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

• Big Announcement: The Next Purple Line NOW Forum!
• Update on Ongoing Negotiations Between Maryland and PLTP
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossing Improvements 
• Photos from Around the Purple Line Corridor

Stay Safe!

As we begin this last month of summer, we hope each of you remain healthy during this continuing pandemic, especially as we reopen our state. For us, it is good to see crews hard at work on the project, a sure sign that better days are to come. Please, stay safe!

PURPLE LINE NEWS AND EVENTS

Mark Your Calendar for August 20!

The next Purple Line NOW forum, Getting Ready for the First Purple Line Ride, will be held virtually via a Zoom Webinar on Thursday, August 20, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. As promised, we have been busy lining up an awesome slate of speakers for you for this bi-county forum, which will focus on both Prince George’s and Montgomery counties – and what each is doing to prepare for the day when we hop on board for that first Purple Line ride!

Webinar invitations will be going out at the end of this week and will include a link to register for the webinar, so keep an eye on your email box! We encourage you to register quickly for this educational and informative event because, although our forums are always free and open to the public, because Purple Line NOW operates on a slim (very slim!) budget, we only have capacity to offer 100 spaces to those who register first.

Our terrific slate of speakers for this forum will be:

• Casey Anderson, Chair, Montgomery County Planning Board
• Vicki Davis, President, Urban Atlantic Development
• The Honorable Andrew Friedson, Montgomery County Council Member (District 1)
• The Honorable Dannielle M. Glaros, Prince George’s County Council Member (District 3)
• John L. Ziegenhein, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Chevy Chase Land Company and Justin Kennell, Development Manager, Bozzuto Development Company

We have also invited a representative from the Prince George’s County Planning Board to join us. Lots more about these knowledgeable folks will be in your invitation coming on Friday. There will be time at the end of the webinar for audience questions and, if you cannot join us on August 20, we will have a video link for you in the days following the event.

Please take a moment to have a look at the generous donors who make our work possible and, if you can, take a moment to join them.

Purple Line NOW, as you know, has been around for decades and we work hard to stay on top of the news, answer your questions, publish a bi-weekly newsletter, and host these informative fora several times a year. We don’t hold special event fundraisers (and couldn’t now, even if we wanted to, of course!), but when our coffers get low, we ask those of you who can, to consider a donation to Purple Line NOW. We will publicize your name (or your organization’s name) on our website and at our events as a way of thanking you and letting the community know how much you care about seeing this project finally become a reality.

We appreciate all donations, small or large. The black DONATE button below will take you directly to our donation page. Thank you, thank you for your help in making this event a success!

DONATE

CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

We have been closely watching for news of the ongoing negotiations between Maryland and the Purple Line concessionaire. The concessionaire has threatened to leave the project over delay and time increases and Maryland is disputing their standing to withdrawal. Critically, a negotiated outcome is still possible and construction has been ongoing during this dispute. In an article in the Washington Post, reporter Katie Shaver gave a history of the present dispute, which originated in the delay caused when Judge Leon suspended construction for a year due to a frivolous lawsuit by project opponents. (July 18, 2020, Purple Line project delays, cost overruns reveal long-brewing problems.)

Because negotiations are taking place behind closed doors, there is little news about how close the parties are to a settlement. The latest update we have comes from Bryan Sears’ reporting for The Daily Record which highlights the July 22 Board of Public Works meeting where Maryland Secretary of Transportation Greg Slater reaffirmed the state's commitment:

“We’re going to continue to push forward,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Greg Slater. “But I can assure you that we intend to have those conversations and intend to try and move the ball forward to bring this project to a successful completion but also vigorously protect the interest of the citizens of the state in this project and make sure that we get a good fair resolution that doesn’t have us back here in a few months from now at the same time.” (July 27, 2020, State hopes for resolution on dispute that could stall Purple Line.)

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot noted that “[o]bviously if we lost that project, if people walked off it, it would have a devastating impact on the region." He stated that he was prepared to support Secretary Slater's recommendation and spoke for all of us with his call that “functional adults need to work together on this one.”

