We are thrilled to announce that Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Paul J. Wiedefeld will be our keynote speaker at the next Purple Line NOW forum on Wednesday, September 4 at 7:00 pm! As always, the event is free and open to the public, but you must register in advance for this virtual forum!

Mark your calendars and REGISTER to reserve your seat now!

But, wait, there's more! Joining the Secretary will be a powerhouse panel, including:

• Ray Biggs II, Purple Line Senior Project Director, for Maryland Transit Administration
• Doran Bosso, CEO of Purple Line Transit Partners
• Eric Olson, Prince George’s County Councilmember (District 3), Chair, Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy & Environment Committee (TIEE)
• Evan Glass, Montgomery County Councilmember (At-Large), Chair, Transportation & Environment Committee (T&E)

The Secretary will bring us up-to-date on what's happening with the project (and, as we all have seen, there is a lot of energy along the alignment these days!) 

Secretary Wiedefeld serves as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation overseeing MDOT’s six agencies – the State Highway Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Aviation Administration, Maryland Port Administration and Maryland Transportation Authority. He leads operations and maintenance of state highways, bridges, tollways, transit systems, motor vehicle licensing, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore. He serves as Chair of the MDTA Board, the Maryland Port Commission and the Maryland Aviation Commission. He has a career spanning more than 40 years, including various transportation posts in both public and private sectors.

Questions for panelists? Please submit questions in advance of the webinar – because of time constraints, we will try to get as many as possible, but should we run out of time, we'll follow up with an answer post-forum. The earlier 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].

Purple Line NOW is able to bring you these free informative educational events because of your support!

Earlier this year, Purple Line NOW was delighted to receive a Beyond the Rails grant from the Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) that supports this year's forums! We were honored to be in the company of other recipients awarded those inaugural round of grants and thank the PLTP team for their recognition of the value these fora provide to those living and working along the alignment. Thank you, thank you!

Our need continues, however, as we work to bring you bi-weekly newsletters filled with lots of Purple Line information, project advocacy from a wide and diverse Purple Line NOW team, and plans to continue these fora until we are all able to take our first ride on the Purple Line! We would appreciate your consideration of a donation or event sponsorship if you are able. Your name (or your company's name) will be listed on our website, in our literature, and at all of our public events, with your permission.

We can’t do this without you -- thanks in advance for your consideration!

Purple Line NOW
https://www.purplelinenow.com/

We hope you are enjoying these last few weeks of summer and finding time to relax before the pace picks up in the fall once again. Normally, Purple Line NOW News would take a few weeks off at this time, too, but we can't help ourselves -- we have BIG NEWS to share! Read on!

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

• What's Happening at PLN?
  
  • Big Forum News! Reserve Your Seat!
  • Be an Event Sponsor
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Congratulations to Silver Spring!
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  • Construction Updates
  • Rivertech Opens Early!
  • Closures and Detours
  • Progress Photos from Around the Web

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 PLN Fall Forum is Now OPEN!!

***We have set the date for the next forum and our keynote speaker will be Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Paul J. Wiedefeld! 
Mark your calendars NOW for Wednesday, September 4, 7:00 - 8:30 pm!***

Mark your calendars and REGISTER to reserve your seat now!

Joining Secretary Wiedefeld will be Prince George's County Council Member Eric Olson and Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass, as well as representatives from the concessionaire and the state's Purple Line project team.

We are very excited to have Secretary Wiedefeld join us for an update on all things Purple Line! As in the past, an update with Maryland's top transportation leader is a super popular event and we are thrilled to hear his overview on the progress being made to bring this project to completion. 

This will be a virtual webinar, and as always, the event is open to everyone, including press. There is never a charge -- but you must reserve your seat in advance -- just click the red button below!

With all the track being laid along the line, new cars arriving at the OMF building throughout the summer, and orange-clad crews working hard to move the project along, we are very much looking forward to this forum and hope you are, too!

**If you or your business would like to sponsor this event, please let us know as soon as possible!** 

We hope you will take a moment to consider a donation, in any amount, to Purple Line NOW. We exist on a skinnier-than-skinny budget, but with the help of a large team of volunteers and your donations, we are able to bring this newsletter and lots of other educational information, including our forums, to you. With your permission, we will list you as a donor at the event, on our website, and in any other printed materials for a year following your gift.

You can easily donate by clicking the Purple "Donate" button below. Not sure if you've given in the past twelve months? Check our website to see if your name is listed. Thank you from all of us here at Purple Line NOW!

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Congratulations to Silver Spring!

By now you have likely heard the terrific news that Silver Spring was ranked #1 by Fortune Magazine as the best place for families to live! With the future Purple Line and the Silver Spring Transit Center offering easy access and transfers to public transportation, we predict Silver Spring will remain at the top of the list for a long time to come!

