"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


BUILD IT!
Newsletter of the
Coalition to Build the Inner Purple Line
October 31, 2006


In this issue:
  1. PURPLE LINE STUDY DELAYED ... OR IS IT?: PROJECT HEATS UP AS CAMPAIGN ISSUE

  2. TUNNELS AND THE PURPLE LINE

  3. 10 REASONS THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COMMUNITY SHOULD ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE PURPLE LINE

  4. NEWS FROM THE COALITION

  5. COMING NEXT MONTH: "HOW FAST IS FAST ENOUGH?"

  6. THIS NEWSLETTER

1) PURPLE LINE STUDY DELAYED ... OR IS IT?: PROJECT HEATS UP AS CAMPAIGN ISSUE
The completion of the plan for the Purple Line has been delayed until 2010 according to MDOT’s Consolidated Tranportation Plan (CTP). Last year's CTP called for the Bi-County Transitway study to be completed in 2008. The Transportation Agency will brief the Montgomery County legislative delegation on the plan at the County Council office building in Rockville on November 2, 2006 at 7:00 PM.

This projected delay was disputed by Md. Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan in the 10/31 Washington Post where the Secretary is quoted as attributing the slippage in date to a "technical glitch". However, plans to study deep tunnelling on the Georgetown Branch, supported by the Secretary at an event on October 14th, will delay this project by far more than 2 years.

This flap comes at the end of a series of events during the election season that have given pause to transit advocates about the current administration's commitment to the Purple Line.

  • In July, former Metro Transit Authority Board Member, Robert J. Smith seemed to confirm transit advocates' suspicions about the slow pace of study, when he stated that the administration "is leading a prolonged attempt to obfuscate, alter, study and delay the project so as not to face up to the fact that, without a tax increase, the project is underfunded." See: Washington Post.

  • In August, Mayor Martin O'Malley signed the Purple Line Pledge, committing to support efforts to get the project under construction within the next 4 years. Mayor O’Malley criticized Governor Ehrlich for pushing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The Ehrlich administration defended its work on the project and pointed out that it was studying both rail and bus options.

  • On September 21, 2006, however, the Governor reaffirmed his opposition (first made clear in 2003) stating that he does not support the transitway using the available railroad right-of-way that passes through the Columbia Country Club. See:The Gazette. This is the only route being considered for Light Rail, which is why we view the Governor to be clearly opposed to the Purple Line. The Governor has held numerous fund raisers at the Club over the years, with another one scheduled for November 1st at 6 PM.

  • On October 14th, Secretary Flanagan showed his support for the Purple Line by wearing a pro-Purple Line sticker at an event hosted by transit opponents. First, Mr. Flanagan made it clear to the audience that unnecessary tunnels are unlikely to be supported by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), especially on the 100 foot-wide publicly owned right-of-way passing through the Columbia Country Club, but then the Secretary stated that he was directing his staff to study deep tunnelling on this segment. What the Secretary did not say is that the alternative to using the Georgetown Branch to get to Bethesda (Jones Bridge and Jones Mill Roads) has gained little support since being put on the table as a way to avoid the Country Club in 2003. His own planners don't seem to take the option seriously. More importantly, Mr. Flanagan also avoided a discussion about how evaluating another tunnel would affect the project schedule. The recent Dulles rail tunnel review reportedly added a year to the schedule for that project - delays from a similar study along the Purple Line are guaranteed.

  • On October 23rd, Governor Ehrlich's new running mate, Kristen Cox implied at a Rockville forum that the Governor is committed to building the Light Rail Purple Line, according to the Washington Post.

  • Finally, on October 26th, Lt Governor and candidate for Senate Michael S. Steele lashed out at his opponent, Congressman Ben Cardin, for not knowing where the Purple Line runs. However, repeated inquiries with the Steele campaign have yet to uncover how the Lt. Governor’s policy will differ from that of Governor Ehrlich who does not support a light rail Purple Line.

    A day later, Mr. Steele held a press conference at Grosvenor in North Bethesda, which was to be the western terminus of the outer Purple Line, which was estimated at between $3 and 5 billion and is no longer being studied. He became testy when reporters asked if he is supporting the outer Purple Line, but under the circumstances, this is an obvious and reasonable question. The fact is that neither major party candidate for Senate has signed our Purple Line Pledge (which was signed by Green Party candidate Kevin Zeese). Mr. Cardin, however, has expressed support for the project in his responses to the Action Committee for Transit (ACT) questionnaire on transportation issues, while Lt. Gov. Steele did not respond to the request for his input from either our Coalition, Montgomery ACT or Prince George’s Advocates from Community Based Transit (PG ACT).

    So let’s get serious and move this project forward for the people of Maryland. Let the Governor and candidates for higher office of both parties know that another delay is unacceptable and that the planning study should be expedited – not repeatedly delayed - so as to break ground on this project within the next four years. Ask the administration to regain lost time by:

  • Eliminating the Bus Rapid Transit options, which have little support in Montgomery or Prince George's County.
  • Eliminating options bypassing the Georgetown Branch (using instead Jones Bridge and Jones Mill Roads) since this bypass renders the project unviable by unacceptably increasing travel time between Bethesda and Silver Spring.
  • Eliminating study of underground options on the Georgetown Branch which will not be acceptable to the Federal Transit Administration and will add more time to the study.

    2) TUNNELS AND THE PURPLE LINE
    The Coalition to Build the Inner Purple supports a light rail transit line between Bethesda and New Carrollton. Polling data suggests that a large majority of suburban Maryland voters also support this project. Safe, quiet and pollution-free, light rail transit runs along vibrant, pedestrian-oriented streets has proven to be compatible with adjacent development in urban and suburban communities throughout the world.

