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

• What's Happening at PLN?
  • Exciting News! Forum Registration is now OPEN!
  • Fall Fundraising Season Is Here - Can You Help Us Continue Our Work?
  • In Case You Missed Our 100th Edition of PLN News
• Purple Line in the News
• Construction News & Project Features
  
  • Labor Agreement Reached

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?

Registration for September 22 Purple Line NOW Forum is OPEN!

Just before Purple Line NOW News went on its annual August break, we snuck in a little bit of our own breaking news! We hope you eagle-eyed readers out there marked your calendars for the next Purple Line NOW Forum, but if you missed it, keep on reading.

We are SUPER excited to announce the next Purple Line NOW forum will be on Thursday, September 22, at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm! This forum will bring together representatives from MDOT MTA, Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP), and the new builder, Maryland Transit Solutions (MTS). In the coming days, we will announce the full slate of speakers, but please take a moment to register below. As with all the fora we have hosted over the past six years, these remain free and open to the public and press, but you must register in advance:

Questions for Panelists? Please submit questions in advance of the webinar – our panelists will try to answer as many as they can in the time allotted. The early you can submit your questions, the better the opportunity for us to provide some answers, so don't delay! Send your questions to Christine Scott, Purple Line NOW Executive Director at [email protected].

Event Sponsorship: If you would like to sponsor the event, please let us know. We publish all our donors and sponsors at every forum – we can’t do this without you. Thanks in advance for your consideration!

Fall Fundraising Season Is Here - Can You Help Us Continue Our Work?

As you can see from our exciting announcement above, our work continues! To that end, as we enter our fundraising season, we hope you will take a moment to consider a donation to Purple Line NOW to help us continue offering these educational events, producing this newsletter, keeping on top of breaking news, and helping you get answers to questions or concerns that pop up as construction resumes to full speed. Donating online is easy – just click the PURPLE button below! 

We are proud to be supported by our donors and use every opportunity we can to let the community know how much we appreciate you. Unless you tell us otherwise, your name (or company name) will be listed on our website for a year following your donation, highlighted at our virtual and in person public events, and in printed materials where possible.

Not sure whether you’ve given in the past 12 months? You can check out our donor page – if you don’t see your name, we would be grateful if you would consider renewing your donation for the coming year. If you do see your name, but would like to know when your year is up, shoot us an email at [email protected] and we can tell you when your year’s donation is ending.

We exist because we are led by a group of dedicated volunteer board and team members, many who have been working on behalf of seeing this transit line come to life for many decades! We have a part time executive director (that’s me!) We operate solely on donations from folks like you.

Our books are always open – if you would like to see our most recent financial reports or how we use your donations to further our mission, send us an email or give us a call and we will be happy to share. Our treasurer gets nervous when we get below $3,000 in the bank and we are approaching that point just in time for our fundraising season.

Thank you in advance for your consideration!

In Case You Missed It!

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

Shaver, K. "Labor agreement reached on Maryland’s Purple Line construction." Washington Post, 30 August 2022.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Labor Agreement Reached

We were happy to see that while we were away for our August break, the contractor and the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) reached an agreement, paving the way for crews to ramp up construction between now and the end of October. You can read more about the terms of the agreement here. We are glad that work is resuming and look forward to seeing crews hard at work along the Purple Line corridor in the coming weeks. With the onslaught of construction work impending, you are encouraged to sign up for MDOT MTA text alerts for your area.

Photos from Around the Corridor

As construction ramps up this autumn, snap a few photos and send them to us at [email protected]. With your permission, we'll give you photo credit and publish the photo when space allows. Thanks to MDOT MTA for the following photos of work that occurred late summer:

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?
  • In Case You Missed the 100th Issue!
  • Can You Consider a Donation to Purple Line NOW?
• Purple Line in the News
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Upcoming Forum Alert
• Construction News & Project Features
  
  • Highlights from the CATS

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?

Make sure to scroll down to the "Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor" section to see our big announcement about the next forum!

In Case You Missed It!

Our commemorative 100th edition was chock full of memories. In case you didn't catch the special email that went out with the link, you can still catch it here. Thanks to all who contributed by sending in memories, photos, and ideas!

Would You Consider a Donation to Purple Line NOW?

Each month, we rotate onto our Donors List those who have made a financial contribution to Purple Line NOW in the previous month. If that includes you, your name will stay on that list for a full year following your contribution. Thank you, thank you! Our budget is skinny and we do a whole lot with a little!