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Construction Updates

Are you keeping track of how far along we are? If so, you might find this table from the MCDOT team as interesting as we do!

Rivertech Court Has Reopened Early

With the headaches of closures and detours (see below), we wanted to highlight some good news, too! On their Twitter feed, the Purple Line project team reports that Rivertech Court at River Road has reopened  to traffic and pedestrians more than three weeks ahead of schedule!

Closures and Detours

If you would like to know where construction detours and closures are happening along the route, please visit the project website where you will find a map and details of detours.

Progress Throughout the Corridor

A drive along the alignment will prove just how much progress is being made! Here are some incredible photos we found on social media -- send us yours at [email protected] and we will try to publish them!

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?
  
  • Big Forum News! Mark Your Calendars!
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Purple Line in the News
• Construction Updates and Project Features

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?

We Have Big News!

***We have set the date for the next forum and our keynote speaker will be Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Paul J. Wiedefeld! 
Mark your calendars now for Wednesday, September 4, 7:00 - 8:30 pm!***

We are so excited to have Secretary Wiedefeld join us for an update on all things Purple Line! As in the past, an update with Maryland's top transportation leader is a super popular event and we are thrilled to hear his overview on the progress being made to get this project to completion. Joining the Secretary will be representatives from both Prince George's and Montgomery County councils, as well as representatives from the concessionaire and state project team.

This will be a virtual webinar, and as always, the event is open to everyone, including press. Because of donations from you, our supporters, we are able to bring these educational events to you free -- there is never a charge -- but you must reserve your seat in advance. We will send a formal invite soon with the sign-up link, so keep an eye out for that.

With all the track being laid along the line, new cars arriving at the OMF building throughout the summer, and orange-clad crews working hard to move the project along, we are very much looking forward to this forum and hope you are, too!

**If you or your business would like to sponsor this event, please let us know as soon as possible!** 

We hope you will take a moment to consider a donation, in any amount, to Purple Line NOW. We exist on a skinnier-than-skinny budget, but with the help of a large team of volunteers and your donations, we are able to bring this newsletter and lots of other educational information, including our forums, to you.

You can easily donate by clicking the Purple "Donate" button below. Not sure if you've given in the past twelve months? Check our website to see if your name is listed. Thank you from all of us here at Purple Line NOW!

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Purple Line in the News

From time to time, we find articles in the news that are either directly related to the project or Purple Line-adjacent in terms of subject matter and share those we think might be of interest. Simply because we can't get enough of the Light Rail Vehicles arriving, here are two tidbits from Councilmembers in Prince George's and Montgomery counties.

The first, a photo from District 3, Prince George's Councilmember Eric Olson, who attended the event, had this to say about the event, "Seeing the Purple Line rail cars is truly amazing. This marks a significant milestone for this historic project. The Purple Line is set to play a crucial role in achieving our climate, transportation, and economic development goals. I can't wait for it to be open to the public!"

Councilmember Eric Olson

Last edition, we shared highlights from Montgomery County Council President, Evan Glass, who attended the Light Rail Vehicle unveiling earlier last month, but he also featured the day in his newsletter.

And, finally we share an article that was sent to us on affordable housing. Transit is critical to housing affordability because it greatly increases the number of people with access to job centers and places to learn and shop. The opinion piece, which can be found here, discusses steps and investments that can further increase the affordable housing gains provided by the Purple Line while minimizing the risk of displacement to those already on the corridor. 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Construction Updates

In their July 2024 newsletter, MTA Senior Project Director for the Purple Line, Ray Biggs highlighted all of the work being done along the track, "The Purple Line is more than 65 percent complete; two-thirds of our stations are currently being constructed and more than 46,000 feet of track has been installed. This includes more than 70 percent of the track completed on Campus Drive at the University of Maryland. Construction work is visible all along the alignment, including new sidewalks, bridges, bicycle paths and paving, more tracks, and other improvements."

A drive along the alignment highlights all the work being done with crews dotting nearly every inch of the path, with the first station benches being installed at Riverdale Park North-UMD, embedded track already in place in both directions on the University of Maryland campus, and the Rock Creek Trail near Jones Mill Road reopened in June! 

With the unveiling of the cars last month (see our previous PLN Newsletter for photos and details), we received a ton of questions about the cars, which are arriving throughout the summer at the OMF building. Here are a few tidbits you might not have known: 

• Each Purple Line light rail vehicle (LRV) can seat 80 riders, with a total ridership capacity of 430
• Purple Line LRVs include on-board storage for 8 bicycles
• Purple Line LRVs are ADA-compliant with low floors for easy boarding and designated area to safely store 8 wheelchairs

Photo Courtesy: Greg Sanders

If you would like to know where construction detours and closures are happening along the route, please visit the project website where you will find a map and details of detours.

