In today's edition of Purple Line NOW News, here's what you'll find:

• Our Story, Our Future
• Purple Line in the News
• Features & Highlights
  
  • The Crescent at Chevy Chase Lake
  • A Community Beyond the Tracks
• Construction News
  • Brief Purple Line Builder Update
  • Photos Around the Purple Line Corridor

Share This Newsletter

Please feel free to share this newsletter - no permission from us needed! You can always find a link to our newsletter on our Purple Line NOW website which makes it easy to share with your friends, neighbors, constituents, customers, and employees.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PLN?

Our Story, Our Future

As we head into the holiday season, we want you to know how grateful we are for your support, some of you for years, some of you new to us – all appreciated and critical to our continued mission of making the Purple Line a reality for our community.

As Thanksgiving approaches, we hope you will take a moment to read our story, the news about our future, and what may be on the horizon for Purple Line NOW.

First, though, we thought we would tell you a little more about ourselves.

The Purple Line itself began as an idea, way back in the 1980s. As Greg Sanders, our current Vice President and our founder Harry Sanders’ son, explained to Bethesda Magazine at the groundbreaking for the project in 2017, his father “first came up with the idea of turning the former CSX right-of-way between Bethesda and Silver Spring into a transit way while he was in the family’s living room in 1986 with other longtime advocates, such as Ross Capon.”

Harry and others decided that an advocacy group, dedicated solely to making sure the Purple Line was built, would be an important part of the process. While our group has been around in one form or another since that idea was born, we formally registered as a nonprofit organization in 2002.

Since that time, (and if we are honest, some days it feels like yesterday, but most days, it feels like decades!), a dedicated group of volunteers has met regularly, each and every month, for years, to share information and tackle hurdles that stood in the way progress.

Sometimes those hurdles were financial – where would the money come from? Can the counties work together to fund a portion of the project? Sometimes those hurdles were political and other county and state (and federal) issues took priority. But, our mission remained steadfast, year in and year out. And, for the majority of that time, all of the work we accomplished was done solely by a large group of dedicated volunteers who gave their time, their elbow grease, and their financial support.

Today, our board of directors meets formally four times a year, and the Purple Line NOW leadership team (our executive committe) meets each and every month, these days by Zoom call, of course!

Left to right, clockwise: Barbara Sanders, At-large Executive Committee Member, Greg Sanders, PLN Vice President, Nancy Soreng, PLN Secretary, Christine Scott, Executive Director, Tina Slater, PLN Treasurer, Ralph Bennett, PLN President

In 2009, I was hired as their part-time executive director to take some of the administrative load off volunteer leadership as the project got closer to ground-breaking. Now, twelve years later, I can report that because of your help, financial and otherwise, this group hasn't lost a beat!

Many of you have worked with us, either as a board member, a committee team-mate, or a sister organization, and it has been inspiring to watch how you, as a member of our wider community of volunteers, continue your tenacious, but gentle approach to problem-solving, with a keen eye on continued community-building as the project gets closer and closer to ribbon-cutting.

For those of you new to us, who support us in big and small ways, please know that we appreciate your help. It all matters. It really does.

As you probably know by now, Purple Line NOW doesn’t do any fundraising events. We don’t have corporate underwriting or large grants to support us.

Progress and Plans

No question, and we are not unique here by any stretch, the past two years have been difficult. The loss of the project’s builder certainly didn’t help.

We have been pleased to watch MDOT MTA pick up the reins and continue work on those difficult utility relocations as they called out for new builders to apply, waded through the submissions, and finally are poised to announce the winning company in the coming weeks. In the background, the new builder will be handed over a cleaner sheet with a lot of the difficult utility relocation work out of the way.

In the meantime, despite that devastating loss, our advocacy group kept moving forward. We continued to offer our very popular forums, focusing first on development happening around the corridor and then a thorough status update with Maryland’s Secretary of Transportation just a few months ago.

Here is a sneak peak for our newsletter readers – we heard you! You want another forum on the Capital Crescent Trail, and we are working to bring that to you early next year!

Our flagship publication, the Purple Line NOW News, continues to be published every other week, and we are working to bring you new features, some of which many of you have requested in our survey earlier this year.

