Btrainto63rdandStoney Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 Saw Car number 2 of the O'Hare People Mover on a flat bed heading south on the Kennedy today. Anyone know where it's going? Rebuild? Thanks Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 Maybe it has something to do with this construction project. The transit angle is that this will be a bummer for those trying to get to Pace 250 and 330, which stop at a people mover station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TripleTransit1 Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 What's the O'Hare People Mover? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Btrainto63rdandStoney Posted July 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 The people mover is the half bus/half electric unmanned tram (trains?) that connect the terminals with the long term parking lots. Here's a link to the Wikipedia article on the system. O'Hare International Airport Transit System http://tinyurl.com/q84akzs Bob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 Those cars are over 20 years old. At some point they need to be replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 Taipei's metro also uses the same cars. They are called VAL 256. Later on, Bombardier rebuilt them to play nice with the new rolling stock that was being built for the same line. Maybe Chicago will do the same. Image with two O'Hare style VALs and a Bombardier set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVTArider Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 The people mover is the half bus/half electric unmanned tram (trains?) that connect the terminals with the long term parking lots. Here's a link to the Wikipedia article on the system. Bob A bit off topic, but having looked at the set up of that mover and the layout of O Hare I find it stupid that the future plans mentioned in the wiki article only include shuttle buses to the rental cars. It seems like O Hare could create a much better user experience by simply replacing the current hodge-podge of individual RAC lots with a new consolidated RAC facility connected directly to the mover with a station. Throw in fresh rental counters, covered ramp, and an up to date QTA and they can also probably pork some rent $$ from rental conglomerates ABG, EHI, HGH/DTAG, and whoever else rents out cars there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarioM Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 A bit off topic, but having looked at the set up of that mover and the layout of O Hare I find it stupid that the future plans mentioned in the wiki article only include shuttle buses to the rental cars. It seems like O Hare could create a much better user experience by simply replacing the current hodge-podge of individual RAC lots with a new consolidated RAC facility connected directly to the mover with a station. Throw in fresh rental counters, covered ramp, and an up to date QTA and they can also probably pork some rent $$ from rental conglomerates ABG, EHI, HGH/DTAG, and whoever else rents out cars there. The Wikipedia uses a Tribune article from 2007 as its source. More recent articles say the current plan is exactly what you would like: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/15957738-418/ohare-to-extend-its-people-mover-2000-feet-to-rental-car-campus.html http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2013/08/23/ohare-airport-to-get-new-rental-car.html?page=all And for the last couple of years, they have been imposing an additional $8 per day tax on rental cars to pay for the new plans. (You didn't really think the rental car companies would pay for it, did you?) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Maybe it has something to do with this construction project. The transit angle is that this will be a bummer for those trying to get to Pace 250 and 330, which stop at a people mover station. Perhaps the city intends riders from Pace 250 and 330 to use either of the two shuttle bus routes that are going to be in place between the economy lots and the terminals. According to the article you linked one route will be from the Lot E people mover station to Terminals 1, 2, and 3 and another from Lot E directly to Terminal 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 The Wikipedia uses a Tribune article from 2007 as its source. More recent articles say the current plan is exactly what you would like: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/15957738-418/ohare-to-extend-its-people-mover-2000-feet-to-rental-car-campus.html http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2013/08/23/ohare-airport-to-get-new-rental-car.html?page=all And for the last couple of years, they have been imposing an additional $8 per day tax on rental cars to pay for the new plans. (You didn't really think the rental car companies would pay for it, did you?) Interesting link, but how are they going to install gas tanks to fuel the rental cars. Each rental car company has there own tank that needs refueling from a tanker truck and then do I really want to be in a structure that is next to all these tanks. If that's the case, I hope they are planning a mega expansion of railcars because no doubt the rental car company customers will be using the people mover now. I don't see a need for shuttle buses anymore. That might expand usage by 10x. If they are building an intermodel type driveup at the terminal I don't see why the Pace buses can't go there. Now if the remote lot is going where the rental car companies are now will a people mover serve them? will there be a branch? They might be then able to eliminate all buses from O'Hare, but should the people mover ever fail people will be stranded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Interesting link, but how are they going to install gas tanks to fuel the rental cars. Each rental car company has there own tank that needs refueling from a tanker truck and then do I really want to be in a structure that is next to all these tanks. If that's the case, I hope they are planning a mega expansion of railcars because no doubt the rental car company customers will be using the people mover now. I don't see a need for shuttle buses anymore. That might expand usage by 10x. If they are building an intermodel type driveup at the terminal I don't see why the Pace buses can't go there. Now if the remote lot is going where the rental car companies are now will a people mover serve them? will there be a branch? They might be then able to eliminate all buses from O'Hare, but should the people mover ever fail people will be stranded. The last part of your post is one reason why I didn't understand more direct bus service getting pulled from the airport to begin with. The people mover's main purpose always seemed to be folks using those rental car customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Btrainto63rdandStoney Posted July 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 I've used it many times from the remote lots to the terminals. A big part of the ridership is also from travelers going to and from domestic terminals to terminal 5 - international. The current configuration doesn't work at all for rental car customers - they go by shuttle bus. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Reading more about this there will be just an extension from the current remote lot E station to the new rental car site/Metra O'Hare station. There won't be branches and they intend to order 24 new cars. Sounds like the old cars are done and going to the scrapper that's why a couple are going away on flatbeds. Sounds like what they are building is coming way short on ridership projections. They are going to at least have to have 4 car trains now because all stations will serve one train. Even then you are asking for a system to handle how many buses worth of passengers mostly all with luggage. (at least 5-6 buses worth of people) Some of those rental car companies are huge themselves. Hertz currently uses a multi story garage for it's cars. It has that much volume. Then they will probably need a bigger garage maybe twice as big to store the new fleet of trains. They may have to increase frequency. This sounds like the Red line. LOL!! All of which with no man operation. Sounds kind of challenging to pull off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 MSP (Minneapolis-St Paul) has one building within the horseshoe of the terminal area (sort of like the Hilton and the Bus Shuttle Center and Main Parking garage at ORD) that serves as a transportation center (east end of building) with access to the rental car garage and the main parking garage near the center of the building. The rental companies have the eastern portion and the main garage is the western portion. Everything is accessible to the main terminal. On the lower level of the rental car garage, each rental company has its own wash facility, and in the case of the company I used to work for there, also had an offsite facility just outside the airport with a wash facility and a third overflow facility that used to be where the Mall of America transportation center is now. Birmingham Alabama Airport has a rental car parking garage across the street from the terminal as well. I didn't see a wash facility there so I would assume it is either hidden or offsite. Based on that, it would seem that the main parking garage at ORD would've been the best site for a rental car garage except that the city won't give up the cash cow called overpriced short term parking. Building a facility outside the airport and using a shuttle train is an invitation to disaster. I don't think the ATS would be able to handle the extra ridership and what happens if the ATS breaks down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 ... Based on that, it would seem that the main parking garage at ORD would've been the best site for a rental car garage except that the city won't give up the cash cow called overpriced short term parking. Building a facility outside the airport and using a shuttle train is an invitation to disaster. I don't think the ATS would be able to handle the extra ridership and what happens if the ATS breaks down? I remember that before the garage, the rent a car companies were in the middle of the horseshoe at O'Hare. The other question is how dependent the rental car companies are on the People Mover compared to their own bus fleets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 I remember that before the garage, the rent a car companies were in the middle of the horseshoe at O'Hare. The other question is how dependent the rental car companies are on the People Mover compared to their own bus fleets. Within the horshoe, a bus fleeet isn't necessary. If/when the facility is built out a Lof F, my guess is that the companies will give up their bus fleets as well. My point was if the ATS goes down, then it would be the city's responsiblity to provide shuttle bus service to its F Lot AND the rental facility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVTArider Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 And for the last couple of years, they have been imposing an additional $8 per day tax on rental cars to pay for the new plans. (You didn't really think the rental car companies would pay for it, did you?) Thanks for the info, that sounds much more sensible. Of course the rental companies won't pay for it themselves, otherwise this would've probably been built already. I'm sure O-Hare can/will still raise their rent or lease rates with a new facility. Especially if the companies are no longer paying salaries for bus operators or maintaining a bus fleet. Interesting link, but how are they going to install gas tanks to fuel the rental cars. A few underground communal tanks work fine, that's how it is done at MSP, and other airports with new consolidated rental facilities. The QTA (Quick Turnaround Area) is designed to have a certain amount of parking lanes, wash bays, and "stations" (gas pump, air, washer fluid, and vac lines) assigned to each company based on their overall volume. Gas is simply billed to each company based on how much is used at their assigned pumps. (I.e. Company A used 10,000 gallons of gas at pumps 10-15, B used 23,000 at pumps 16-30, etc.) Here's a little info on the MIA consolidated rental car facility, I would think this would be a little more comparable to the O'Hare setup than dinky MSP. http://www.tylin.com/en/projects/miami_intermodal_center_rental_car_facility http://www.micdot.com/rental_car_center.html Edit: Sorry to geek out on this BTW, I just find it interesting 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted May 24, 2018 Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 On a related topic, the ATS (People Mover) is shut down for the upgrade (Tribune). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted May 24, 2018 Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 41 minutes ago, Busjack said: On a related topic, the ATS (People Mover) is shut down for the upgrade (Tribune). This has been going on for about a year already. Currently the parking lot shuttles are running to the terminals all day,even with the ATS running during the day. The parking lot shuttles still serve the ATS station in Remote Lot E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sht6131 Posted May 25, 2018 Report Share Posted May 25, 2018 They are supplemented by additional buses that do not have destination signs. The original buses numbered to 15 or 16. So far I saw numbering to 29. Do not know where they came from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted May 25, 2018 Report Share Posted May 25, 2018 9 hours ago, sht6131 said: They are supplemented by additional buses that do not have destination signs. The original buses numbered to 15 or 16. So far I saw numbering to 29. Do not know where they came from. Not only that,they are all white as opposed to the others with the stars city of Chicago livery. THe city is no doubt ponying up extra money for the extra service and Delaware probably bought some used shuttles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted May 31, 2018 Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 On 5/24/2018 at 2:27 PM, Busjack said: On a related topic, the ATS (People Mover) is shut down for the upgrade (Tribune). The complete shutdown is in full effect until winter. U wonder if the multimodal facility also have loading areas for Pace buses currently serving E Lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.