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

• What's Happening at PLN?
  • May 4 Forum -- Reserve Your (Virtual) Seat NOW!
• Purple Line in the News
• Purple Line-Related Events Around the Corridor
• Photos From Around the 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?

Reserve Your (Virtual) Seat NOW!

Plan to join us on Tuesday, May 4, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm for the next forum in our Envisioning the Purple Line Series -- this one will be a status update of the whole project and we are busy working on a great slate of panelists for you!

As we announced last month, Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Gregory Slater, will be our keynote speaker, and will bring us up-to-date on what's happening along the line, the timeline going forward, and other bits of interest to all of us who are eager to get to that first ride. Secretary Slater's remarks will be followed by a panel discussion with key Purple Line leaders including Matthew Pollack, MDOT MTA Executive Director of Transit Development and Delivery, Maricela Cordova, Purple Line Implementation Manager, Montgomery County Department of Transportation, as well as representatives from Prince Georges county and other project leaders.

You know the ropes by now -- all of Purple Line NOW fora are free and open to the public and press, but you must register in advance as our capacity is limited. We will be recording this event, so in the event that we do fill all our seats, the recording will be available to view at a later date. But, don't wait, click the green button below and register for this informative event! 

Please consider a donation to Purple Line NOW so that we can continue to offer these events throughout the year free of charge. 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!

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

USDOT readies American Rescue Plan funds for transit agencies (M. Wanek-Libman, March 30, 2021, Mass Transit)

University of Maryland Discovery District is bringing an innovation neighborhood to College Park (S. Babcock, March 23, 2021, Technical.ly)

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

Purple Line-Related Events Around the Corridor:

• Don't forget to register for the Purple Line NOW Status Update with a keynote from Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Gregory Slater on Thursday, May 4, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm.
• How do you see public art used on roads, bridges & transportation hubs? Share your ideas & learn more about arts & connectivity at the Prince Georges County Cultural Arts Study meeting hosted by @PGPlanningMD, @pgahcarts, and @pgparks. Prince George's County Cultural Arts Study, tomorrow, Thursday, April 8, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm.
• Connecting the Corridor: Lessons from a Century of Racism and Resilience Along the Purple Line, April 21, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Sharing stories from communities along the Purple Line about racism, redevelopment, and activism.
• If you missed the March Langley Park community meeting, you can watch the full event at Langley Park Neighborhood Bicycle Boulevards

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Some photos from work happening around the Purple Line corridor from MDOT MTA:

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?
  • Mark Your Calendars for May 4!
  • Thank you to ALL OF OUR DONORS!
• Purple Line In the News
• Photos From Around the Corridor
• Federal Funding for the Purple Line
• Purple Line Opponents Appeal Court Decision

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?

Mark Your Calendars!

Plan to join us on Tuesday, May 4, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm for the next forum in our Envisioning the Purple Line Series -- this one will be a status update of the whole project and we are busy confirming a great slate of panelists for you!

As we announced earlier this month, Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Gregory Slater, will be our keynote speaker, and will bring us up-to-date on what's happening along the line, the timeline going forward, and other bits of interest to all of us who are eager to get to that first ride. Secretary Slater's remarks will be followed by a panel discussion with key Purple Line leaders including Matthew Pollack, MDOT MTA Executive Director of Transit Development and Delivery. We'll be announcing other panelists soon, but take a moment to mark your calendars so you can join us on May 4! 

The event will be held virtually and you must sign up for the webinar in advance. Stay tuned for the official invitation which will have a sign-up link -- coming soon! 

Thank you to ALL OF OUR DONORS!

Once again, we want to thank all of our donors -- those listed on our website and those who wish to remain anonymous for stepping up over the last few months to take part in our matching gift campaign. A very special thanks to our matching campaign sponsor who renewed their devotion to our cause by offering this matching gift campaign for the second year running!