**If you do not see your name on our Donors List, we hope you will consider helping us continue our work!** 

We use every donation we receive to continue our newsletter, continue offering regular webinars, continue being a strong liaison to help connect you to people who can solve your issues, and continue our strong advocacy for the project in every way possible. If you would like to know more about who we are, why we are asking for donations, and what we do with your gift once it arrives on our doorstep, you can read all about it in our November newsletter.

Thank you so much for your consideration! Unless you tell us otherwise, your name will be listed on our website and in publications for a year following your donation.

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

Goffman, E. "Montgomery and Prince George’s counties seek to expand housing affordability toolbox along Purple Line." Greater Greater Washington, 8 July 2022.

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Upcoming Forum Announcement

Purple Line NOW's next forum will happen in late September and feature representatives from MDOT MTA, Purple Line Transit Partners (the concessionaire), and Maryland Transit Solutions (the new builder). We will have a date and open the sign up portal for attendees soon. This will be a virtual forum and, as always, is open and free to the public and press. We will announce that date soon, so watch this space!

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Highlights from the Community Advisory Team Meetings

We finish up with a short summary of the summer’s final three Community Advisory Team (CAT) meetings. For this edition, we focus on the Silver Spring, Long Branch, and University Boulevard CATs, but you can see summaries of other CATS in our newsletter archives or view the entire presentation from the Purple Line team on their website.

As with the other sessions, presenters for each CAT began with a quick update of the entire line, plans for the future, and a quick look back to what has been accomplished. Again, see our previous newsletters for that overview of the entire alignment.

Silver Spring

The Silver Spring CAT meeting was held on June 21, 2022 and presented by Matthew Pollack PE, PMP, Executive Director; Gary Witherspoon, Deputy Project Director - Public Outreach; Mike Gales, Area Manager; Dwain Sanders, Operations Manager; Carla Julian, Stakeholder Manager.

The stations in this segment include:

• Silver Spring Metro
• Silver Spring Library
• Dale Drive

Work over the past six months along this portion of the alignment included pothole and roadway resurfacing, erosion and sediment control, as well as mowing and site clean up along Ramsey Street. Sewer relocation was completed, but other utilities including, water, gas, power, and telecoms relocations continued.

Along Georgia Avenue, crews continued relocating utilities, which included underground and overhead relocations.

On Wayne Avenue, from Fenton Street to Dale Drive, Dale Drive to Manchester Place, and Sligo Creek Parkway to Plymouth Tunnel, utility relocations are continuing.

Looking ahead six months, they hope to complete water, gas, and underground relocations along Ramsey Street, Georgia Avenue, Bonifant Street, and Wayne Avenue. As we have been told, the entire project includes a massive utility relocation effort and now that we are in the nitty-gritty of construction, we see those relocations continuing all along the alignment.

Crews hope to begin utility relocations and stormwater management facilities along the CSX tracks as well as resuming work at the Silver Spring Transit Center, along with commencing work on the mezzanine.

On Bonifant Street, they hope to advance utility relocations that were not completed by MTA, and along Wayne Avenue, they will begin construction on the storm drain outfall into Sligo Creek as well as the construction of a 54’ watermain along the west side of Wayne Avenue.

Traffic will be limited to the south side of the existing bridge at Sligo Creek Bridge (over Wayne Avenue) while they begin bridge demolition of the north side bridge. Please see full presentation for diagrams of the new traffic patterns.

Long Branch

The Long Branch CAT Meeting was held on June 28, 2022 and the presenters were:

Matthew Pollack PE, PMP, Executive Director, Transit Development and Delivery; David Abrams, Director of Communications; Mike Gales, Area Manager; Manuel Merino, Area 3 Manager; Carla Julian, Stakeholder Manager.

The stations in this segment include:

• Manchester Place
• Long Branch
• Piney Branch Road

Work over the past six months included continued utility relocations, as well as sidewalk repair and reconstruction, and site cleanup and mowing.

At Piney Branch Road, the road was resurfaced and sidewalk repair and reconstruction was completed.

Looking ahead over the next six months, overhead telecom relocations at Arliss Street and Piney Branch Road will continue. At Manchester Place Station, crews will continue the construction of the station structure and at Plymouth Tunnel, they hope to complete the concrete base for the tracks in the tunnel. They also will begin the installation of mechanical systems.

At Arliss Street, crews will begin construction of stormwater facilities, the construction of a retaining wall along the Giant property, and on Piney Branch Road, they will begin construction of Long Branch stream fish passage.

