The Maryland Transit Administration will begin a series of four public open houses tonight on the Bi-County Transitway project, the state’s version of the “Purple Line,” which would connect Bethesda in Montgomery County with New Carrollton in Prince George’s County.
The transitway would provide a 14-mile high-capacity public transportation link — either bus-rapid transit or light-rail service — between the Bethesda and New Carrollton Metro stations. The project as currently planned would not follow the Capital Crescent Trail, which has been at the center of the debate for decades.
Although state transportation officials still say they expect to begin construction in 2010, the future of the project depends heavily on federal support. State transportation officials are optimistic that 50 percent of the project, expected to cost between $360 million and $1.6 billion depending on alignment and modes, can be funded with federal dollars. But with the groundbreaking of the InterCounty Connector last month, some worry that the Bi-County Transitway could be delayed because hundreds of millions of dollars are already being pumped into that east-west connector.
The project has split various factions of the Maryland government in recent years. Some members of the Montgomery County Council are pushing for the “inner Purple Line,” which would run light rail along the Capital Crescent Trail.
County Executive Doug Duncan shunned the plan and proposed a heavy-rail Metro line through the corridor. Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s administration, which took the lead on the project, wants either express bus or light-rail service, but not along the popular trail.
A ridership study and traffic analysis, both critical to securing federal funding, are expected to be completed this fall or early next year, officials said. It is unclear who would operate the new system.
Sites of Open Houses:
» Silver Spring
4-8 p.m. today
Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, 8777 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
» Takoma/Langley Park
4-8 p.m. Wednesday
Langley Park Community Center, 1500 Merrimac Drive, Hyattsville
» Bethesda
4-8 p.m. June 19
Bethesda Chevy Chase High School, 4301 East-West Highway, Bethesda
» College Park/Riverdale Park/New Carrollton
4-8 p.m. June 21
College Park City Hall, Municipal Center Council Chambers, 4500 Knox Road, College Park
