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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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The eastern end of the interim Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) is now a degraded gravel path following an abandoned railroad spurs that passes through an obscure industrial area of Lyttonsville. To reach downtown Silver Spring, trail users then get on the road network and travel for a mile on busy streets that cross major highways including 16th Street, Spring Street and Rt. 29/Colesville Road. The Interim CCT has a crushed stone surface from Lyttonsville to Bethesda. A restored railroad trestle provides for an easy crossing of the Rock Creek Stream Valley. From Bethesda to Georgetown, the Capital Crescent Trail has been completed as a paved asphalt trail. The Trail follows the abandoned B&O railed along a tree-lined corridor through a tunnel and over four bridges. At the approach to Georgetown, it affords beautiful views of the Potomac River. The trail is often crowded with cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers, and walkers. It is not unusual to see over 500 users per hour on the CCT during evenings and weekends. There is no proposal to use the Bethesda to Georgetown trail for future transit. The Georgetown Branch between Bethesda and Silver Spring is between 66 and 100 wide. It can therefore accommodate a 24 to 26 two-track light rail transit line in grass tracks alongside a 10 to 12 trail with plenty of space for a green buffer and aesthetic pleasing fencing. We believes the final segment of the Capital Crescent Trail will only be completed as part of the joint trail and trolley project because of the expense of completing the trail alone, as well as the difficulty of negotiating with CSX, which must cooperate with MTA for the trail and transitway to be completed. That is why we say: finish the trail, build light rail! MTA has worked hard to find the best compromise for joint use of this precious public resource, which was purchased in 1988 for transit and a trail. We hope you will support our effort to extend the Capital Crescent Trail into Silver Spring as part of the Purple Line project. You can help us complete this trail by conveying your support to the Governor and Secretary of the Department of Transportation, and in many other ways. If you wish to volunteer, please contact us via e-mail and purplelinenow@gmail.com |
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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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