Support for the project was echoed by the Maryland Congressional Delegation, with Congressman Anthony Brown (MD-04) stating in a July 29 press release, "The only acceptable path forward is to finish the Purple Line project."

The state has received some economic good news since our last newsletter, with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer proudly announcing in a July 31 statement, “I am particularly pleased that our appropriations package includes strong support for Metro and for the Purple Line, which is critical for economic development and job growth in Maryland."

We also learned in late July that the state of Maryland has retained its triple-A overall bond rating, despite trying circumstances due to the pandemic. (July 23, 2020. The Garrett County Republican.)

As always, we will keep abreast of the news and bring you the latest when we learn of any developments.

Send Us Your Photos!

Especially now, when so many of us are at home, we long for photos of progress along the Purple Line corridor. If you are out on a socially-distanced walk or drive, snap a few shots of Purple Line progress you see and send them to us! Don't forget to include a name so we can give a photo credit. Send photographs to: [email protected]. Thanks! While we wait for yours, here are a few to tide you over.

Sidewalk Placement - Kenilworth Avenue

Talbot Avenue Bridge. Photo Courtesy of Ralph Bennett.

University Boulevard at Northwest Branch

Rock Creek Bridge. Photo Courtesy of Ralph Bennett.

Stem Wall at New Carrollton.

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.

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

• Update on Ongoing Negotiations Between Maryland and PLTP
• Send Us Your Purple Line Progress Photos!
• News from the Purple Line Corridor Coalition
• University Boulevard CAT Meeting Highlights
• Long Branch CAT Meeting Highlights

Stay Safe!

All of us here at Purple Line NOW hope that you and your loved ones remain healthy during this pandemic and as we reopen our state. Please, stay safe!

PURPLE LINE NEWS AND EVENTS

Update on Ongoing Negotiations between Maryland and PLTP

This past Friday, Briana Adhikusuma for Bethesda Beat updated readers on the status of the contract dispute between Maryland and Purple Line Transit Partners (Bethesda Magazine, July 2020). As you know, construction is ongoing, but the concessionaire has threatened to cease work, laying off 700 employees, if a negotiated settlement is not reached by August 22, the end of a 60-day notification period. In parallel with the negotiations, Maryland is disputing the concessionaire's right to invoke an exit clause, saying “PLTP has not established that an extended delay occurred permitting PLTP to terminate for extended delay, and by providing such notice, PLTP is therefore in breach of the [contract].”

Critically, the state, the counties, and the concessionaire all continue to emphasize their confidence in the project, and it is possible to see continued progress even as these disputes go on. Yesterday, Ross Capon, an advocate from the project's earliest days, gave a project update at monthly meeting of Action Committee for Transit that included an inspiring photographic roundup of the progress that was made and the work that is still ongoing, albeit with pandemic safety measures in place. We will let you know when the presentation is available, but if you would like permission to view the presentation in the meantime, just send an email to [email protected].

We will keep you updated as we learn more about the negotiations.

The Next Purple Line NOW Forum: Getting Ready for the First Purple Line Ride

We are working on bringing an online forum to you in August and have been busy securing panelists, so please stay tuned for further details and a date!

Send Us Your Photos!

Especially now, when so many of us are at home, we long for photos of progress along the Purple Line corridor. If you are out on a socially-distanced walk or drive, snap a few shots of Purple Line progress you see and send them to us! Don't forget to include a name so we can give a photo credit. Send photographs to: [email protected]. Thanks!

News from the Purple Line Corridor Coalition

You may be familiar with the Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC), 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. PLCC works to ensure that the Purple Line, once built, leads to “equitable, sustainable, and vibrant development along the corridor.”

Last year, Maryland received a $2 million federal grant to help work on some of the goals of the PLCC Community Development 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.

(If you are confused by all the acronyms surrounding the Purple Line, have a look at the April 24, 2019 edition of Purple Line NOW NEWS where we shared a short glossary of some of the most frequently used acronyms and terms and how Purple Line NOW relates to each of them. Purple Line NOW is a separate entity - we receive no funding from PLCC, but we work closely with them, along with other organizations, including Action Committee for Transit, mentioned above.)

