lanes at Midway"

Wednesday, August 20, 2003

Federal plan would add security lanes at Midway 
BY ART GOLAB
The Chicago (IL) Sun-Times


The Transportation Security Administration has a plan to add three new
security lanes at Midway Airport to lower waiting times at the airport's
lone security checkpoint, but the move would involve displacing some airport
concessionaires.

The proposal came during a meeting at Midway on Tuesday afternoon where
federal, city and airline officials brainstormed ways to shorten long
security delays.

In recent weeks the city and the TSA have tried to blame each other for the
bottleneck, but Tuesday's meeting was positive and productive, said Sen.
Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). "There were no brickbats thrown," he said during a
news conference at the airport. 

To make room for the extra lanes, security barriers at the end of the
pedestrian bridge crossing Cicero Avenue would be pushed back and widened
into areas now occupied by airport concessionaires.

"We have to look hard at the revenue implications with that," said city
Aviation Commissioner Thomas Walker, "especially if we cannot get money from
the TSA to reimburse us."

During the meeting the federal agency refused to commit any money for
airport improvements. "I had my hand on my wallet the entire meeting," joked
John Shkor, TSA associate administrator.

The city also will have to look at the design and engineering factors
involved in expanding the lanes, and Walker could not give a timetable for a
decision on the plan.

In the shorter term, the TSA will continue efforts to convert a "significant
portion" of full-time staff to part-time status to allow it to put more
screeners on duty during busy periods.

"With part-time employees, we can have them there manning as many lanes as
we have during the peak periods," Shkor said. Congressionally mandated
budget cuts require cuts in screening staff at Midway from 521 full-time
jobs to 467 full-time equivalents. 

In order to help the TSA determine crunch times in advance and schedule
employees accordingly, Midway's two major airlines, Southwest and ATA, have
agreed to share passenger booking information with the federal agency.

Durbin also said he would work to secure federal funding for a permanent
solution to the problem: adding two bridges across Cicero Avenue to provide
additional entrances to the airport. If the necessary $57 million becomes
available, the bridges could follow in two to three years.


 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dc/dcboard.php

*****************************************