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"Our over-reliance on cars and $4-per-gallon gasoline has led us to dig a really deep hole for ourselves. The Purple Line is the ladder that helps us climb up out of this hole toward the light of rational land use, friendly commutes and a stable climate." Mike Tidwell, director of CCAN |  |
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Newsletter of Purple Line NOW! February 28, 2008
1) UMD’s Uncertainty Slows Completion of PL Planning in Prince George’s County MTA is currently responding to the University’s request for an evaluation of options other than the Campus Drive alignment (which follows the roadway through campus). MTA has focused on the Campus Drive route after confirming the Campus Master Plan’s finding that the roadway could be closed to general-purpose traffic. Such a closure would result in significantly less traffic along the route, and the transit line would also replace some diesel bus traffic using the road. In November 2007, UMD administration initiated a campaign in favor of using Stadium Drive as an alternative. MTA investigated this option, as well as one using Mowatt Lane. However, these options would not provide service to the new large-scale East Campus development, which is unacceptable to the City of College Park and Prince George’s County. The campus then proposed another option – the Chapel Lawn alignment. MTA is performing a cost analysis to compare the Chapel Lawn and Campus Drive alignments and is likely to carry both forward in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The University of Maryland will be a major beneficiary of the Purple Line Line, yet the College Park campus administration has focused far more attention on perceived areas of concern than on the transit's tremendous value in alleviating out-of-control campus traffic. The Administration has been actively lobbying for a highway link to Interstate 95, while efforts related to the Purple Line appear to more frequently spread misinformation about the project. Meanwhile, the Purple Line is gaining support among university students. The Graduate Student Government and ReThink College Park are leading efforts to push for the Campus Drive alignment. Support for this alignment also came from the undergraduate Residence Hall Association on February 26th. The Student Government Association, which represents the campus' 25,000 undergraduates and endorsed the project in 2006, continues to study the specific alignment issues. The Faculty Senate received a one-sided presentation from administrative officials in 2007, and has resisted MTA efforts to provide another view of the project to the Senate. Top 10 Reasons UMD Should Support the PL 2) Montgomery County Master Planning Efforts Underway Although the Purple Line is being planned at the state level by the Maryland Transit Administration, Montgomery County planners have begun an effort to highlight the County’s recommendations for the type of transit, route and station locations. The end result will be a “functional master plan” amendment, which, when adopted by the County Council, will trigger amendments to Montgomery County’s existing master plans in areas served by the Purple Line. Click here for more information Editors Note: A report on Prince George’s similar planning efforts will be provided in a future newsletter. 3) Agreement Reached on Design of Purple Line’s Western Terminus in Bethesda MTA and Montgomery County are finalizing an agreement to proceed with the design of the Red Line/Purple Line connection in Bethesda. More than 450 letters and e-mails have been sent to the County Council in support of this connection in response to the 2006 campaign initiated by PLN and its allies to move the design forward. The project will include elevators from the street level to the Purple Line and to a new South entrance for the Red Line. This valuable upgrade for the Metrorail system will facilitate transit access from the southern end of downtown Bethesda. The project will also set the stage for a Dupont Circle-quality of transit and land use since Purple Line riders will be able to exit directly from the station into the lively Bethesda Row area. Finally, the connection will facilitate transfer from the Capital Crescent Trail to either the Red Line or future Purple Line. Purple Line supporters on the Montgomery County Council are working on a funding plan for construction. You can support that effort by sending an e-mail message to Mike Knapp, County Council President at: county.council@montgomerycountymd.govasking for full funding of design AND construction of the Purple Line/Red Line connection. 4) Concern Grows About Dulles Rail Funding and Federal Transit Policy The proposed Metrorail extension to Dulles Airport has been in the news lately due to the federal government raising 11th-hour questions about the project’s funding and management plan. The debate has a definite silver lining. While the project has had strong community and political support from the beginning, it is only with the threat of withholding of federal funds that the depth of public desire for an expansion in our transit network has fully unfolded. The Virginia delegation on Capitol Hill is working hard with the Governor to resolve the situation with strong support business, environmental, community and labor activists. Si Se Puede! The lukewarm federal support demonstrates the need for change in policy and resources at the federal level. In the face of all the evidence that the overdependence on single occupancy automobiles and the oil that fuels them is undermining our economy, resources for expanding our rail (and bus) systems are inadequate. While this is a criticism of policies under the current administration, an aggressive approach to transit and transit-oriented development should be a bipartisan one. Republican Senator John V.Warner has been extremely supportive of the Dulles Rail project, setting the example for others in his party. In France, the new center-right government of Nicolas Sarkozy has affirmed and expanded the previous administration’s focus on expanding the country’s rail transit systems. We reported on the new Paris T-3 line which is now a year old and seeing daily trips in the range of 90,000, compared to 50,000 riders on the bus lines te T-3 replaced. See: Paris Does It Right. We hope that the November election will bring a similar mindset to transportation policies in the United States, whomever is victor. Only with a shift in priorities can we be assured that the Purple Line will move forward in a timely manner. For a detailed explanation of the Dulles Rail situation, see the article by Patricia Nicoson, President of the Dulles Corridor Rail Association: Dulles Rail Update 5) News from the Coalition
6) LOCAL POLITICAL CHANGES New Candidates and Elected Officials Support Purple Line
We look forward to hearing from any other other candidates for either of these seats from either parties supportive of the Purple Line. 7) UPCOMING EVENTS
8) SHORT RIDES TOP TEN TRAM RIDES From Journeys of a Lifetime - If you want to go ride a trolley, here they are, in no particular order:
2) Seattle's George Benson waterfront streetcar 3) New Orleans' St. Charles streetcar tour (recently reopended) 4) San Francisco's Streetcar F 5) Hong Kong's trams – ranked as one of the most efficient systems in the world 6) Melbourne's Tram 96 7) Budapest No. 2 tram 8) Berlin's Tram 68 9) Amsterdam's No. 2 tram 10) Lisbon's No. 28 tram ARLINGTON STREET CAR TAKES ANOTHER STEP FORWARD The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority voted to authorize funding for preliminary engineering for a proposed 7.5 km transit line between Pentagon City and the Skyline area of Falls Church. 9) THIS NEWSLETTER This newsletter is produced by volunteer supporters of Purple Line NOW! which was founded in January, 2003 as the Coalition to Build the Inner Purple Line (CBIPL) by representatives of business, labor, environmental and community organizations to promote a light rail transit line connecting Bethesda, Silver Spring, Long Branch, Takoma/ Langley Crossroads, College Park and the University of Maryland, Riverdale Park and New Carrollton. We support completion of the hiker-biker trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring, as well as pedestrian enhancements as part of the transit project elsewhere along the alignment. Send news tips to: Colleen Mitchell. |
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68,000 riders each weekday is huge! Counting down to completion of Purple Line DEIS; Latest news: Latest News; How you can help 
See: We need you to help keep the Purple Line a state and county priority. Write a letter, make a call or send an e-mail in support of the Purple Line today. See: Contact List |
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