Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is slated to detail plans for the controversial Purple Line on Tuesday, moving forward with a decision on what form the transit line should take some two decades after it was first discussed.
And the signs suggest the Democrat will likely choose a light-rail option, rather than a bus line, for the proposed route connecting Bethesda’s Metrorail station to the one in New Carrollton.
What the Purple Line Could Look Like
» What: A light-rail line is the likely choice to be announced Tuesday, as the plan has broad support from many county and state officials. Earlier proposals called for 21 stations along a 16 mile line, running in part along the Capital Crescent Trail.
» Where: The Purple Line would run between the New Carrollton and Bethesda Metrorail stations, providing a key east-west connection to Metro lines and MARC commuter trains.
» When: Up and running by 2018, according to estimates made in June.
» How much: $1.685 billion in state and federal money, as of a June proposal to the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board.
“We are planning to be there and hoping to hear good news,” said Ben Ross with Montgomery County’s Action Committee for Transit advocacy group that has pushed for the light-rail version.
The event is scheduled to occur at the New Carrollton Metrorail station in Prince George’s County, where residents and elected officials have long supported light rail instead of buses for the line that would provide a key east-west connection between the two counties. Montgomery County, on the other hand, has faced a long-running feud over the proposal to run light rail along the popular Capital Crescent/Georgetown Branch Trail.
In June, a regional transportation group also voted unanimously to add a 16-mile light rail option to its long-range plans, a key step in seeking federal funding. Maryland officials had dubbed it a placeholder until a final decision on the line was made, but the move bumped more than a half-billion dollars from two highway projects.
In June, a regional transportation group also voted unanimously to add a 16-mile light rail option to its long-range plans, a key step in seeking federal funding. Maryland officials had dubbed it a placeholder until a final decision on the line was made, but the move bumped more than a half-billion dollars from two highway projects.
“If it’s a significantly different outcome, we’d have to hold what we’re doing and start over,” said Ronald Kirby, who coordinates the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board that approved the plan.
Still, even once the decision is made, the transit line could face more hurdles. Some opponents to the line have threatened lawsuits against the light-rail option, concerned that it will knock down mature trees and change the nature of the adjacent trail.
Other projects, including Baltimore’s Red Line project, are also competing for scarce federal transportation dollars.
Even then, many details remain unresolved, including whether Metro or Maryland officials would operate the transit line and how riders would pay to transfer between MARC stations, Metrorail and the Purple Line.