Manchester Place Rendering

University Boulevard

The University Boulevard CAT meeting was held on June 23, 2022 and the presenters were: Matthew Pollack PE, PMP, Executive Director; Gary Witherspoon, Deputy Project Director - Public Outreach; Kevin Oberheim, Construction Manager; Manuel Merino, Area 3 Manager; Carla Julian, Stakeholder Manager.

The stations in this segment include:

• Takoma-Langley
• Riggs Road
• Adelphi Road - UMGC - UMD

Work over the past six months along University Boulevard included continued utility relocations and along Northwest Branch Bridge, crews continued bridge construction including widening, curbs, sidewalks, and drainage swales. They also installed new pedestrian signals at West Park Drive to prepare for future traffic switch, paved the bridge approach, and installed railing and deck grooving.

In the next six months, they hope to compete the remaining utility relocations along University Boulevard and begin stormwater drainage system installation at the following intersections:

• Carroll Avenue
• New Hampshire Avenue
• Riggs Road
• West Park Drive

At the Northwest Branch Bridge, they will be switching pedestrian traffic to the new bridge on the north side of University Boulevard to prepare for construction on the south bridge.

Takoma-Langley Station Rendering

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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.

Our 100th Issue Is Finally Here!!!

Because there are so many photographs and stories that were submitted for this special commemorative issue, we pulled them all together in a PDF for easier reading and less chance of getting caught in your spam folder. We hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane with us. For you old timers (in Purple Line years, that is), some of the photographs will be bittersweet, and for those who are new to the area, but lovers of transit, we hope you find this retrospective insightful. Thank you for everyone who took the time to send photos, memories, and documents. We are grateful.

To read this special issue, you'll need to click on the link below.

Click here > Commemorative 100th Issue

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?
  • Last Day to Enter Submissions for 100th
  • Donate to Purple Line NOW
• Purple Line in the News
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Community Advisory Team Meeting Schedule
• Construction News & Project Features
  
  • Highlights from the CATS

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?

Last Day for 100th Issue Submissions is TOMORROW!

As you likely know by now, we are going to pause our next newsletter and instead bring you a commemorative 100th issue of Purple Line NOW News! We have had so many moving entries and there is still time (and room!) for more. The only hitch? We need to receive it by no later than COB tomorrow (Thursday, June 30). If you have been holding onto a fun photo, recent or distant memory, or document/map/literature from the beginning of this project, NOW is the time to send it in.

Thank you to those who have sent blurbs of memories from the early days (specifically, the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s!) We can't wait to share them all with YOU!

*** All Submissions Must Reach Us By TOMORROW, JUNE 30!***

Here are four questions we would LOVE for you to answer -- cut and paste into an email or just send a free-form blurb -- whatever works for you. Send to Christine Scott, Executive Director at [email protected]. Thank you! 

1) What are you most looking forward to when the Purple Line opens (besides the end of construction!)?

2) If you were around during the early years, do you have a specific memory of advocating for the project or a hurdle that the project overcame?

3) What positive changes do you expect to see in our communities once the Purple Line opens?

4) Once the Purple Line opens for passengers, which station(s) do you anticipate using most?

Would You Consider a Donation to Purple Line NOW?

Each month, we rotate onto our Donors List those who have made a financial contribution to Purple Line NOW in the previous month. If that includes you, your name will stay on that list for a full year following your contribution. Thank you, thank you! Our budget is skinny and we do a whole lot with a little!

**If you do not see your name on our Donors List, we hope you will consider helping us continue our work!** 

We use every donation we receive to continue our newsletter, continue offering regular webinars, continue being a strong liaison to help connect you to people who can solve your issues, and continue our strong advocacy for the project in every way possible. If you would like to know more about who we are, why we are asking for donations, and what we do with your gift once it arrives on our doorstep, you can read all about it in our November newsletter.

Thank you so much for your consideration! Unless you tell us otherwise, your name will be listed on our website and in publications for a year following your donation.

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

Two news items caught our attention in the past few weeks, one we noted in our previous newsletter with regard to Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) calling for a new project labor agreement, citing promises from the prior Maryland Transportation Secretary, Greg Slater. We understand the union and concessionaire are meeting and negotiations are ongoing. We hope to have more to report later this month.

The second items comes from an online publication, Washington Monthly, which recently published an article detailing some of the hurdles the project faced, with special attention to the conflict between the state and the previous builder. For regular Purple Line NOW News readers, many of the details of the conflict that led to the departure of the builder (but not the overall concessionaire) will be familiar.

