In today's edition of Purple Line NOW News, you'll find a whole bevy of good information:

• A warm welcome to Peter van der Waart van Gulik and our thanks to Fred Craig
• A short glossary of all those confusing Purple Line-related acronyms
• Upcoming Community Advisory Team dates
• A heartfelt appeal from Purple Line NOW

Grab your coffee (or iced tea as this summery day may necessitate) and have a read!

Purple Line NOW Welcomes New CEO of Purple Line Transit Partners

Purple Line NOW extends a warm welcome to Peter van der Waart van Gulik, incoming Chief Executive Officer of the Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) after his appointment was announced last week. Purple Line NOW works closely with the concessionaire (the private sector partner of the Maryland Transit Administration) to stay abreast of construction issues and to provide the public in-depth information whenever possible. We look forward to continuing our work with the new leadership of the project’s builder. Mr. van der Waart van Gulik brings nearly 30 years of industry experience with extensive background in public-private partnerships (P3s), both of which will serve the project well. We are also heartened to know that the new CEO has served on the PLTP Board of Directors for the past several years, so he will hit the ground running with a short learning curve.

Our organization also wants to take a moment to highlight the hard work of outgoing CEO, Fred Craig, whose dedication, candor, and management has laid a solid foundation for the project which included the completion of the tunnel excavation and the acceleration of construction following a year-long delay resulting from a frivolous lawsuit. Purple Line NOW is especially appreciative of Mr. Craig’s work to keep the public informed of project status in a forthright and clear manner.

Feel Free to Share

Please feel free to share this newsletter - no permission from us needed! You can always find a link to our newsletter on our website (www.purplelinenow.com) which makes it easy to share with your friends, neighbors, constituents, customers, and employees.

CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

Who Are All These Groups and What Do They Do?

Confused by all the acronyms surrounding the Purple Line?! This week, we thought would share a short glossary of the some of the most frequently used acronyms and terms and how Purple Line NOW relates to each of them. We’ve even provided a hyperlink where possible so you can read more about the particular group. Fun fact: many of them start with the letter P!

1) CATs (Community Advisory Teams)

MTA has divided the 16-mile Purple Line corridor into eight areas, each represented by a Community Advisory Team (CAT). The MTA and Concessionaire have committed to maintaining open dialogue with the communities surrounding the Purple Line via CATs with the objective of building a long-term relationship through completion of the project. The CATs are member-driven teams with representatives appointed from neighborhood and civic associations adjacent to the alignment. There are also representatives from business associations and local governments. Purple Line NOW Board and Team members sit on many of these CATs and bring information back to our organization regarding issues and hurdles any particular community is experiencing. The CAT materials are one of the best sources for detailed information about current and near term construction plans.

 2) Concessionaire

The concessionaire is the entity responsible for designing, building, operating, and maintaining the Purple Line under the supervision of the owner, the state of Maryland. The term "concessionaire" is used because it is a public-private partnership between Maryland and a consortium of companies rather than a single lead vendor. The concessionaire for this project is Purple Line Transit Partners.

3) MTA (Maryland Transit Administration)

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is the lead agency, the Purple Line’s owner, and they work in close coordination with other transportation entities, governments, and parks and planning commissions. For the Purple Line, MTA works closely with Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Montgomery and Prince George's counties, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the Maryland State Highway Administration, and local municipalities in the project area.

4) P3 (Public-Private Partnership)

A P3, in this case, is essentially a partnership between MTA and PLTP to build and operate the Purple Line. The main benefit to using a P3 model is the private capital and alignment of concessionaire incentives with reduced costs and better performance while giving more flexibility to efficiently build and operate the line.

Want to know more about P3s? Here’s a terrific article that does some great explaining: Greater Greater Washington.

5) PLCC (Purple Line Corridor Coalition)

The Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC), formed in 2013, is a multi-sector collaborative led and administered by the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) in partnership with a coalition of community organizations, state and local governments, nonprofits, philanthropies, and businesses. PLCC led the creation of the Community Development Agreement for the Purple Line Corridor which articulates a collective vision for vibrant economic and community development along the 16-mile corridor.

