Purple Line (Maryland)

Purple Line
Overview
Type Light rail transit
System Maryland Transit Administration
Status Approved [1]
Locale Montgomery County, MD
Prince George's County, MD
Termini Bethesda (West)
New Carrollton (East)
Stations 21 (planned)[2]
Daily ridership 64,800 (2030 projection)[2]
Operation
Planned opening 2022 (2022) (estimated)[3]
Owner Maryland Transit Administration
Operator(s) Purple Line Transit Partners [3]
Character At-grade, elevated, and underground
Technical
Track length 16.2 mi (26.1 km)[4]
Route map
Legend
 
Locally Preferred Alternative
Bethesda
Connecticut Avenue
Lyttonsville Road
16th Street
Silver Spring
Silver Spring Library, Fenton Street
Dale Drive
Manchester Place
Long Branch
Piney Branch Road
Takoma Park–Langley Park
Transit Center
Montgomery
Prince Georges
Riggs Road
Adelphi Road
Campus Center
East Campus
College Park
M Square
Riverdale Park
Beacon Heights
Annapolis Road/Glenridge
New Carrollton

The Purple Line, previously designated the Bi-County Transitway, is a planned 16.2 mi (26.1 km) transit line[4] to link the Maryland suburbs of Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton, all in the Washington metropolitan area.[5] The line would allow riders to move between the Red, Green, and Orange lines of the Washington Metro transportation system without needing to ride into central Washington, D.C. The project is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). On October 7, 2011 the proposed light rail line received Federal Transit Administration approval to enter the detailed engineering phase which, according to the Washington Post, is "a significant step forward in its decades-long trek toward construction."[6]

In 2016, the MTA selected the Purple Line Transit Partners, a consortium led by Fluor Enterprises, to design and build the Purple Line and to operate and maintain it for 36 years.[3][4] Construction began in late 2016, with service projected to begin in 2022,[4] though a legal challenge has stalled work on the new line.[7]

History

Early studies, public debate, design

The Purple Line started out as one project but the name was transferred to another. It was first conceived in 1994 by John J. Corley Jr., an architect with Harry Weese Associates, which designed Washington's Metro System. It was proposed as a multibillion-dollar Metro line around the 64-mile Capital Beltway. [8] In 1998, the Beltway Purple Line got considerable political support from Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan and Governor Paris Glendening, but then as a $10 billion, 30 mile line from National Harbor to Montgomery Mall.[9]

In 1987, CSX had expressed a desire to abandon the Georgetown Branch rail line and leaders in Maryland immediately began to consider adapting it for transit and a trail.[10] Eventually this became known as the "Inner Purple Line" to distinguish it from the Purple Line. By 2001, the idea of a Beltway Metro had been abandoned as too costly and the name was attached to the Bethesda to New Carrollton line.[11]

Robert Flanagan, the Maryland State Secretary of Transportation under Governor Robert Ehrlich, merged the Purple Line with another transportation project, Georgetown Branch Light Rail Transit (GBLRT). The GBLRT was proposed as a light rail transit line from Silver Spring westward, following the former Georgetown Branch of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (now a short CSX siding and the Capital Crescent Trail) to Bethesda.[12]

Both Governor Ehrlich and Secretary Flanagan introduced an alternative mode bus rapid transit – that might have been utilized in lieu of light rail transit. To reflect this possibility, the administration changed the name of the project to the "Bi-County Transitway" in March 2003. Another reason that "the Purple Line" was discouraged by the Ehrlich administration was that its associations with the other color-oriented names of the Washington Metro system (which consists of heavy rail) might lead the public to expect a heavy rail option. The new name did not catch on, however, as several media outlets and most citizens continued to refer to the project as the Purple Line. As a result, Governor Martin O'Malley and Secretary of Transportation John Porcari opted to revert to "Purple Line" in 2007.[13]

In January 2008, the O'Malley administration allocated $100 million within a six-year capital budget to complete design documents for state approval and funding of the Purple Line.[14] In May 2008, it was reported that the Purple Line could handle about 68,000 daily trips.[15]

A draft environmental impact study was issued on October 20, 2008.[16] On December 22, 2008, Montgomery County planners endorsed building a light rail line rather than a bus line. On January 15, 2009, the county planning board also endorsed the light rail option,[17] and County Executive Isiah Leggett has also expressed support.[18] On October 21, 2009, members of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board voted unanimously to approve the Purple Line light rail project for inclusion into the region’s Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan.[19]

Planners intend to utilize existing Metrorail stations and for the Purple Line to accept WMATA's SmarTrip farecard.[20] Metro's 2008 annual report asks readers to imagine that in 2030 the Purple Line will be integrated with WMATA's existing transit system.[21][22]