We continue to attend and engage in civic meetings, working on adjacent issues like the environment, other transit opportunities, housing, and pedestrian and biker safety. Most of our board members and volunteers are members of multiple organizations and come to our board meetings armed with knowledge and updates. On your behalf, they testify, they report, and they offer input.

We also have acted as an unofficial liaison between residents (and business owners) and the builders and state. You wrote to us asking for help in getting more trees, for help having graffiti removed, for help in tidying up construction sites, to get more signage, to address dangerous pedestrian crossings, and one time, someone asked us to help remove snakes from their yard! Thankfully, our job description doesn’t include reptile removal, but we know who to contact to help those creatures find a new home! On a serious note, we are happy to provide whatever help we can to make this difficult construction time easier for you.

And now for some tough news

In our quarterly board meeting last Friday, our board treasurer, Tina Slater, gave an update on our bank balance. We always say that we operate on a bare bones budget, but as Tina said in her report to the Board of Directors, “This is a little too bare, and we need a little meat on the bones if we are to continue accomplishing all we need to do.”

Currently, Purple Line NOW is operating with a remaining balance of less than $3,000. Folks are always surprised that when we say “bare bones budget” we actually mean it! But, even with Halloween in our rear-view mirror, that balance is a bit scary.

As we do every year at this time, we ask you to renew or increase your annual giving to us. If you have never given before, we appreciate your consideration of any amount – it all matters. It all counts.

If you have been a loyal donor, please know that we squeeze every cent out of your donation to us and when we say we can’t do it without you, we truly mean it.

Here’s what we would like to accomplish in the next year

Because of the increased attendance at our forums since we went to a virtual format, we think that format may be here to stay! But, we want to do more of them, targeting communities that the Purple Line will impact, and address those hot topics you most want to hear about.

We would like to refresh our newsletter so it is easier to read and easier to share.

Additionally, many of you have told us you use our website as a resource. We need to update the information contained within it and address some of your requests in doing so.

Finally, we will continue to meet as a board and team. We will continue to be an advocate for the project and for the citizens who are affected by construction and continue our role as a champion for making the Purple Line the best it can be.

And now --- the SUPER exciting news!

As you consider helping us move into the new year on more comfortable financial footing, we are thrilled to let you know that last week, an anonymous donor has stepped forward again (how lucky are we?!) with an offer to match all gifts, dollar for dollar -- $25 up to $1,000 -- until the goal of $5,000 is reached!

(For example, if you give a gift of $25, your donation will count as $50. If you give $1,000, your donation will count as $2,000. Any and all donations are welcome, small and large.)

This year, because our need is immediate, the matching campaign will last until the stroke of midnight, December 31, so we hope you will include us in your holiday giving.

Thank you for your consideration. We know it has been a tough year for a lot of people. If you can contribute at this time, please know how much we appreciate your generosity, and if you cannot, know that we will continue to bring you as much news and information as we can. Feel free to share this newsletter with your neighbors and friends who might benefit from staying in the loop.

Gratefully,

Christine Scott,
Executive Director

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

New Purple Line contractor should be in place by February (K. Shaver, Washington Post, September 8, 2021)

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

The Crescent at Chevy Chase Lake

The Crescent at Chevy Chase Lake apartment building broke ground on October 21st. The project is across the street from a Purple Line station and will include connections to the Capital Crescent Trail. As Maryland cited, this project is part of $2 billion in transit-oriented development along the Purple Line corridor.

A Community Agenda Beyond the Tracks

If you missed the Purple Line Corridor Coalition's "A community beyond the tracks" event, the video is available online. The event covered housing, employment, and small business concerns along the corridor with a focus on steps being taken in Prince George's county. The Purple Line Corridor Coalition is holding its virtual annual meeting on Wednesday, November 17, 2021.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Purple Line Builder Update

The process for choosing the next Purple Line builder has taken an important step forward as bids were submitted in recent weeks. Maryland and the concessionaire will work together to choose the winning competitor and plan to present that choice before the Board of Public Works this December and to have the new builder under contract in late February. We will bring you the news as soon as we hear it.