Purple Line NOW is a separate entity (we receive no funding from PLCC), but we work closely with them, along with many other organizations, to achieve the goals set out in the Agreement. Last year, Maryland received a $2 million federal grant to help work on some of the goals of the Agreement, especially in the area of economic development, accessibility to the Purple Line stations, and keeping housing affordable along the Purple Line Corridor. NCSG will administer the grant.

6) PLN (Purple Line NOW)

Since you are already receiving our newsletter, you probably know all about us, but just as a refresher, PLN was incorporated in 2002, though many on our team have worked on behalf of the Purple Line for a decade or two before that!

We are a coalition of business, labor, environment, neighborhood, and civic organizations that works with local, state, and federal government officials in pursuit of our mission to build the Purple Line. Our mission is ensure the completion of the light rail Purple Line from Bethesda to New Carrollton, integrated with a hiker/biker trail between Bethesda & Silver Spring. We have one quarter-time executive director, but operate mostly on the elbow grease of a large and dedicated team of volunteers. We are governed by a Board of Directors with balanced representation from the environmental, civic, business and labor support for the Purple Line. More about what we are up to now in the section below!

7) PLTP (Purple Line Transit Partners)

PLTP is led by three public-private partnership (P3) developers who will build, operate and maintain the Purple Line. The companies that fall under the Purple Line Transit Partners umbrella are Meridiam Infrastructure Purple Line, LLC (Meridiam), Fluor Enterprises Inc. (Fluor) and Star America Purple Line, LLC (Star America). The team will operate and maintain the Purple Line for 30 years after opening.

Have any questions about who handles what aspect of the design, construction, or maintenance of the line - or anything else Purple Line-related, for that matter? Just drop us an email and we'll find an answer for you!

PURPLE LINE NOW NEWS AND EVENTS

Next Envisioning the Purple Line Forum

We are working on the next Purple Line NOW forum happening late spring/early summer 2019. The topic will be the trail and we are already lining up terrific speakers, so stayed tuned for the date announcement and official invitation SOON!

Upcoming CAT Meetings

• Riverdale & Glenridge/New Carrollton – April 30, 2019, 6:30 – 8 PM
  Purple Line Project Office
  6811 Kenilworth Avenue (1st Floor Training Room)
  Riverdale, MD 20737
  
  

PURPLE LINE NOW ACTION

What Are We Doing With Your Sponsorship Dollars?

We hope you had a chance to consider a sponsorship to Purple Line NOW in last week’s blast. Here’s a cut-to-the-chase version of our need. We are grateful for your support!  

Need a reason to donate? Read on - we simply could not exist without you!

(A reminder: Purple Line NOW does not receive underwriting grants from any source, government (local or otherwise), nor are we a membership organization (we do not ask for annual dues). We operate solely on donations from individuals and businesses who care about the Purple Line and whose generosity allow us to continue our work.)

Purple Line NOW exists on a very skinny budget – we have only one quarter-time employee, we pay for upkeep and maintenance of our website, and we pay for the resources necessary to get information out to the community through our email blasts, literature, and supplies. We also cover any expenses associated with hosting our regular forums – the event is always free and open to the public (we don’t charge you to attend!)

• Purple Line NOW News

With your support, Purple Line NOW publishes this bi-weekly, information-packed newsletter, with the latest in construction news, photos, and insider information to keep you on top of what is going on in the field. It’s a big undertaking and we appreciate your support in making it happen!

• Envisioning the Purple Line Series

We continue the very popular Envisioning the Purple Line series of fora hosted in a variety of communities along the corridor in both Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Last year, we held an update in Riverdale Park, focusing on specific construction and development going on in that neck of the woods, and this past January, we took the forum to College Park, where our panel of speakers focused their updates on the College Park corridor. Next, we’ll be heading back to Montgomery County for an update on the completion of the Capital Crescent Trail. Stay tuned for more details on that event soon.