Two new pieces of reporting stand out. First, that vendor concern regarding the lawsuit had led to the inclusion of the unusual clause that allowed the builder to exit with no-fault if the project was delayed by a year or more. Second, the article posits that then Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Pete Rahn (an appointee of Governor Larry Hogan), had reached a $175 million deal that would have prevented the walk-off of the previous builder. Maryland did not comment on the article so we do not know why that deal was ultimately rejected by the state.

Under the original contract, responsibility for costs from force majeure events (a provision in a contract that frees both parties from obligation if an extraordinary event, like the pandemic, directly prevents one or both parties from performing), would have been shared. The need to compete for a new vendor after sources of new external costs, like inflation, were priced into the offers received from vendors. Thankfully, the Purple Line is now at much lower risk thanks to the removal of the provision allowing for no fault departure as well as the addition of new mechanisms to aid in preventing or managing disputes.

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Community Advisory Team Meetings Over for Summer

All Community Advisory Team meetings have been held for the summer. We will let you know when the next group of meetings are slated to occur. Check out the highlights below or the full presentation for your respective area.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Highlights from the Community Advisory Team Meetings

Below, we bring you highlights from the next two Community Advisory Team (CAT) meetings, Greater Lyttonsville/Woodside held on June 14 and College Park on June 16. As always, we encourage you to view the entire presentation which will give a more complete view of the work completed and construction plans for the next few months.

The first portion of each of these CAT meetings is an overview of progress along the entire line, including where the project is in terms of railcar production and delivery, and timeline for beginning passenger service. You can find that overview in our previous newsletter.

Greater Lyttonsville/Woodside

The presenters for this CAT meeting were: Gary Witherspoon, Deputy Project Director - Public Outreach; James Mitchell, Program Manager; Kevin Oberheim, Construction Manager; Dwain Sanders, Operations Manager; Carla Julian, Stakeholder Manager.

We love a good rendering and several were presented during this CAT meeting, including what the Lyttonsville Station might look like when completed, as well as a rendering of a typical side platform station such as the one that will be located at 16^th Street/Woodside.

Lyttonsville Rendering

Typical Side Load Station (Woodside)

Work completed in the Woodside area included:

• Completed new waterline installation along Ballard Street
• Waterline required prior to starting larger water transmission pipe relocation
• Continued residential parking lot reconstruction

Looking ahead six months, crews will begin water and sewer relocation along the future site of the Capital Crescent Trail between the CSX tracks and 3rd Avenue. Note that notice will continue to be given to residents along Noyes Lane in advance of parking restrictions in support of the haul route.

The aforementioned residential parking lot reconstruction at Bradford Place is expected to be completed.

Construction of the Purple Line bridge deck at Rock Creek park will begin, as will the construction of a pedestrian bridge for the future Capital Crescent Trail Talbot Avenue Bridge.

Two interesting renderings of the Talbot Avenue Bridge were displayed, as well:

Talbot Ave Bridge Design

Talbot Ave Cross Section Rendering

College Park

The presenters for the June 16 Community Advisory Team meeting for College Park were: Gary Witherspoon, Deputy Project Director - Public Outreach; James Mitchell, Program Manager; Kevin Oberheim, Construction Manager; Dwain Sanders, Operations Manager; Carla Julian, Stakeholder Manager.

Over the past six months, quite a bit of work was done along and around Campus Drive, including:

• Continued underground and overhead utility relocations (water, sewer, steam, electric)
• Completed sidewalk reconstruction along Campus Drive (near Stamp Student Union)
• Began sidewalk reconstruction
• Completed Campus Drive pump station

The surfacing along River Road was completed, as well.

The College Park Bus Loop opened for service just a few weeks ago on Sunday, June 12. The permanent bus shelters will be constructed by WMATA.

Lots of photos of the work completed can be found on the presentation, too!

College Park Station Rendering

Looking ahead over the next six months, it looks like the remaining underground and overhead utility relocations (water, sewer, steam, and electric) will be completed at the University of Maryland Campus. The sidewalk reconstruction at the Campus Drive Underpass will be completed, as will the sidewalk restoration at the Bus Loop.

Please note that over the next six months, the crews will implement Phase II of the traffic shift to one lane in each direction from Rossborough Lane to River Road to allow the installation of the eastbound LRV tracks. According to the presentation, construction is expected to take one year. Pedestrian access will not be disrupted (yay!) and notification will be given prior to the implementation of the traffic shift.

Later this month, we will complete the wrap-up of CAT meetings with Silver Spring and University Boulevard, so stay tuned for that.

STAY CONNECTED

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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.