Photos from Around the Corridor

Crews continue to work hard throughout the corridor. Thanks to MDOT MTA for the photos.

STAY CONNECTED

Get Connected

Make sure you are signed up for timely alerts from Purple Line NOW via our Twitter and Facebook pages, and at our website Purple Line NOW.

In today's edition of Purple Line NOW News, here's what you'll find:

• What's Happening at PLN?
• Purple Line in the News
• Features & Highlights
  
  • A Community Agenda Beyond the Tracks
  • Who Are All These Groups and What Do They Do?!
• Construction News
  • A Quick Update on the Capital Crescent Trail/Tunnel
  • Photos Around the Purple Line Corridor

Share This Newsletter

Please feel free to share this newsletter - no permission from us needed! You can always find a link to our newsletter on our Purple Line NOW website which makes it easy to share with your friends, neighbors, constituents, customers, and employees.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PLN?

Please Help Us Continue Our Work

Each year, we ask you to consider a donation to Purple Line NOW which helps us continue to offer events like our online webinars which are always free of charge to all participants, as well as this information-packed newsletter, along with answering many of your questions and staying on top of what is going on throughout our corridor as it relates to the project as a whole.

Purple Line NOW was fortunate enough to be the recipient of a generous matching donor last winter and you stepped up to help us during that campaign which has seen us through a difficult year. It will be time to ask anew in the fall, so we hope at that time, if you are able, you will consider supporting us with a financial donation.

We do not host special event fundraisers, nor do we receive underwriting grants from any source, government (local or otherwise), nor are we a membership organization (we do not ask for annual dues). We rely solely on support from donors like YOU!

Remember, with your donation, your name (or your business name) will be listed on our website, as well as in event literature and signage for a year following your donation.

As always, a great big thank you to ALL OF OUR DONORS! We simply could not do our work without your support. If you don't see your name on our website link, you can donate by clicking the purple button below.

Thank you, thank you! Especially after the year from which we are all slowly emerging, a great big THANK YOU!

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

New Purple Line contractor should be in place by February (K. Shaver, Washington Post, September 8, 2021)

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

A Community Agenda Beyond the Tracks

Tonight at 7 pm Prince George's County Council Member Dannielle Glaros and Council Vice-Chair Deni Tavaras are joining the Purple Line Corridor Coalition for an online update and a discussion of "A Community Agenda Beyond the Tracks.” If you would like to join the event, please click the link.

Who Are All These Groups and What Do They Do?

Confused by all the acronyms surrounding the Purple Line?! We’ve updated the list we published a few years ago (things have changed a bit!) and thought we would reshare this short glossary of some of the most frequently used acronyms and terms and how Purple Line NOW relates to each of them. 

1) PLN (Purple Line NOW)

Since you are already receiving our newsletter, you probably know all about us, but just as a refresher, PLN was incorporated in 2002, though many on our team have worked on behalf of the Purple Line for a decade or two before that!

We are a coalition of business, labor, environment, neighborhood, and civic organizations that work with local, state, and federal government officials in pursuit of our mission to build the Purple Line. Our mission is to ensure the completion of the Purple Line from Bethesda to New Carrollton, integrated with a hiker/biker trail between Bethesda & Silver Spring. We have one quarter-time executive director, but operate mostly on the elbow grease of a large and dedicated team of volunteers. We are governed by a Board of Directors with balanced representation from each county along the corridor.

2) CATs (Community Advisory Teams)

MTA has divided the 16-mile Purple Line corridor into eight areas, each represented by a Community Advisory Team (CAT). The MDOT MTA has committed to maintaining open dialogue with the communities surrounding the Purple Line via CATs with the objective of building a long-term relationship through completion of the project. The CATs are member-driven teams with representatives appointed from neighborhood and civic associations adjacent to the alignment. There are also representatives from business associations and local governments. Purple Line NOW Board and Team members sit on many of these CATs and bring information back to our organization regarding issues and hurdles a particular community might be experiencing. In the past two years, MDOT MTA has scheduled these meetings in the spring and fall, and in light of the pandemic, over the past year, has hosted them online. Materials, questions, and answers, from each meeting are usually available online and Purple Line NOW News tries to publish the highlights from each meeting in its biweekly newsletter.

