October 14th, 2009 02:18pm
Thomas V. Bona
A “pavement failure” on the outbound Kennedy Expressway near The Loop has caused all sorts of havoc with traffic downtown, several news outlets are reporting. Apparently, a contractor was filling up an underground tunnel with concrete and used too much pressure, causing the pavement to break above. The Kennedy will be reduced to one lane outbound for a few days, and state officials advise motorists to avoid downtown expressways for the next 24 hours.
Hopefully it turns out to just be human error, and not existing problems with the pavement. You always hate for pavement to *fail* but better for it to be because of external, preventable reasons than it just collapsing because it was in bad shape.
September 11th, 2009 11:54am
Thomas V. Bona
So not only do backers of the “South Suburban Airport” want it to be Chicago’s third major passenger airport, they also want it to be the third major cargo airport (or fourth, depending on if you count Milwaukee):
The state and county plan to develop a cargo airport as part of an ambitious multimodal transport complex that will include up to four intermodal rail yards, access to three interstate highways, and up to 135 million square feet of industrial warehousing and distribution space, 20 percent of which currently sits vacant due to the economic downturn.
There is one major obstacle, however: One of the world’s most established cargo airports, O’Hare International, sits only 40 miles away.
State and county officials seem unfazed. As they see it, the “South Suburban Airport” will offer a compelling alternative to O’Hare, with its lower airline landing fees, less-congested airside and landside operations, and convenient connections to Interstates 55, 57, and 65 as well as to intermodal rail services. “Our point of distribution is more friendly than O’Hare’s,” says John Grueling, president and CEO of the Will County Center for Economic Development.
Rockford is mentioned as an example of how the area could support multiple cargo airports. There’s been much talk about whether a Peotone airport would hurt Rockford’s efforts to draw more passenger traffic, but cargo seems to be a bigger threat. Passengers from downtown Chicago and the south suburbs aren’t going to do much driving to Rockford, and those in the northwest burbs aren’t going to Peotone. But cargo operations looking to serve Chicagoland or the Midwest in general don’t care where they are in the region as long as they’re near interstates and rail.
Will County’s push to become a bigger and bigger logistics hub - Chuck Sweeny notes that Union Pacific is building yet another intermodal facility there - might have an effect on Rockford’s push to do the same. Or maybe not … Chicago is pretty big and could use a few logistics centers. But the airport could be an interesting wrinkle…
September 8th, 2009 03:21pm
Thomas V. Bona
Last year, I told you about Toby Jones and his unique way of handling your storage needs. Well, he’s got a new, also hilarious commercial (nope, the business is still not real, and it’s still not entiiiiirely work safe):
September 1st, 2009 02:26pm
Thomas V. Bona
I haven’t done one of these in six weeks, mainly because gas prices don’t do much in the summer (unless hurricanes go crazy, which they haven’t yet). But with a new month, a new commitment. Let’s see where prices go this fall (and fall they may, thought expect them back up a year from now).
What stood out is that Rockford is not only below the national average in gas prices, but we’re 149th of the country’s 280 metro area. That’s right, most of the country has higher gas prices than we do. When’s the last time that has happened?
Here are the prices from this morning (courtesy of AAA’s fuelgaugereport.com):
Gasoline: Rockford dropped a cent to $2.56 a gallon today, up almost three cents in the past month but down $1.19 in the past year. We’re sixth in the state. The Illinois average dropped a cent to $2.64 a gallon, up almost four cents in the past month but down $1.23 in the past year. The national average dropped slightly but stayed at $2.61 a gallon, up seven cents in the past month but down $1.08 in the past year. Illinois has the 19th-highest gas prices in the nation, including the District of Columbia.
Diesel: Rockford remained at $2.72 a gallon, a 10-cent increase in the past month but a $1.41 drop in the past year. We have the fourth-highest diesel prices in the state. The state average remained at $2.71, a nine-cent increase in the past month but a $1.62 drop in the past year. The national average dropped almost a cent to $2.69, an 11-cent increase in the past month but a $1.57 drop in the past year. Illinois has the 21th-highest diesel prices in the country, including the District of Columbia.
So a question, dear readers. Do the fact that gas prices are way lower than a year ago make you more likely to travel this Labor Day weekend? Or is the economy so bad that you’re staying put, no matter what gas prices are?
August 26th, 2009 12:07pm
Thomas V. Bona
How much have times changed? Now, instead of a commercial showing off hostesses in hot pants, Southwest Airlines is highlighting its lack of bag fees. As always, Southwest’s commercials are top notch. I particularly like the spot that’s been on local tv a lot, showing a baggage handler driving around while the narrator describes how other airlines “hate your bag”. I assume the baggage handler is an actual Southwest employee - he’s great!
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August 26th, 2009 11:19am
Thomas V. Bona
Remember a time when flight attendants were called “stewardesses” or “hostesses” and wore revealing skirts (and sometimes hot pants?). Remember when you could smoke on a plane? Remember when fancy food was served on china (and flights were really expensive and generally for business travelers only)?
I don’t, though I did see a scene on “Mad Men” from that era. But the fine folks at Mental Floss have compiled a list of eight retro airline commercials that show, well, a different time.