The proposed project prompted support and opposition in the community:

Support for Purple Line

Support for bus

Opposition to rail

Approval

Governor Larry Hogan opposed the Purple Line project while campaigning in 2014 but approved it in June 2015. At the same time, Hogan cancelled its sister project, the Baltimore Red Line, citing excessive costs. Hogan reduced the state's contribution to the project from $700 million to $168 million, with the savings reallocated toward increased highway construction. The budget shortfall is expected to be covered by increased funds from Prince George's and Montgomery counties, as well as lower operational costs due to longer headways.[41]

On March 2, 2016, Hogan announced that the state has chosen a team of private companies to build, operate and maintain a light-rail Purple Line in the Washington suburbs for $3.3 billion over 36 years. Under the winning bid – proposed by the team Purple Line Transit Partners and led by construction giant Fluor Corporation – the six-year construction project would begin late this year, and the 16-mile line would open for service by spring 2022.[42]

On April 6, 2016, the Maryland Board of Public Works — made up of Hogan, State Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp, and State Comptroller Peter Franchot — unanimously approved the contract, as expected.[43] The $5.6 billion contract is 876 pages long and, according to the Washington Post is "believed to be the most expensive government contract ever in Maryland" and "one of the largest public-private partnerships on a U.S. transportation project" ever.[43] The contract approval allows the Maryland Transit Administration to finalize $900 million in federal construction grants.[42][43]

In August 2016, U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon found that the Maryland Transit Administration and the Federal Transit Administration did not study whether Metro's maintenance issues and ridership decline would affect the Purple Line.[44] Judge Leon decided to vacate the Purple Line's federal approval.[44] A federal funding agreement cannot be signed without the reinstatement of the environmental approval, and Maryland has said it cannot afford to build the Purple Line without sufficient federal funding.[44][45]

Route and station locations

The Silver Spring Library, with the space under the overhang set aside for the future Purple Line station
Roughly geographical map of the proposed Purple Line routes including alternative alignments
Topological map of the Washington Metro system with Purple Line being an integral part

The planned rail or rapid bus line will connect the existing Metro, MARC commuter rail, and Amtrak stations at:[5]

The following stations are part of the "Locally Preferred Alternative" route approved by Governor Martin O'Malley on August 9, 2009:[46]

Potential further expansion

Although the majority of discussions about the Purple Line describe the project as a 16-mile east-west line between Bethesda and New Carrollton,[5] there have been several proposals to expand the line further into Maryland or to mirror the Capital Beltway as a loop around the entire Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The Sierra Club has argued for a Purple Line which would "encircle Washington, D.C." and "connect existing suburban metro lines."[28] Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown, while campaigning in 2006, similarly stated that he'd "like to see the Purple Line go from Bethesda to across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge," adding, "Let’s swing that boy all the way around" (a reference to having the Purple Line circle through Virginia and back to the line's point of origin in Bethesda).[47]

An advocacy group known as "The Inner Purple Line Campaign" has stated that the Purple Line could be extended westward to Tysons Corner and eastward to Largo, and that it could eventually cross the new Wilson Bridge from Suitland through Oxon Hill to Alexandria, eventually forming a rail line that encircles the city.[24] The reconstruction of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-495's southern crossing over the Potomac River) provides capacity for the bridge to carry a heavy or light rail line.[48] Suggested stops along this proposed Purple Line expansion include:[49]