Your donations will help us continue this newsletter this spring and summer, host the above-mentioned forum in May, and continue our work of staying abreast of the news and connecting residents' issues to problem solvers. 

We know this is a tough time for everyone and we are doubly grateful for your help during this difficult year. You’ve heard us say before that we do all of our work -- the newsletters, the forums, and the outreach -- on a very skinny budget, less than $20,000 a year. Until we take that first Purple Line ride, Purple Line NOW will do our best to continue our work. If you didn't have a chance to contribute during the matching campaign, your donation is no less significant or impactful to us and we appreciate your kindness. You can donate by clicking the purple button below.

A reminder: Purple Line NOW does not receive underwriting grants from any source, government (local or otherwise), nor are we a membership organization (we do not ask for annual dues). 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.

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

Purple Line opponents argue that construction violates federal water protections (K. Shaver, March 11, 2021, Washington Post)

Federal American Rescue Plan includes millions for county, transit, education (B. Adhikusuma, March 29, 2021, Bethesda Magazine)

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

Some photos from work happening around the Purple Line corridor from MDOT MTA:

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Federal Funding for the Purple Line

Did you know that the Purple Line is expected to receive $106 million from the American Rescue Plan stimulus package that was signed into law last week? According to a joint press release issued by Maryland’s Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, “The funding will help keep the Purple Line on track for completion in spite of challenges the State has encountered with the project. This funding will bring the total federal allocation for the Purple Line to more than $910 million since 2009.” 

You can read more here: Federal American Rescue Plan includes millions for county, transit, education(B. Adhikusuma, March 29, 2021, Bethesda Magazine)

Purple Line Opponents Appeal Court Decision

Last week, opponents of the Purple Line appealed their final lawsuit, this one against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, arguing that permits were improperly allowed and thus violated the Clean Water Act.

It is important to note that their arguments were soundly rejected last spring by a U.S. District Court. In fact, according to a Washington Post article, U.S. District Judge Bredar rejected the opponents’ arguments, saying the “state had clearly demonstrated that the Purple Line design under construction was the ‘least environmentally damaging practicable alternative.’” (K. Shaver, Purple Line opponents argue that construction violates federal water protections, March 11, 2021.)

According to the same article, “Lawyers for the Corps and the Maryland Transit Administration said ‘the Corps correctly relied upon the expertise of the Federal Transit Administration in its approval of the project’s required environmental impact study.’”

Purple Line NOW does not expect the ruling by the District Court to be overturned as these supposed environmental objections to the Purple Line have been repeatedly rejected in court by a wide range of judges.

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?
  • Mark Your Calendars for May 4!
  • All Good Things Must (Sometimes) End
• Purple Line In the News
• Photos From Around the Corridor
• Update on the CCT Tunnel Under Wisconsin Avenue

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?

Mark Your Calendars!

We have been promising to announce the next Envisioning the Purple Line Series Forum -- and today's the day!

Your input in our recent survey confirmed our suspicion that it was time to do a full status update of all-things-Purple-Line! It will happen on Tuesday, May 4, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, so please mark your calendars now.

The event will be held virtually and you must sign up for the webinar in advance. Stay tuned for the official invitation coming soon which will have a sign-up link, but we couldn't resist letting the cat out of the bag for readers of the Purple Line NOW News!

We are tickled to announce that Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Gregory Slater, will be our keynote speaker, and will bring us up-to-date on what's happening along the line, the timeline going forward, and other bits of interest to all of us who are eager to get to that first ride. Secretary Slater's remarks will be followed by a panel discussion with key Purple Line leaders. We'll be announcing those panelists soon, but take a moment to mark your calendars so you can join us on May 4! 

All Good Things Must (Sometimes) End

We sent an email last week to announce our Matching Donation Campaign will be ending on the Ides of March. If you don't see your name on our list of donors and are able to make a gift to Purple Line NOW, your gift will be doubled by our generous anonymous donor until March 15. Of course, any level of gift at any time is always welcomed and appreciated (and needed!) We are extraordinarily grateful for all of our supporters -- we simply can't exist without you.