3) MDOT MTA & the Purple Line Team

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is the lead agency, the Purple Line’s owner, and they work in close coordination with other transportation entities, governments, and parks and planning commissions. For the Purple Line, MTA works closely with Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Montgomery and Prince George's counties, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the Maryland State Highway Administration, and local municipalities in the project area. If you have concerns or questions, you can email them directly at [email protected].

4) P3 (Public-Private Partnership)

In this case, a P3 is essentially a partnership between MTA and PLTP to build and operate the Purple Line. The main benefit to using a P3 model is the private capital and alignment of concessionaire incentives with reduced costs and better performance while giving more flexibility to efficiently build and operate the line.

5) PLCC (Purple Line Corridor Coalition)

The Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC), formed in 2013, is a multi-sector collaborative led and administered by the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) in partnership with a coalition of community organizations, state and local governments, nonprofits, philanthropies, and businesses. Purple Line NOW is a separate entity (we receive no funding from PLCC), but we work closely with them, along with many other organizations, to achieve the goals set out in the Agreement. Two years ago, Maryland received a $2 million federal grant to help work on some of the goals of the Agreement, especially in the area of economic development, accessibility to the Purple Line stations, and keeping housing affordable along the Purple Line Corridor. NCSG will administer the grant.

6) PLTP (Purple Line Transit Partners)

PLTP is a public-private partnership (P3) who will build, operate and maintain the Purple Line. The team will operate and maintain the Purple Line for 30 years after opening. The entity is responsible for designing, building, operating, and maintaining the Purple Line under the supervision of the owner, the state of Maryland. The term "concessionaire" is used because it is a public-private partnership between Maryland and a consortium of companies rather than a single lead vendor. The concessionaire for this project is Purple Line Transit Partners.

Have any questions about who handles what aspect of the design, construction, or maintenance of the line - or anything else Purple Line-related, for that matter? Just drop us an email ([email protected]) and we'll find an answer for you!

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Update on the Capital Crescent Trail & Tunnel

The Montgomery County Planning Board met on October 14 and in its last hour addressed the plan to complete the Capital Crescent Trail. Work has been ongoing with the surface connection of the trail, which crosses Wisconsin Avenue at Bethesda Avenue and Willow Lane as shown below. The next phase would run parallel with 47th street bordering Elm Street Park. The surface trail proposal follows complete street proposals reducing the width of the roads while allowing for truck and emergency vehicle turning.

The proposed Capital Crescent Tunnel is still unfunded, and the proposal involves two phases, although they could be condensed into a single-phase to avoid the need to redo Elm Street Park twice. The tunnel would be 16 feet wide, with an effective width of 12 feet, and 12 feet tall with an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant 4.9 percent grade. This proposal would also involve the first bicycle parking garage for Maryland transit stations under 7272 Wisconsin Avenue. The Planning Board would not be the funding provider (Purple Line NOW has separately written in support of working with Maryland to identify possible additional funding sources), but they did approve the recommended plan.

Agenda (Item 11)

Video

Photos from Around the Corridor

Crews continue to work hard throughout the corridor. Thanks to MDOT MTA for the photos.

STAY CONNECTED

Get Connected

Make sure you are signed up for timely alerts from Purple Line NOW via our Twitter and Facebook pages, and at our website Purple Line NOW.

In today's edition of Purple Line NOW News, here's what you'll find:

• What's Happening at PLN?
• Purple Line in the News
• Features & Highlights
  
  • Who Are All These Groups and What Do They Do?!
  • The New Carrollton Economic Development Strategy
  • Ride-On Reimagined Study
  • PLCC Small Business Plan
  • Purple Line (Model) Light Rail Vehicle on the Move!
• Construction News
  • Photos Around the Purple Line Corridor

Share This Newsletter

Please feel free to share this newsletter - no permission from us needed! You can always find a link to our newsletter on our Purple Line NOW website which makes it easy to share with your friends, neighbors, constituents, customers, and employees.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PLN?

Happy October!