The PLCC has a four-part agenda to address significant impacts of the Purple Line’s arrival: 1. Support and Grow Local Businesses, especially minority businesses affected by construction; 2. Build a Thriving Labor Market; 3. Ensure Housing Choices for All, both through preservation and development, and 4. Vibrant and Sustainable Communities.

Purple Line NOW is participating in the “Last Mile” effort which involves assuring that access to the stations is built in a way which provides safe access to the stops from surrounding areas as well as the best site development beyond the contract limits set for the concessionaire by MTA.

The PLCC has just hired their first full-time Executive Director and Purple Line NOW extends a warm welcome to Sheila Somashekhar! We are looking forward to working with her as construction continues and beyond. More on the PLCC can be found at its website: purplelinecorridor.org

Can You Help Purple Line NOW Continue Its Work?

Our work here at Purple Line NOW continues and we exist because of your donations during the year. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so by clicking on the black donate button below. We are grateful for ALL of our donors - thank you, thank you, for stepping up to help Purple Line NOW continue its work!

DONATE

CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

University Boulevard Community Advisory Team Meeting

The University Boulevard Community Advisory Team (CAT) meeting was presented on May 19, 2020 by Gary Witherspoon, MDOT MTA Public Outreach & Communications Deputy Project Director; Barry  Bernstein, PLTC Area 3 Construction Manager; and Shaquanna Shields, PLTC Communications Supervisor.

We'll start with an artist's rendering of the Takoma Langley Station, which features a center platform on University Boulevard, adjacent to the Takoma Langley Transit Center. It will connect riders to the Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center, the "largest non-Metrorail station transfer point in the Washington region!"

Image courtesy of MDOT MTA and PLTP

Along University Boulevard, all of the gas transmission line relocations have been completed, along with 95% of overhead electric line relocation, and 80% of waterline and sanitary sewer line relocation between Riggs Road and Adelphi Road. Crews have continued widening the roadway at University Boulevard between West Park Drive and Adelphi Road.

Phase I, currently underway at Northwest Branch Bridge, is expected to last through this summer, although pier installation is 95% complete, and abutment construction is halfway done. Temporary crosswalks were installed for access to the south pedestrian path.

Image courtesy of MDOT MTA and PLTP

There are a lot of active closures on this section of the Purple Line corridor, so we encourage you to view the presentation if your work commute or daily errands take you in or around the area. We have reprinted the detours from the presentation here, as well:

West Park Drive Detour
• On April 17, 2020, the Purple Line implemented a closure of West Park Drive at the intersection of University Boulevard for utility relocations. The closure will be in effect for approximately three months. 

Edwards Place Detour
• On April 13, 2020, the Purple Line implemented a closure of Edwards Place at the intersection of University Boulevard for utility relocations. The closure will be in effect for approximately three months.
• Service Road Closure along University Boulevard
• On February 10, 2020, crews implemented a closure of the service road adjacent to University Boulevard between Navahoe Drive and Lebanon Street to facilitate construction. Parking along the service road is restricted.

Merrimac Drive Detour
• In January, Merrimac Drive closed at University Boulevard for construction. A signed detour will be in place to direct traffic. Work may occur from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and weekends.

Bayfield Street Detour
• Beginning in February, the project may intermittently close Bayfield Street between University Boulevard and Glenville Road to allow for utility construction. A signed detour for both vehicles and pedestrians will be in place to direct traffic. Work can take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and weekends.

Looking ahead to the next six months, some of the highlights include:

University Boulevard
• Install temporary traffic signals along University Boulevard at the intersections with Carroll Avenue, 15th Street, New Hampshire Avenue, Piney Branch Road, 23rd Avenue, and Seek Lane.

Piney Branch Road and Arliss Street
• Retaining wall work along Piney Branch Road
• Closure of Arliss Street from Flower Avenue to Piney Branch Road to local traffic only
• Install temporary traffic signals along Piney Branch Road at intersections with Barron Street, University Boulevard, and Arliss Street.