***We are thrilled to report, as of this morning, we are at $4,515, just a few hundred dollars shy of our $5,000 goal!***

These funds will help us continue this newsletter this spring and summer, host the above-mentioned forum in May, and continue our work of staying abreast of the news and connecting residents' issues to problem solvers. 

We know this is a tough time for everyone. You’ve heard us say before that we do all of our work -- the newsletters, the forums, and the outreach -- on a very skinny budget, less than $20,000 a year. You can donate by clicking the purple button below:

A reminder: Purple Line NOW does not receive underwriting grants from any source, government (local or otherwise), nor are we a membership organization (we do not ask for annual dues). 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.

A great big thank you to our anonymous donor whose dedication to the project through this matching grant will make it easier for all our donors to have a significant positive impact on the work we do. Thank you!

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

Montgomery asks state whether Purple Line can be single-tracked in Bethesda station (K. Shaver, March 6, 2021, Washington Post)

County Council members challenge Elrich’s request to single-track Purple Line in Bethesda  (D. Schere, March 5, 2021, Bethesda Magazine)

Three design-build contractors short-listed to finish Purple Line (B. Adhikusuma, March 3, 2021, Bethesda Magazine)

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

Some photos from work happening around the Purple Line corridor from MDOT MTA:

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Update on the CCT Tunnel Under Wisconsin Avenue

In the February 24 edition of the Purple Line NOW News, we reported that Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has asked MTA whether it might be possible to “single track” the Purple Line through the proposed Capital Crescent Trail tunnel (which goes under Wisconsin Avenue) while allowing room within the tunnel for the Capital Crescent Trail.

County Executive Elrich argued that his proposal would involve a section of single-tracking that would be far shorter than a previously rejected proposal and that given the 7.5 minute headways, there'd be no chance of two trains needing the track at the same time. However, any regular commuter, especially any Metro rider, is quite familiar with the problems that can occur at a bottleneck. For example, what happens if a passenger becomes sick and needs to be offloaded? What if a vehicle malfunctions? Or, what if a segment of track, in the tunnel, needs repair?

Purple Line NOW Vice President Greg Sanders writes, "I’ve spent over a decade studying acquisition projects. This proposal would have big implications, both for construction design and for operations where the concessionaire is paid based on on-time performance. Even if it was technically feasible, any change of this magnitude could prompt a change order that adds tens of millions of dollars to the cost. Earlier this week, County Executive Elrich asked what the harm is in studying the proposal. The harm is that the timeline for selecting a new construction contractor is dependent on completing the final stages of the engineering design. All Montgomery County leaders have rightly lamented the extended disruption caused by the switch to a new concessionaire. Maryland needs all design hands on deck to finish this competition."

Ralph Bennett, Purple Line NOW Board President, added, "We call on the County Executive to uphold the promises the Council made when he was a member to ensure a safe and fast connection for what will be one of the highest demand hiker and biker trail segments in the County. Completing the trail is a County responsibility and the buck stops with the County Executive to offer a proposal within his power that addresses the legitimate concerns raised by Councilmember Friedson and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association."

We will keep you posted as the situation develops.

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?
  • We're $2,000 Away From Our Goal - Can You Help? Your Donation Will Be Matched!
• Photos of Progress
• Construction Updates
  • Update on the CCT Tunnel Under Wisconsin Avenue
  • MDOT MTA Update on RFQ and LRV Car Production
  • More Tree Replacement Resources

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PLN

We're $2,000 Away From Our Goal -- Can You Help? Your Donation Will Be Matched!

As you know, Purple Line NOW has received a generous matching donation to be used to double any donation from $25 up to $1,000 until the goal of $5,000 is reached.

As of today, our anonymous donor has currently matched $3,000 in donations! Thank you to all who have already given!