My favorite is the Eastern Airlines one (and not just because I fondly remember the airline), with “dese guys” baggage handlers:
Anyone fly back in the era shown in these commercials? Was it really like they advertized? Was flying better then or now? My take is that it’s more affordable now, and thus the fancy amenties are gone. Airlines target families, not just business travelers (and business travelers are guided by corporate to choose based on cost more than … what is that in one commercial … lobster?).
Also, flight attendents are treated with more respect. Man, Don Draper would hate it.
August 24th, 2009 03:25pm
Thomas V. Bona
I was one of a record 160,000-plus people at Rockford’s AirFest 2009, and it was definitely the best of the three I’ve been to. The perfect weather, packed schedule and same-as-ever prices all helped bring out the crowds. Judging by how many cameras were out for the F-22 Raptor, I think it single-handedly brought lots out.
Fellow blogger Georgette Braun is asking people if they got their money’s worth. I know my family and I did. Here are some of the best, and some of the needs-improvement, parts of AirFest:
Highlights:
- The performers lived up to the hype, particularly the Rapor and the Harrier Jump Jet. Both did things I’ve never seen aircraft do, and it was their abilities to basically stop in midair and turn on a dime that impresed me, more than the pure speed (which was also way cool). With all due respect to the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels, the Raptor was the best headliner yet. Oh, and seeing a B-1 Lancer in the air was great too.
- The layout. It’s great that the food vendors are scattered around the grounds, along with the static displays. You don’t have to walk across the whole fest to get food or to see something cool (though I did because I wanted to see as much as possible). Even if you didn’t spring for a flight-line seat, you could see things real well from almost anywhere.
- Getting to drive on the runway. Well, after the show. To accommodate all the vehicles leaving, they had one departure route that sent us through a gate, onto a taxiway and then on the runway for a bit, before escaping out the south end of the airport. What a thrill! My father-in-law, driving, said, “You think the Raptor was something … wait until you see what a Ford Taurus can do!”
The “hmm” moments (borrowing a phrase from My Last Bite):
- Granted, they maybe weren’t expecting such big crowds, but there need to be more port-o-potties and loudspeakers if you’re gonna attract so mant people. I counted only 28 port-o-potties for the general public, not counting those for the VIPs and chalets. Those lines were pretty insane, and given the jam-packed schedule, it was hard to “go” without missing something. I had to jump off line to catch the Jump Jet, then go back and try again. And those of us on the far end of the grounds could barely hear any of the announcements as the nearest loudspeaker was seemingly miles away. Something to consider as the show continues to grow.
- Long lines for the static displays. Anecdotally, I heard of several-hours-long waits to get in some of those planes (including my poor half-brother). It seemed like there was no time limit for hanging out inside some of the aircraft, and perhaps something could be done next year to keep things moving a bit.
- No B-2 Spirit Bomber fly-by Saturday. Unless it was so stealth we just didn’t see it.
One I’m not touching is traffic. Yeah, the delay was long coming south on Illinois 2 by the bypass, and maybe things could be done better next year. But it was pretty standard fare for such a big event (80,000 or so each day - a football game’s worth!) so it wasn’t too bad. Plus, we got to see the Navy Leap Frogs and a few planes perform at the opener from the comfort of our car. It’s been said that traffic is relative - people will complain if it’s more than they’re used to … but this wasn’t crazy for such a big event.
What were your highlights and suggestions for next year?
August 19th, 2009 04:13pm
Thomas V. Bona
Looks like it’ll be another strong spring next year at Chicago Rockford International Airport.
Allegiant Air, the largest carrier here, is now selling tickets through May on its Web site. It’s good news for RFD - it’s got as many or more flights as a year ago through January, and the peak schedule next spring is pretty comparable. It’s down 4 flights a week in March, but otherwise pretty much the same.
Considering last March was the airport’s second-best month ever, this spring will still be pretty strong. It really depends on what Direct Air does - they’re adding a third flight to Punta Gorda, Fla., this winter and spring, but no word on Myrtle Beach - and whether any other routes are added by other airlines.
August 19th, 2009 01:22pm
Thomas V. Bona
(Hat tip to airline industry vet Joel Chusid for the link)
Travel expert Rick Steves suggests ways to limit fees while getting cash abroad. Good stuff I’ll try to remember for my next trip. Not counting Canada, I’ve only been abroad twice (a summer in the Dominican Republic, including a weekend jaunt to Haiti, more than 10 years ago and a honeymoon in Ireland back in 2007). Hopefully we can go somewhere like England or elsewhere in Europe in 2011, when my vacation time expands a week. But I’m pretty clueless when it comes to international travel (not Clark Griswald clueless, but still). Fortunately, my wife is an expert - she probably knows all of Steves’ tips already.
August 5th, 2009 04:23pm
Thomas V. Bona
Not a surprise here. With high fuel prices and the start of the recession in 2008, Chicago Rockford International Airport saw a 4 percent drop in cargo volume. That sent it down one spot to 19th in the nation, according to preliminary rankings released by the Federal Aviation Administration last month. RFD was passed by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
It wasn’t a good year for cargo airports. More than half of the 121 cargo airports listed saw drops bigger than Rockford’s. Only 31 increased, and only three airports bigger than Rockford’s increased.
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