Northwest Branch Bridge
• Approximate timeline for the traffic shifts on the Northwest Branch Bridge construction:
• Phase I: Began June 1, 2019 – expected through August 2020
• Phase II: Expected to begin the Summer of 2020
• Phase III: Expected to begin the Summer of 2021
• During construction:
• Public will be notified of changes in phases and traffic patterns
• 2 lanes in each direction will be maintained
• Pile driving for the bridge construction will be required
• Pile driving may occur Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Temporary crosswalks have been installed for access to south pedestrian path

Phase II of the traffic shift on the Northwest Branch Bridge was expected to begin this summer. Crews will shift traffic on the Northwest Branch Bridge to the northern side of University Boulevard East and install temporary crosswalk for access to the south pedestrian path. Phase II will last for approximately one year.

Image courtesy of MDOT MTA and PLTP

Long Branch Community Advisory Team Meeting

The Long Branch Community Advisory Team meeting (CAT) occurred on May 21, 2020 with Gary Witherspoon, MDOT MTA Public Outreach & Communications Deputy Project Director; Carla Julian,
PLTC Sr. Manager Public Affairs/Community Outreach; and Jean-Marc Wehrli, PLTC Area 2 Construction Manager presenting.

The following renderings make it easy to imagine what future stations might look like!

Image provided by MDOT MTA and PLTP

The Manchester Place Station will be located underground at the west portal of the Plymouth Street tunnel. It can be accessed from Plymouth Street by taking an elevator or stairs down to the platform or accessed from Wayne Avenue at track level. 

Image provided by MDOT MTA and PLTP

The Long Branch Station, above, has side platforms, meaning the tracks run down the middle with a platform and shelter on each side.

Image provided by MDOT MTA and PLTP

Different than the Long Branch Station, the Piney Branch Road Station will be a center platform station, with racks running on either side of the center platform and shelter.

Over the past six months, crews have been continuing their work to install storm drains and relocate utilities, along with the installation of cast-in-place retaining walls along Wayne Avenue (in front of the Wayne Manchester Tower Apartments, if you are familiar with that area.)

Along the western portal of Manchester Place Station, Phase I (which has been ongoing) required a temporary relocation of the Kenwood House parking lot for 24 months, and is slated to be completed late this summer.

The waterproofing and final lining of Plymouth Tunnel has been completed.

At Piney Branch Road, overhead and underground utility relocations are continuing (along Piney Branch Road between University Boulevard and Arliss Street) and crews began sewer and storm drain relocations, fish passage, and stream diversion to prepare for the culvert construction for Long Branch stream.

Looking ahead six months, this fall, crews will be implementing traffic Phase II. Traffic is shifted to the north side of Wayne Avenue and limited to one lane in each direction, while a portion of Sligo Creek Parkway (south of Wayne) is closed.

Image courtesy of MDOT MTA and PLTP

Sligo Creek Parkway is closed between Wayne Avenue and Piney Branch Road, with local traffic access only to Sligo Creek Parkway from Piney Branch Road.

Detour:
• From the south
• Turn right onto Piney Branch Rd.
• Turn left on Flower Ave.
• Turn left on Wayne Ave.
• From the north
• Turn left on Wayne Ave.
• Turn right on Manchester Rd.
• Turn right on Piney Branch Rd.

Image courtesy of MDOT MTA and PLTP

At the Western Portal/Manchester Place Station, as we mentioned above, the permanent parking for Kenwood House residents will be restored to complete Phase I, and the beginning of Phase II will see the demolition of the temporary parking lot. Phase II is scheduled for completion in January 2021.

The ramp bringing the track from Plymouth Tunnel back to street level should be completed within the next few months, as well.

Please note that Arliss Street from Flower Avenue to Piney Branch Road (except for local traffic) will be closed for installation of track and construction of Piney Branch station late this summer and the duration is approximately 15 months.

As always, we encourage you to view the entire presentation for all the details of this section of the Purple Line.

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.

