FOREST PARK, Ill. () — Only weeks after River Forest officials announced their opposition, residents from communities across the western suburbs packed a Forest Park meeting Thursday to press for details about the proposed O’Hare Flyer.
The gathering featured representatives of the O’Hare Flyer, a privately financed express rail service that would link downtown Chicago with O’Hare International Airport.
The discussion highlighted a sharp divide over how the rail project could affect neighborhoods and municipalities along its proposed route.
Cary McLean, a Forest Park resident, said the potential disruption to nearby homes was a central concern.
“If the O’Hare Flyer get this corridor, they win, we lose. No mitigation fixes a train every 7.5 minutes behind our homes,” McLean said.
Dave Lundy, the O’Hare Flyer’s CEO and co-founder, emphasized the broader economic opportunity he believes the project could create.
“You’re talking about thousands of jobs. You’re talking about the ability to bring conventions and corporate headquarters to Chicago,” Lundy said.
Forest Park Commissioner Maria Maxham said officials still need answers about the project’s possible effects on traffic, the regional economy and property values.
“I don’t think aspirational stories or anecdotes are enough to prove that this is a project that we should pursue,” Maxham said.
Lundy called the O’Hare Flyer a potential economic game changer and said details about the proposal have been available publicly for weeks. He added that misinformation has contributed to some of the resistance.
“We are trying to be as transparent, as accessible as possible. It’s the reason we’re here,” Lundy said. “The more we can do to talk to the community and give them direct information, the more people are gonna understand what the benefits of the project are.”
Backers also cited the possibility of new jobs, investment and improvements to Chicago-area infrastructure.
“We want to see local jobs for local workers, and we want to see more infrastructure happening in Chicago,” said Nick Medina of Laborers’ Local One.
Opponents, however, said the debate is not limited to Forest Park or any other single suburb. They argued that residents in several communities would feel the effects of the proposed rail line.
“We are all saying it is too much for our residential, congested area,” McLean said. “This is 11 communities that will be affected by this. This is a coalition of 11 communities.”
With questions still unresolved, the debate over the proposed O’Hare Flyer is expected to continue as supporters and opponents make their cases.