    Given the reality that many cities are competing for scarce federal dollars, the Federal Transit Administration will not approve a project plan calling for expensive underground construction for the transit line when a workable aboveground route is available.

    To ensure the Purple Line’s cost-effectiveness, the use of existing aboveground rights of way must be maximized. We support tunneling or bridging where necessary to avoid at-grade road crossings that would result in slower travel times and reduced ridership. We support grade separations at major roadways such as Connecticut Avenue, Jones Bridge Road and 16th Street for both the transitway and trail.

    We believe that underpasses or limited tunnels may be required to ensure a high level of service in some locations such as:

  • Downtown Silver Spring
  • East Silver Spring
  • Adelphi Road
  • The center of the U. Md. campus
  • The intersection of Kenilworth Avenue and East West Highway

    We support an evaluation of options for these locations by the Maryland Transit Administration, but believe that the decision of where to run the line underground must be made applying the same criteria everywhere along the route. The criteria should include:

  • Consideration of the system's functionality and efficiency
  • Conflicts at the surface such as traffic impacts where the transitway crosses roads
  • Proximity to sensitive areas
  • Environmental justice

    Montgomery County purchased the Georgetown Branch railroad right of way in 1988 with the explicit purpose of connecting Bethesda and Silver Spring with transit and a trail. We believe that a quiet light rail line on a grassy track bed is compatible with a safe, accessible Capital Crescent Trail and with adjacent homes through Bethesda where the Georgetown Branch public right of way is between 60 and 100 feet wide.

    The Coalition welcomes the evolution of some candidates' positions towards support for the Purple Line and encourages all candidates to ground their support in concepts that are equitable, compatible, efficient and cost effective. We are willing to sit down with any candidate to discuss these issues.

    3) 10 REASONS THE UNIV. OF MD COMMUNITY SHOULD ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE PURPLE LINE
    The purple line will:
    1. Improve the quality of life on campus by reducing vehicular congestion, improving air quality, and encouraging students to use more sustainable alternative modes of transportation.
    2. Bring more spectators and visitors to support the Terps without their cars. The Purple Line will be walking distance from Chevy Chase Field at Byrd Stadium, Comcast Center, the Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts and other venues.
    3. Help create the pedestrian core envisioned in the Master Plan.
    4. Enable students without vehicles to more readily get internships and part-time employment.
    5. Help preserve the limited remaining green space on campus by reducing demand for parking lots and road to serve them.
    6. Be a cost savings to the University. If the Purple Line carries 10,000 people to campus each day, $15 million can be saved on parking garages.
    7. More closely tie the campus to the resources of the metropolitan region.
    8. Ensure that east campus is developed as a state-of-the-art transit-oriented project. The Purple Line will help the campus and community achieve their shared vision of downtown Princeton or Palo Alto for College Park.
    9. Encourage more Research organizations to move to the M Square Research Park
    10. Put UMd on the map – Go Terps!

    4) NEWS FROM THE COALITION
    WELCOME STUDENTS: The Coalition continues its campaign of outreach and welcomes the support of two UM student groups: the University Computers Association, and the Intelligent Transportation Society of Maryland (ITS-MD). We hope to gain support of other student groups in the near future. If we don’t see more progress on the Purple Line study next year, we may recommend turning it over to these energetic young transit supporters!
    WELCOME ENVIRONMENTALISTS: Natural Resources Defense Council, with more than 1 million members nationwide, recognizes that is of national importance in their campaign for smart growth and against sprawl and has agreed to be listed alongside the more than 20 environmental groups in support of the Project.
    WELCOME COMMUNITIES: On the Municipal front, we welcome the support of the Town of Edmonston and individuals from a variety of other communities who have joined our cause over the past few weeks.
    WELCOME REPUBLICANS: Traffic congestion is a non-partisan plague that hurts people and businesses across our region. We welcome the support of several more Republican candidates for office including Robert Dyer and Mike Monroe, running for State Delegate in District 16; and Tom Masser, running for Delegate in District 19.
    To add your name or organization to our growing list of supporters send us an contact us.

    SUCCESS COSTS MONEY-WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT: The Coalition is embarking on a major fundraising drive to maintain its outreach and advocacy effort after the election. As we move into our 4th year, we have much to be proud of but are aware that to replicate the success of our friends in Virginia with the Metrorail extension to Dulles, we must continue to professionalize our organization. We will be launching a fundraising drive over the next month, but encourage contributions immediately. Checks may be sent to CBIPL 1710 Noyes Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20910. We will soon provide for the option of credit card payments on our website.

    ACTIVIST’S CORNER: There is much work to be done before track is laid to connect our two great counties with the light rail Purple Line. If you have some time to help, contact us. In the meantime, send an e-mail to Governor Ehrlich and his Democratic challenger. Tell them both that Maryland is a small state and needs to focus growth in transit-oriented centers such as those that exist along the Inner Purple Line.
    5)COMING NEXT MONTH: HOW FAST IS FAST ENOUGH
    The Coalition is working on an analysis of existing and projected travel times for various trips and expects to complete that in November.
    6) THIS NEWSLETTER
    This newsletter is produced by volunteer supporters of the Coalition to Build the Inner Purple Line (CBIPL) which was formed in January, 2003 by business, labor, environmental and community organizations to promote the light rail transit line connecting Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma/Langley Crossroads, Riverdale Park and New Carrollton. The Coalition supports 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.
    1. Corrections and comments may be sent to Colleen Mitchell, The Editor.
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    The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect that of the organization.



    • 68,000 riders each weekday is huge! Counting down to completion of Purple Line DEIS; Latest news: Latest News; How you can help



    See: Calendar of Events.

    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