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

• Purple Line in the News
• Greater Lyttonsville-Woodside CAT Meeting Highlights

Purple Line in the News

You may have read about the contract dispute in recent news reports (Washington Post, K. Shaver, Purple Line Consortium Will Dissolve P3 If Deal Not Reached, June 24, 2020) regarding the status of negotiations between the Concessionaire and the State of Maryland. Information on any potential resolution between Maryland and the concessionaire can be elusive and incomplete due to the nature and privacy of negotiations, but we will try to keep you posted on what we can. In the meantime, and in case you missed it, here is our official response on the passing deadline for resolution of the contract dispute:

Purple Line NOW Vice President Greg Sanders emphasized one critical constant, “The Hogan administration, the concessionaire, and key state, county, and local leaders are all agreed on their confidence in the Purple Line and of the importance of completing it in a timely manner.” The secrecy and sometimes brinkmanship involved in negotiations often mean that we only learn details in dribs and drabs, with good news reported one day and use of harder line negotiating tools the next. What is clear is that the best outcome remains a settlement with the concessionaire, but failing that, Maryland has options to ensure completion of the light rail project. Sanders added, "finding a path forward has to be the top transportation priority for the Hogan Administration, as an unnecessary delay extends the present disruption while putting off the great benefits that will come when we can all ride the Purple Line."

Purple Line NOW will continue to actively track these issues as they develop. In the meantime, President Ralph Bennett called on all parties to live up to their public statements, “The fundamental strengths of the Purple Line for providing mobility and fueling economic growth remain undiminished. We call on all parties to not be distracted by casting blame and to live up to their commitment to find a way to quickly complete construction while being good stewards of the resources provided by the people of Maryland.”

The WAMU 88.5 article, Purple Line Group Threatens To Quit, (June 24, 2020) aptly summarizes how we got here:

"Opponents of the Purple Line have filed a series of lawsuits since 2017 to kill the project, contributing to years of delays and piled on costs. The Purple Line Transit Partners group says the state is responsible for some of the delays and was slow to acquire right-of-way for the land needed for the project."

Bethesda Magazine (Purple Line Contractors File Notice of Layoffs), in an interview with Montgomery County officials and County Executive Marc Elrich, reports that Mr. Elrich does not see an alternative to a negotiated deal between the state and the concessionaire. However, Councilmember Hans Reimer was glad to see countermeasures by the state, noting that, "We need the state to pull this through and I think this consortium should recognize that if they mess this up, this is one of the most significant P3s in the country and it could have a huge impact on the P3 market in general. It’s going to be a real problem. They would be wise to compromise here.”

In the event that the deal falls through, Reimer also noted that the state could take over directly, although making up any funding gaps would have to come at the state level.

This sentiment was echoed strongly by Montgomery County Council President Sidney Katz and Transportation and Environment Chair Tom Hucker in an official statement issued on June 25:

“The State of Maryland has an obligation to work with our communities to ensure that this project is completed . . . Moreover, it would be unconscionable for the Purple Line Transit Partners to walk away from this critical project at this advanced stage.”

Councilmember Andrew Friedson effectively captures the big picture, noting that who builds it is not the important part, "[Residents] want the project built and they want the commitments that were made to be kept. We need the state to figure out how to build the Purple Line as we were promised without any further delays.”

We will let you know when we have more information available.

CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

Greater Lyttonsville/Woodside Community Advisory Team Meeting

The Greater Lyttonsville/Woodside Community Advisory Team (CAT) presentation was posted on May 12, 2020. Presenters were Gary Witherspoon, MDOT MTA Public Outreach & Communications Deputy Project Director; Carla Julian, PLTC Sr. Manager Public Affairs/Community Outreach; and Mark Edsall, PLTC Area 1 Project Engineer.

Below are a few highlights from the presentation, but you should check out the full presentation (in both video format or slide show) on their website.

We’ll start with an artist rendering of Lyttonsville and Woodside Stations, respectively.

Photo courtesy of MTA MDOT and PLTP

According to the presentation, Lyttonsville Station, above, is a center platform station, which can be accessed from Lyttonsville Place bridge. The bridge will have commuter drop off lanes in either direction and an elevator on the bridge will connect to the platform. There is a ramp from the bridge to the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) and the station, and the CCT will have access to the platform via crossings provided at either end of the platform.

Photo courtesy of MTA MDOT and PLTP

The 16^th Street-Woodside Station, above, is how a “typical” Purple Line, side platform, station will look, with the tracks running in the middle and a platform and shelter on either side. The presenters noted that this station is in an area that will be utilized for future development.