We hope you are enjoying the autumn season! This newsletter is jam-packed with all sorts of information from around the corridor and, while we wait for a big announcement about the selection of a new builder, some photos of the progress that is being made to move those pesky (and voluminous!) utilities. We are encouraged to see so much work going on. When you are out and about, snap a few photos of Purple Line progress and we just might print them!

Please Help Us Continue Our Work

Each year, we ask you to consider a donation to Purple Line NOW which helps us continue to offer events like our online webinars which are always free of charge to all participants, as well as this information-packed newsletter, along with answering many of your questions and staying on top of what is going on throughout our corridor as it relates to the project as a whole.

Purple Line NOW was fortunate enough to be the recipient of a generous matching donor last winter and you stepped up to help us during that campaign which has seen us through a difficult year. It will be time to ask anew in the fall, so we hope at that time, if you are able, you will consider supporting us with a financial donation.

We do not host special event fundraisers, nor do we receive underwriting grants from any source, government (local or otherwise), nor are we a membership organization (we do not ask for annual dues). We rely solely on support from donors like YOU!

Remember, with your donation, your name (or your business name) will be listed on our website, as well as in event literature and signage for a year following your donation.

As always, a great big thank you to ALL OF OUR DONORS! We simply could not do our work without your support. If you don't see your name on our website link, you can donate by clicking the purple button below.

Thank you, thank you! Especially after the year from which we are all slowly emerging, a great big THANK YOU!

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

New Purple Line contractor should be in place by February (K. Shaver, Washington Post, September 8, 2021)

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

Who Are All These Groups and What Do They Do?

Confused by all the acronyms surrounding the Purple Line?! We’ve updated the list we published a few years ago (things have changed a bit!) and thought we would reshare this short glossary of some of the most frequently used acronyms and terms and how Purple Line NOW relates to each of them. 

1) PLN (Purple Line NOW)

Since you are already receiving our newsletter, you probably know all about us, but just as a refresher, PLN was incorporated in 2002, though many on our team have worked on behalf of the Purple Line for a decade or two before that!

We are a coalition of business, labor, environment, neighborhood, and civic organizations that work with local, state, and federal government officials in pursuit of our mission to build the Purple Line. Our mission is to ensure the completion of the Purple Line from Bethesda to New Carrollton, integrated with a hiker/biker trail between Bethesda & Silver Spring. We have one quarter-time executive director, but operate mostly on the elbow grease of a large and dedicated team of volunteers. We are governed by a Board of Directors with balanced representation from each county along the corridor.

2) CATs (Community Advisory Teams)

MTA has divided the 16-mile Purple Line corridor into eight areas, each represented by a Community Advisory Team (CAT). The MDOT MTA has committed to maintaining open dialogue with the communities surrounding the Purple Line via CATs with the objective of building a long-term relationship through completion of the project. The CATs are member-driven teams with representatives appointed from neighborhood and civic associations adjacent to the alignment. There are also representatives from business associations and local governments. Purple Line NOW Board and Team members sit on many of these CATs and bring information back to our organization regarding issues and hurdles a particular community might be experiencing. In the past two years, MDOT MTA has scheduled these meetings in the spring and fall, and in light of the pandemic, over the past year, has hosted them online. Materials, questions, and answers, from each meeting are usually available online and Purple Line NOW News tries to publish the highlights from each meeting in its biweekly newsletter.

3) MDOT MTA & the Purple Line Team

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is the lead agency, the Purple Line’s owner, and they work in close coordination with other transportation entities, governments, and parks and planning commissions. For the Purple Line, MTA works closely with Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Montgomery and Prince George's counties, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the Maryland State Highway Administration, and local municipalities in the project area. If you have concerns or questions, you can email them directly at [email protected].

4) P3 (Public-Private Partnership)

In this case, a P3 is essentially a partnership between MTA and PLTP to build and operate the Purple Line. The main benefit to using a P3 model is the private capital and alignment of concessionaire incentives with reduced costs and better performance while giving more flexibility to efficiently build and operate the line.