• Connecting People

Behind the scenes, Purple Line NOW has been a clearing house of sorts for calls from residents and businesses who are looking for answers to issues they are experiencing while the project is under construction. We don’t always have all the answers, but we do try to connect folks with the proper resources.

• Sharing Information

Purple Line NOW board members have a long tradition of attending hearings, testifying on behalf of the project, being a part of Purple Line oriented neighborhood groups, and connecting to elected officials on behalf of line. Our board leadership continues to meet every single month, as they have done for over a decade, to share information gathered and exchange ideas on keeping the project on track. Purple Line NOW also is a strong supporter of other transit organizations and an active participant in the Purple Line Corridor Coalition. We attend meetings, provide updates, and take notes! Our members are very active on the Community Advisory Teams.

• Maintaining a Presence

Finally, Purple Line NOW maintains a strong social media presence, staying connected to thousands via Facebook and Twitter via our website, Purple Line NOW.

We hope you will consider joining the sponsors already on board (you can see these awesome folks here) – and remember, with your donation, your name (or your business name) will be listed on our website and in event literature and signage for a year following your donation.

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.

Thanks to you, Purple Line NOW has ushered in another terrific year with renewed energy as we moved our focus from advocating for funding and approval of the project to the daunting task of keeping the communities along the Purple Line corridor on top of breaking news, construction woes, and exciting new developments being built around the new line.

We’ll cut right to the chase – we write today to ask you to become a sponsor by making a donation to Purple Line NOW.

Need a reason to donate? Below you’ll read all we are doing with your financial support. We simply could not exist without you!

A reminder: Purple Line NOW does not receive underwriting grants from any source, government (local or otherwise), nor are we a membership organization (we do not ask for annual dues). We operate solely on donations from individuals and businesses who care about the Purple Line and whose generosity allow us to continue our work.

How Will Purple Line NOW use my donation?

As we always say (because it has always been the case!), Purple Line NOW exists on a very skinny budget – we have only one quarter-time employee, we pay for upkeep and maintenance of our website, and we pay for the resources necessary to get information out to the community through our email blasts, literature, and supplies. We also cover any expenses associated with hosting our regular forums – the event is always free and open to the public (we don’t charge you to attend!)

Purple Line NOW News

With your support, Purple Line NOW has published a bi-weekly, information-packed newsletter, with the latest in construction news, photos, and insider information to keep you on top of what is going on in the field. Next week, we will publish our 22^nd issue of Purple Line NOW News, thanks to the many contributors who help us write and release the newsletter every other week. It’s a big undertaking and we appreciate your support in making it happen! As always, feel free to forward those newsletters to your neighborhood lists, client and community groups, or anyone who will benefit from the information. If you would like to see archives of previous newsletters, you can find them all right here: Newsletters.

Envisioning the Purple Line Series

We continue the very popular Envisioning the Purple Line series of fora hosted in a variety of communities along the corridor in both Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Last year, we held an update in Riverdale Park, focusing on specific construction and development going on in that neck of the woods, and this past January, we took the forum to College Park, where our panel of speakers focused their updates on the College Park corridor. Next, we’ll be heading back to Montgomery County for an update on the completion of the Capital Crescent Trail. Stay tuned for more details on that event soon.

Connecting People

Behind the scenes, Purple Line NOW has been a clearing house of sorts for calls from residents and businesses who are looking for answers to issues they are experiencing while the project is under construction. We don’t always have all the answers, but we do try to connect folks with the proper resources.

Sharing Information

Purple Line NOW board members have a long tradition of attending hearings, testifying on behalf of the project, being a part of Purple Line oriented neighborhood groups, and connecting to elected officials on behalf of line. Our board leadership continues to meet every single month, as they have done for over a decade, to share information gathered and exchange ideas on keeping the project on track. Purple Line NOW also is a strong supporter of other transit organizations and an active participant in the Purple Line Corridor Coalition. We attend meetings, provide updates, and take notes! Our members are very active on the Community Advisory Teams.