Here are some highlights from the presentation of the work that has been completed over the past six months:

In the Rock Creek Park area, the mass excavation has been completed as has the installation of a temporary bridge across Rock Creek for access to the west slope. Construction abutments for the future light rail and CCT bridges is continuing. Below is an aerial view of construction of the abutments adjacent to Rock Creek.

Photo courtesy of MTA MDOT and PLTP

Regarding the Lyttonsville Place Bridge, the water main relocation has been completed and the installation of storm drainage systems and retaining walls is continuing. At Rosemary Hills Elementary, crews continue to relocate existing overhead utilities, as well as installing retaining walls. The have also continued the mass excavation for the new foundations for the Talbot Avenue Bridge.

Looking ahead to the next six months:

In Rock Creek Park, crews plan to complete the CCT abutment construction, install slope protection and complete in-stream work. At Lyttonsville Place Bridge, they will begin driving piles for the station (the public will be notified in advance of this activity). They will also begin foundations for the Lyttonsville Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF) administration building.

Crews will also be installing girders for the new Talbot Avenue Bridge and hope to complete construction of the bridge, as well. Along 16th Street, water main relocation will start (at 8600 16th Street), as well as relocating water and sewer on the north side of the CSX tracks. At the Spring Street Bridge, demolition will begin of the existing bridge this fall, as well as starting the foundation work for the new bridge shortly thereafter.

Please note that Spring Street will be closing between 16th Street and 2nd Avenue this fall and expected to be closed for a maximum seven months. Here is the proposed detour route:

• Drivers traveling north on 16th Street will continue north on 16th Street, turn right on Georgia Avenue to Spring Street.
• Drivers traveling south on Spring Street will turn left on 2nd Avenue, right on Colesville Road, right on East-West Highway, and finally a right on 16th Street.

Photo Courtesy of MTA MDOT and PLTP

In the next edition of the Purple Line News, we’ll cover the Long Branch and University Boulevard CAT meetings. As always, we encourage you to read or watch the full presentations, especially if you live or work in the area covered.

PURPLE LINE NOW NEWS AND EVENTS

The Next Purple Line NOW Forum: Getting Ready for the First Purple Line Ride

We are working on bringing an online webinar or presentation to you later this summer, so please stay tuned for further details and a date!

Can You Help Purple Line NOW Continue Its Work?

Our work here at Purple Line NOW continues and we exist because of your donations during the year. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so by clicking on the black donate button below. We are grateful for ALL of our donors - thank you, thank you, for stepping up to help Purple Line NOW continue its work!

DONATE

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.

Stay Safe!

All of us here at Purple Line NOW hope that you and your loved ones remain healthy during this pandemic and as we reopen our state. Please, stay safe!

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.

We are committed to bringing you as much information as we can when news breaks about the Purple Line. The news over the past few days has contained a confusing mix of updates on the progress of negotiations between Maryland and the concessionaire, as well as the concessionaire and the builders. Our reaction to this morning’s news in the Washington Post (K. Shaver, Purple Line Consortium Will Dissolve P3 If Deal Not Reached, June 24, 2020) encourages all parties involved to find a way forward to complete the project.

Purple Line NOW Vice President Greg Sanders emphasized one critical constant, “The Hogan administration, the concessionaire, and key state, county, and local leaders are all agreed on their confidence in the Purple Line and of the importance of completing it in a timely manner.” The secrecy and sometimes brinkmanship involved in negotiations often mean that we only learn details in dribs and drabs, with good news reported one day and use of harder line negotiating tools the next. What is clear is that the best outcome remains a settlement with the concessionaire, but failing that, Maryland has options to ensure completion of the light rail project. Sanders added, "finding a path forward has to be the top transportation priority for the Hogan Administration, as an unnecessary delay extends the present disruption while putting off the great benefits that will come when we can all ride the Purple Line."

Purple Line NOW will continue to actively track these issues as they develop. In the meantime, President Ralph Bennett called on all parties to live up to their public statements, “The fundamental strengths of the Purple Line for providing mobility and fueling economic growth remain undiminished. We call on all parties to not be distracted by casting blame and to live up to their commitment to find a way to quickly complete construction while being good stewards of the resources provided by the people of Maryland.”