See also

References

  1. McCartney, Robert (2015-06-27). "How Republican Gov. Larry Hogan made his first big mass transit decision". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  2. 1 2 3 "Governor O'Malley Announces Purple Line Locally Preferred Alternative" (Press release). New Carrollton, MD: MDOT. 2009-08-04. Archived from the original on 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2014-10-18.
  3. 1 2 3 "Purple Line Contract Receives Green Light From Governor Larry Hogan". mymcmedia.org. 2016-03-02. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Benjamin Freed, Purple Line Construction to Start Later This Year, Washingtonian (March 2, 2016).
  5. 1 2 3 "Project Overview – Maryland Purple Line". purplelinemd.com. MTA. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  6. Wiggins, Ovetta (2011-10-07). "Plans for Purple Line move forward in Maryland". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
  7. Metcaf, Andrew (December 19, 2016). "Transit Agencies Say Metro's Woes Won't Impact Purple Line". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
  8. Fehr, Stephen (18 December 1994). "A Palette of Proposals for Metro". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  9. "A Governor's Purple Vision". The Washington Post. 18 October 1998. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  10. Mariano, Ann (13 June 1987). "STUDY FAVORABLE TO CSX RAIL PLANS". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  11. Layton, Lindsey (31 March 2001). "Glendening Gives Pro-Metro Pep Talk". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  12. "What is the Purple Line – Maryland Purple Line". purplelinemd.com. MTA. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  13. "Project History – Maryland Purple Line". purplelinemd.com. MTA. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  14. Davis, Janel (2008-01-18). "O’Malley allocates $100M for Purple Line planning". The Gazette. Maryland: Post-Newsweek Media. Retrieved 2014-10-19.
  15. Shaver, Katherine (2008-05-30). "Trips on Purple Line Rail Projected at 68,000 Daily". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  16. "Studies & Reports Maryland Purple Line". MTA. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  17. Spivak, Miranda S. (2009-01-16). "Montgomery Planners Back Rail". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
  18. Shaver, Katherine (2009-01-23). "Leggett Endorses Light-Rail Plan". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
  19. TPB News Vol XVII Issue 4 p. 1 (November 2009). "TPB Gives Final Approval to Purple Line Project" (PDF). Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
  20. "Public Meeting on the Purple Line" (PDF). Town of Chevy Chase, Maryland. 2007-06-06. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-06. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
  21. "2008 Annual Report" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  22. "Metro preparing for more people to shift to transit if gasoline prices continue to skyrocket". WMATA. 2008-05-22. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  23. "Purple Line Now: Who We Are". Purple Line Now. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
  24. 1 2 What is the Purple Line?, The Inner Purple Line Campaign, a project of the Action Committee for Transit (ACT), retrieved 2009-12-4
  25. "Full Speed Ahead". The Washington Post. November 16, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  26. "News & Events". purplelinenow.org. Archived from the original on 2015-05-17. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  27. 1 2 Katherine Shaver (2008-07-13). "Purple Line Foes Offer No Ideas, And No Names". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  28. 1 2 "Purple Line". Sierra Club. Archived from the original on June 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  29. Katherine Shaver (May 13, 2007). "Students Urge Stronger Backing of Purple Line". The Washington Post. p. C04.
  30. "Letter from student leaders to UMD President" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  31. Shaver, Katherine (2009-01-23). "Leggett Endorses Light-Rail Plan". The Washington Post. p. B03. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  32. Maynard, Patrick (2011-06-08). "Rails to Trails VP on Purple Line". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
  33. 1 2 "Analysis of MTA Purple Line". Sam Schwartz Engineering. 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  34. Save the Trail
  35. Save the Trail Petition: Alternatives Studies of alternatives to a Capital Crescent Trail alignment, retrieved 2009-12-2
  36. Katherine Shaver (January 16, 2005). "Fortunes Shift for East-West Rail Plan". The Washington Post. p. C01.
  37. Katherine Shaver (July 7, 2008). "Chevy Chase Says Buses Beat Trains on Purple Line". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014.
  38. Luz Lazo (30 September 2011), "In Langley Park, Purple Line brings promise, and fears, of change", The Washington Post, retrieved 15 November 2011
  39. Jason Tomassini (May 12, 2010). "MTA pushing for additional Purple Line stop in Silver Spring". The Gazette.
  40. Purple Line study report (August 2009). "An evaluation of the merits of an LRT station at Dale Drive and Wayne Avenue" (PDF). MTA Maryland. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  41. McCartney, Robert; Hicks, Joshua; Turque, Bill (June 25, 2015). "Hogan: Maryland will move forward on Purple Line, with counties' help". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  42. 1 2 Shaver, Katherine (2016-03-02). "Maryland chooses private team to build, operate light-rail Purple Line". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  43. 1 2 3 Katherine Shaver, Maryland board approves $5.6 billion Purple Line contract, Washington Post (April 6, 2016).
  44. 1 2 3 Metcalf, Andrew. "Purple Line Groundbreaking on Hold Until Transit Agencies Can Find Lawsuit Solution". Bethesda Magazine. November 29, 2016.
  45. Shaver, Katherine. "Federal money to build Purple Line in question under Trump budget plan". The Washington Post. March 16, 2017.
  46. "Stations - Maryland Purple Line". purplelinemd.com. MTA. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
  47. Thomas Dennison and Douglas Tallman (2006-10-04). "Brown’s ‘lofty’ Purple Line plans draw fire from transportation officials". Gazette.Net. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  48. Scott M. Kozel (2009-02-25). "Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-495 and I-95)". Roads to the Future. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
  49. "Sierra Club Purple Line Map". Archived from the original on 2010-05-12.
  50. Scott M. Kozel (2001-01-23). "Metrorail Branch Avenue Route Completion". Roads to the Future. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
  51. "Second Phase Of Silver Line Delayed By At Least 13 Months". April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2015.

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