O'Hare Flyer CEO Dave Lundy says Forest Park is the only location he will consider for a station on the proposed $2.25 billion express train. The commitment comes as River Forest and other west suburban communities oppose the project.

Lundy, co-founder of O'Hare Flyer LLC, said in an interview reported Sept. 22 by the Wednesday Journal that his team will not look at alternative locations. A rider boarding at the proposed Forest Park station could reach O'Hare International Airport in six minutes or downtown Chicago in nine.

"The only place we're considering is Forest Park," Lundy said. "We are committed to finding a way to make it work."

Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins has reached out to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) for technical assistance analyzing the potential stop. A CMAP spokesperson confirmed the contact on Sept. 22 but said the agency has made no commitments and has not reviewed the project plans.

Hoskins, who also sits on the new Northern Illinois Transit Authority board after an appointment by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, envisions the station on a triangle-shaped, village-owned parking lot adjacent to the CTA Blue Line terminal. He described the lot as "virtually empty most days" in a Sept. 4 Forest Park Review interview. Plans could include a multistory parking structure.

Hoskins contacted CMAP while opposition to the project grows elsewhere. The River Forest Village Board voted unanimously on Sept. 14 to oppose the O'Hare Flyer and urged its sponsors to "cease advancing their plans and explore alternative route options."

More than 100 people packed Fox Auditorium at Trinity High School for that meeting. About 20 spoke against the proposal during roughly 90 minutes of public comment. One person spoke in favor.

River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci said after the Sept. 14 vote that the project is "not a good thing for us" and called for serious conversations about alternative routes. Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico, Cook County Board member Maggie Trevor and Ronald Pellegrino, executive director of the West Central Municipal Conference, also sent letters opposing the project that day.

Lundy pushed back on concerns raised at the River Forest meeting. He disputed claims that the battery-electric train would cause ground contamination, saying he does not understand how that would happen. He said his team is meeting with the Cook County Forest Preserves about concerns over the route through Thatcher Woods.

Lundy stressed that no agreements have been reached. The privately financed train would run at 80 mph every 15 minutes from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. along Interstate 290, then north through River Forest toward O'Hare. No date for a public hearing or next formal step has been announced.