5) PLCC (Purple Line Corridor Coalition)

The Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC), formed in 2013, is a multi-sector collaborative led and administered by the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) in partnership with a coalition of community organizations, state and local governments, nonprofits, philanthropies, and businesses. Purple Line NOW is a separate entity (we receive no funding from PLCC), but we work closely with them, along with many other organizations, to achieve the goals set out in the Agreement. Two years ago, Maryland received a $2 million federal grant to help work on some of the goals of the Agreement, especially in the area of economic development, accessibility to the Purple Line stations, and keeping housing affordable along the Purple Line Corridor. NCSG will administer the grant.

6) PLTP (Purple Line Transit Partners)

PLTP is a public-private partnership (P3) who will build, operate and maintain the Purple Line. The team will operate and maintain the Purple Line for 30 years after opening. The entity is responsible for designing, building, operating, and maintaining the Purple Line under the supervision of the owner, the state of Maryland. The term "concessionaire" is used because it is a public-private partnership between Maryland and a consortium of companies rather than a single lead vendor. The concessionaire for this project is Purple Line Transit Partners.

Have any questions about who handles what aspect of the design, construction, or maintenance of the line - or anything else Purple Line-related, for that matter? Just drop us an email ([email protected]) and we'll find an answer for you!

New Carrollton Economic Development Strategy

The New Carrollton Economic Development Strategy is now complete and available online! This completed PAMC project highlights steps the city can take to support existing businesses and attract new ones. 

Ride-On Reimagined Study

Montgomery County is working to conduct a Ride-On Reimagined study, one aspect of which is re-imaging how the network will be revised to incorporate and extend the reach of the Purple Line. The county is seeking public comments by November 1 on a “Comprehensive Bus Network Study.” The study’s goal is to provide significant recommended changes to better serve transit users.

According to their website, the county is requesting feedback for a new Ride On Reimagined study. The study will “determine guiding principles for a comprehensive assessment of the bus network in the County, including County Ride On buses, Metrobus services that operate within the County limits and the future Purple Line.”

“To have an effective transit system that reflects the needs of our riders, we need to hear from all of our community members,” said County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin. This study will shape Montgomery County’s transportation services for years to come. We are asking our riders to help shape the future of our transportation network.”

Residents also can email comments to [email protected]. Written comments can be submitted to Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Division of Transit Services, Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor, Rockville, MD, 20850.

PLCC Small Business Plan

The PLCC published their small business action plan. They're looking at short through long term plans. These areas include Greater Riverdale, communities along University Boulevard including Northern Gateway and Langley Park, Long Branch, Bonifant Street and Fenton Village in Silver Spring, and the Brookville Road Business District in Lyttonsville. There are an estimated 830 micro-businesses within 1/2 mile and 513 micro-businesses within 1/4 mile of these stations.

Purple Line (Model) Light Rail Vehicle on the Move!

Right now you can see the Purple Line Light Rail Vehicle model at the Long Branch Library. If your library or municipal building in either Prince George's or Montgomery County would like to host the model, contact the Purple Line Outreach Team at [email protected]!

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Photos from Around the Corridor

Crews continue to work hard throughout the corridor. Thanks to MDOT MTA for the photos.

STAY CONNECTED

Get Connected

Make sure you are signed up for timely alerts from Purple Line NOW via our Twitter and Facebook pages, and at our website Purple Line NOW.

In today's edition of Purple Line NOW News, here's what you'll find:

• What's Happening at PLN?
• Purple Line in the News
• Features & Highlights
  
  • Purple Line (Model) Light Rail Vehicle on the Move!
  • The Purple Line and the Local Business Community
  • Suggestions for Next Purple Line NOW Forum
• Construction News
  • More Information on the Constructor Hiring and Schedule
  • Photos Around the Purple Line Corridor

Share This Newsletter

Please feel free to share this newsletter - no permission from us needed! You can always find a link to our newsletter on our Purple Line NOW website which makes it easy to share with your friends, neighbors, constituents, customers, and employees.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PLN?

Please Help Us Continue Our Work

Each year, we ask you to consider a donation to Purple Line NOW which helps us continue to offer events like our online webinars which are always free of charge to all participants, as well as this information-packed newsletter, along with answering many of your questions and staying on top of what is going on throughout our corridor as it relates to the project as a whole.

