Narrative:

Due to construction on mdw airport, unusual taxi route used from gate to runway 31C. Used txwys east, P, and G. When getting into the hold short position I may have taxied slightly too close to the runway. The hold short stripes need to be repainted and I didn't see them soon enough to assure separation. There was no arriving traffic and no traffic on the runway. Suggest giving folks a 'heads up' on the short distance from the taxiway centerline to the hold short line. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the problem was that normally the taxi route is across the end of runway 31R and there is a long concrete area to cross prior to reaching the hold line. With the construction the taxi route was a detour and brought the aircraft to the hold line directly off the taxiway. The lines definitely need to be repainted since winter is coming on and they will be even more difficult to see. The construction is complete now and that taxi route will not be a problem. Reporter also wanted to discuss the digital ATIS problem. This is replacement of the ATIS voice with a computer generated voice. In some places it is so bad that the flight crew must listen 3-4 times to be able to understand the information. Reporter speaks 4 languages and states that at times the voice sounds like a foreign accented voice, but is incomprehensible. At one time the NOTAM which was issued could not be understood and a request was made for center to give them the information. Center did not have the NOTAM, had to track it down and read the entire NOTAM on frequency. The one most notable for reporter was slc, but there are about 300 airports now using the digital ATIS voice.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC TAXIES BEYOND RWY HOLD LINE.

Narrative: DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON MDW ARPT, UNUSUAL TAXI RTE USED FROM GATE TO RWY 31C. USED TXWYS E, P, AND G. WHEN GETTING INTO THE HOLD SHORT POS I MAY HAVE TAXIED SLIGHTLY TOO CLOSE TO THE RWY. THE HOLD SHORT STRIPES NEED TO BE REPAINTED AND I DIDN'T SEE THEM SOON ENOUGH TO ASSURE SEPARATION. THERE WAS NO ARRIVING TFC AND NO TFC ON THE RWY. SUGGEST GIVING FOLKS A 'HEADS UP' ON THE SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE TXWY CTRLINE TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE PROB WAS THAT NORMALLY THE TAXI RTE IS ACROSS THE END OF RWY 31R AND THERE IS A LONG CONCRETE AREA TO CROSS PRIOR TO REACHING THE HOLD LINE. WITH THE CONSTRUCTION THE TAXI RTE WAS A DETOUR AND BROUGHT THE ACFT TO THE HOLD LINE DIRECTLY OFF THE TXWY. THE LINES DEFINITELY NEED TO BE REPAINTED SINCE WINTER IS COMING ON AND THEY WILL BE EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE. THE CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE NOW AND THAT TAXI RTE WILL NOT BE A PROB. RPTR ALSO WANTED TO DISCUSS THE DIGITAL ATIS PROB. THIS IS REPLACEMENT OF THE ATIS VOICE WITH A COMPUTER GENERATED VOICE. IN SOME PLACES IT IS SO BAD THAT THE FLC MUST LISTEN 3-4 TIMES TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE INFO. RPTR SPEAKS 4 LANGUAGES AND STATES THAT AT TIMES THE VOICE SOUNDS LIKE A FOREIGN ACCENTED VOICE, BUT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE. AT ONE TIME THE NOTAM WHICH WAS ISSUED COULD NOT BE UNDERSTOOD AND A REQUEST WAS MADE FOR CTR TO GIVE THEM THE INFO. CTR DID NOT HAVE THE NOTAM, HAD TO TRACK IT DOWN AND READ THE ENTIRE NOTAM ON FREQ. THE ONE MOST NOTABLE FOR RPTR WAS SLC, BUT THERE ARE ABOUT 300 ARPTS NOW USING THE DIGITAL ATIS VOICE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.