May 6, 1993
An automated people mover was officially opened to the public at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. In an article appearing in that day’s edition of the Chicago Sun-Times, reporter Scott Fornek described this new transit system for one of the biggest and busiest airports in the United States.
“Picture yourself riding in something that looks like a cross between an L train and a bus, with a little bit of monorail thrown in for good measure,” noted Fornek. “Then imagine that nobody is at the wheel. That should give you a hint of what O’Hare Airport’s new $127 million people mover is like.” Fornek further stated, “With their inflatable rubber tires running on elevated tracks, the trains are designed to whisk passengers quietly and quickly between the hinterlands of O’Hare’s cheaper remote parking lots and airport terminals.”
This people mover — formally known as the Airport Transit System (ATS) — went into regular service a day after the media was given a sneak preview of it. David R. Mosena, who was Chicago’s commissioner of aviation from 1992 to 1996, led this tour. “It’s fast, it’s clean, it’s efficient, it’s free,” proclaimed Mosena at one point during the tour.
The ATS remains in operation today, with its trains running around the clock. This line, covering three miles (4.8 kilometers), is served by a total of five stations.
Photo Credit: Public Domain
For more information on the Airport Transit System at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, please check out https://www.flychicago.com/ohare/ServicesAmenities/services/Pages/transitupdate.aspx
Transportation History 
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