Purple Line NOW was fortunate enough to be the recipient of a generous matching donor last winter and you stepped up to help us during that campaign which has seen us through a difficult year. It will be time to ask anew in the fall, so we hope at that time, if you are able, you will consider supporting us with a financial donation.

We do not host special event fundraisers, nor do we receive underwriting grants from any source, government (local or otherwise), nor are we a membership organization (we do not ask for annual dues). We rely solely on support from donors like YOU!

Remember, with your donation, your name (or your business name) will be listed on our website, as well as in event literature and signage for a year following your donation.

As always, a great big thank you to ALL OF OUR DONORS! We simply could not do our work without your support. If you don't see your name on our website link, you can donate by clicking the purple button below.

Thank you, thank you! Especially after the year from which we are all slowly emerging, a great big THANK YOU!

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

New Purple Line contractor should be in place by February (K. Shaver, Washington Post, September 8, 2021)

Purple Line payment is approved; Contractor Timeline Slides to 2022 (B. DuPuyt, WTOP, September 16, 2021)

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

Purple Line (Model) Light Rail Vehicle on the Move!

Right now you can see the Purple Line Light Rail Vehicle model at the Long Branch Library. If your library or municipal building in either Prince George's or Montgomery County would like to host the model, contact the Purple Line Outreach Team at [email protected]!

The Purple Line and Local Business Communities

In case you missed this in our prior newsletters, the Maryland Purple Line project management office is standing up a Business Engagement Team. If you have a business along the line or know someone who does, the team is available to help foster relationships. The team consists of:

• Lesli Leath, Business Relationship Manager, [email protected], 1-240-695-9269
• Minh Diep, Business Engagement Officer for Montgomery County, [email protected], 1-551-206-5889
• Marlene Veras, Business Engagement Officer for Prince George’s County, [email protected], 1-443-802-1608

What Would You Like to See At the Next Purple Line NOW Forum?

We are beginning to think about the next Purple Line NOW forum, set to occur sometime later this fall. What would you like to know more about? General updates? Specific focus areas? Campus and the Purple Line highlights? Send your ideas to [email protected] and we'll try to make it happen! 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

More Information on the Constructor Hiring and Schedule

Just as Purple Line NOW News went to press two weeks ago, news broke in the Washington Post announcing that the new project builder should be chosen by the end of the year and in place by February.

We have seen more great reporting, this time from Maryland Matters, on updates to the Purple Line constructor selection process approved at the September 15 Maryland Board of Public Works meeting. As we covered in our last newsletter, the plan is for the new constructor to be in place by mid-February with bids from the three competitors due later in September.

Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Gregory Slater reported that all three bidders, Halmar International, Maryland Transit Solutions (a joint venture of Dragados USA and OHL USA), and Tutor-Perini/Lunda had requested additional time to understand the existing work. The state also is prepaying a $313 million private activity bond to smooth the way for the selection process.

According to the article, Secretary Slater explained that, "today the banks have final sign-off on the builder that we select. Our interest is in the best long-term success of the project — and that doesn’t always align with the bondholders." The state will have to pay a prepayment penalty, but does not expect any net increase in costs because of lower interest rates. In the meantime, the state will continue to conduct construction activities like utility relocation that keep the project moving forward and reduce risks, and thus encourage lower bids from the three competitors.

Purple Line NOW supports the emphasis that Secretary Slater and the Board of Public Works put on making sure the incentives are right for picking a construction partner. PLN Vice President Greg Sanders noted "In choosing a new constructor, Maryland and the consortium have to balance cost, technical capacity, and the time to opening day. Taking some time to get this right and removing potential obstacles makes sense, and the ongoing construction work led by the Purple Line project team shows that the state is continuing to make progress and reduce risk." PLN President Ralph Bennett added, "Maryland remains rightly committed to completing the Purple Line and the new residences and developments along the line, even in these trying circumstances, show the wisdom of that commitment. We will have high expectations of the new builder as they finish this line that is vital for our communities and minimize the disruption resulting from this prolonged process."

Photos from Around the Corridor

Crews continue to work hard throughout the corridor. Thanks to MDOT MTA for the photos.

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