Voters saying no to O'Hare noise

Unofficial election results show DuPage voters resoundingly want noise levels from O'Hare International Airport reduced and more money made available for soundproofing.

Since the completion of a new runway last October, O'Hare air traffic has shifted to an east/west flow instead of multiple directions. As a result, residents in Bensenville, Bloomingdale, Itasca and Wood Dale are complaining about increased jet noise.

Tuesday's counts show about 90 percent of voters in Bensenville, Itasca and Wood Dale and about 80 percent of Bloomingdale voters say the airlines should be required to reduce flight noise during overnight and early morning hours.

Wood Dale Mayor Annunziato Pulice said he's proud of his citizens for being heard.

"I knew these numbers would be in the 90 percents. The people have spoken and that's what we wanted," Pulice said Tuesday night. "We should count. We're not unreasonable people."