We know this is a tough time for everyone. If you are able to and can give during this matching campaign, we would sincerely appreciate your consideration. You can see a list of our generous donors on our website -- those who have contributed in the past year and helped us accomplish our work. If you do not see your name on our list or if your annual contribution is nearing expiration, we hope you’ll take the opportunity to renew your donation during this period when your generosity will be doubled by the challenge grant! Click the black button below to donate.

Challenge grants work like this: 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 and very much appreciated.

A reminder: Purple Line NOW does not receive underwriting grants from any source, government (local or otherwise), nor are we a membership organization (we do not ask for annual dues). We operate solely on donations from individuals and businesses like you who care about the Purple Line and whose generosity allow us to continue our work each year. 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.

DONATE TODAY

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

Here are some photos from work happening around the Purple Line corridor from MDOT MTA. Don't forget to send us some snaps of your own!

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Update on the CCT Tunnel Under Wisconsin Avenue

You may have heard that there is a proposal on the table from the Montgomery County Executive to “single track” the Purple Line through the proposed Capital Crescent Trail tunnel (which goes under Wisconsin Avenue.) Purple Line NOW is advocating that the promises made to our community be kept and that a high-quality connection for the portion of the Capital Crescent Trail that will run from Bethesda to Silver Spring is restored. The tunnel is part of the Bethesda Purple Line Station Minor Master Plan, is in an area with proven demand for pedestrian connections, and has long been a Council priority. The Executive's proposed single-tracking alternative is to pass the buck to the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), which is unlikely to even consider such a major change at this stage in construction.

Even setting aside the fact that single-tracking would put at risk the ability of the Purple Line to carry people between Silver Spring and Bethesda in less than 10 minutes, a change order of that magnitude might prove more expensive than the proposed tunnel. The commitment made to Bethesda and the larger community of walkers and bikers should be taken seriously. To push funding out of the CIP while suggesting a non-viable alternative would break the Council's longstanding promise. 

While there is room for creative thinking on reducing costs, it should take into account the important concerns raised by Council Friedson in a February 17, 2021 letter to the Transportation and Environment Committee and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s CIP testimony on February 9, 2021.

MDOT MTA Update on RFQ and LRV Car Production

In a briefing earlier this week, MDOT MTA said that they hope to conclude the process of finding a new construction contractor in September. MDOT MTA said they were “greatly encouraged by the competition and number of qualified companies interested." 

Additionally, now that the state and concessionaire are past the dispute, they are conducting regular partnering sessions and will continue to do so once a builder is secured. 

They also reported that the Purple Line Light Rail Vehicles (LRV) are in full production in Spain and Elmira, New York, with the first two cars almost done and going through the final testing at the factory!

More Tree Replacement Resources

In the September 25, 2018 edition of Purple Line NOW News, we reported on some of the reasons for loss of trees, in many cases to accommodate increased volts and to prevent arcing. The builder emphasized that they are not removing any trees unless absolutely necessary and the concessionaire is operating within the guidelines of the Maryland Forest Conservation Act.

From time to time, we want to keep you posted on where homeowners and others may be able to get free or low cost trees for their own residences above and beyond what the concessionaire is required to replace. Below is a partial list, along with more information from the counties, but we are always on the look-out for more. If you know of any additional resources in Montgomery or Prince George's counties, would you let us know and we'll add it to our list? Thanks!

• Tree Montgomery Works with residents to replace additional trees. Tree Montgomery is the primary county program for putting trees into homeowners yards and is in the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.
• Preserving & Protecting the Urban Forest by Montgomery Parks, Horticulture, Forestry and Environmental Education Division
• TREE YOUR YARD Free & Discounted Trees through Montgomery Planning
• Tree ReLeaf Grant Program Through the Tree ReLEAF Grant Program, the County provides funds to community groups and municipalities for planting native trees and shrubs in public or private common areas.

STAY 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. 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.