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?
  
  • Next Purple Line Forum
  • Thank You for Continuing to Support PLN
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Construction Highlights
  • Montgomery County Detour and Closure Map
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  • Purple Line Marks Major Milestone!

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?

Next Purple Line NOW Forum

The next forum is in the works and we can confirm it will be an update on the entire corridor -- with so much activity along the alignment, there will be lots to learn about what is happening with the project!

Within the next week, we will announce the date of the forum and how you can reserve your virtual seat. As always, our events are free and open to the public and media, but all seats must be reserved in advance, so keep an eagle eye out for the big announcement!

**If you or your business would like to sponsor this event, please let us know as soon as possible!**

Thank You for Your Continuing Support!

Our need is ongoing - we operate on a budget between $20,000 and $25,000 each year, so please know that your donation in any amount is welcome and necessary for us to continue our work. You can easily donate by clicking the Purple "Donate" button below. Not sure if you've given in the past twelve months? Check our website to see if your name is listed. Thank you from all of us here at Purple Line NOW!

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Construction Highlights - Montgomery County

Montgomery County Detour and Closure Map

To view all Montgomery County detours and closures associated with the Purple Line, please click this link.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Purple Line Marks Major Milestone!

Members of Purple Line NOW's Executive Committee joined other community leaders, county, state, and elected officials, and builders to celebrate the delivery of the project's first two rail cars -- and they are GORGEOUS!

By now, if you follow us on Facebook and other social media, you have seen the photos from the celebration, held at the brand new Glenridge Operations & Maintenance Facility (OMF) last Thursday morning. It was a poignant morning for so many who have been advocating for the Purple Line for years, and for many, decades.

(L-R): PLN President, Ralph Bennett; Montgomery County Councilmember Kate Stewart; PLN Executive Director, Christine Scott; PLN Treasurer, Tina Slater; Montgomery County Council President, Evan Glass; PLN Executive Committee Member, Barbara Sanders; Donna Nelson; PLN Vice President, Greg Sanders

Walking into the facility -- which was built on the same spot that saw the ground-breaking ceremony a few years ago -- a surprise awaited us and anticipation grew as project leaders officially unveiled one of the two new cars just delivered to the facility! Can we just say, the colors are stunning, the interiors are swanky, and far more importantly, functional and roomy! Each car is 142 feet long (nearly half as long as a football field!) and will hold 432 passengers with lots of space for bikes and wheelchairs.

Check out this terrific video by Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass to catch a glimpse of what the inside of the cars will look like!

The morning started with each of the project's leaders talking about what the Purple Line will mean to the region. FTA Administrator Terry Garcia Crews praised the hard work and tenacity required to advance the project and noted that the FTA has contributed $1.2 billion to help make the project possible.

Others who spoke included (L-R): Ray Biggs II, Purple Line Senior Project Director, Maryland Transit Administration; Doran Bosso, CEO of Purple Line Transit Partners; Holly Arnold, Administrator, Maryland Transit Administration; and Paul Wiedefeld, Maryland Secretary of Transportation.

“Celebrating the arrival of the Purple Line's first light rail vehicle is the latest significant milestone in getting this much-needed new transit line up and running," said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld in a press statement. “This new light rail vehicle embodies the many benefits transit provides from connecting communities to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The progress being made is because of the commitment and effort over the past year and a half to expedite work along the alignment." 

Administrator Arnold highlighted the connections to MARC and Amtrak that the Purple Line will bring and noted the hard work being done to bring the project to completion. It was then time for the big reveal with Project Director Ray Biggs exclaiming, "Maryland, we have a train!" Catch the cool unveiling video at the link.

We hope the photos below of the cars and celebration will help convey the excitement everyone in the building had upon reaching this milestone. We share this huge achievement with the workers and community leaders, elected officials, and especially you, our Purple Line supporters and advocates, who have cheered the project on with patience (and some headaches), as we await the day when we can all take that first ride in one of these amazing cars!

Some of the hardworking crews that are making it happen!

Photo Courtesy: Donna Nelson

Photo Courtesy: Greg Sanders

PLN President Ralph Bennett

L-R: PLN Board Vice President, Greg Sanders; Maryland State Delegate David Moon; PLN Board Member Barbara Sanders; Donna Nelson

The press was there to cover the event, so if you are wanting more (and who could possibly get enough of these awesome vehicles?!), click on the links of some outlets we noted were in attendance. 

WJLA

NBC Washington

WTOP

MoCo360

Fox 5 DC

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.