Maintaining a Presence

Finally, Purple Line NOW maintains a strong social media presence, staying connected to thousands via Facebook and Twitter via our website, Purple Line NOW. If you haven’t signed up for those, do so today. You’ll get the latest news and be able to participate in discussions happening in those formats.

We hope you will consider joining the sponsors already on board (you can see them HERE) – and remember, with your donation, your name (or your business name) will be listed on our website and in event literature and signage for a year following your donation.

As promised, this edition of Purple Line NOW News brings a recap of the Prince George's County Council T&E Committee Briefing on February 28, 2019. Additionally, if you live inside the Purple Line corridor, we ask you to take a brief survey created by the Purple Line Corridor Coalition. Please take a moment to do so - and feel free to pass the link on to your friends and neighbors. 

Please feel free to share this newsletter - no permission from us needed! You can always find a link to our newsletter on our website (www.purplelinenow.com) which makes it easy to share with your friends, neighbors, constituents, customers, and employees.

CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

Our March 27 edition of Purple Line NOW News highlighted the Montgomery Council Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy, & Environment (T&E) Committee briefing by Chuck Lattuca, Executive Director for Transit Development and Delivery for the Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) and Fred Craig, the Chief Executive Office for the Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP).

We would like to share with you the February 28^th Prince George’s County Council briefing from Mr. Lattuca and Mr. Craig, which includes updated construction information specific to the county.

We encourage you to listen to the Prince George’s T&E briefing (which starts at about the 1:40 mark) as the presentation contains all sorts of interesting tidbits and slides, but in this newsletter we will attempt to give you the highlights, as well as share some of those slides with you.

The briefing was hosted by T&E committee chair Councilmember Deni Taveras and attended by other councilmembers of the committee.

Much of the general information overlapped with our previous newsletter (see link above), so we will focus on the Prince George’s County specific information in this edition.

Mr. Lattuca began by saying that MDOT was pleased to assist the University of Maryland’s Center for Smart Growth in obtaining a $2 million grant from the FTA which must be spent down in two years, so work is gearing up right now.

Mr. Craig reiterated that they are still working hard to be operational in late 2022 and moving quickly to catch up from the year-long lawsuit delay. County-wide, but especially in Prince George’s, this is one of the largest utility jobs (outside of hurricane reconstruction) in the country. He talked about the transformational aspect of the project and emphasized that the Purple Line will “give the community mobility to jobs and connections to cities as far as Boston and Richmond.”

Economic Growth and Opportunity

Making jobs accessible is another feature of the project, and the two slides below show how access to jobs will significantly increase once the line is operational. Pretty awesome, right?!

The project has been a “catalyst for renaissance,” Mr. Craig said, with billions (in dollars!) being spent in construction around the project. The slide below cites two examples - one in New Carrollton where Urban Atlantic and Forest are building a 2.7M square foot mixed-use development, and another in College Park where Corporate Office Properties Trust is developing a 75K square foot building. 

Specific to Prince George’s County, the Purple Line is already expanding economic opportunities.

Art-in-Transit

The goal of Art-in-Transit is to make the stations NOT look like a railroad and enhance neighborhood identities. A total of $6M has been allotted for artwork at the 21 stations, allocated equally among Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. You may recall a number of public meetings in the past few years that enabled selected artists to gain community input and get a better feel for their designs. Community representatives participated in the selection of the final art proposals and currently, contract negotiations are underway with selected artists. We are happy to hear that the station artwork is to be installed prior to passenger service!

Ellin Road and Veteran’s Parkway

As you can see by the slides below, work continues on Ellin Road and Veteran’s Parkway, as well as on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

Coming later in the year (October 2019 through May 2020), Ellin Road Phase 2 will begin. At that time, Hanson Oaks will route to Veterans Parkway (which is a similar traffic pattern to what the area is currently experiencing.)

University Boulevard and University of Maryland

Both University Boulevard and the University of Maryland are dealing with utility relocation resulting in lane closures. MDOT SHA is currently evaluating lowering the speed limit on River Road to 35 mph.

Phase 1 of the Northwest Branch at University Boulevard will begin this month and last until March 2020. Traffic will shift to the south side to demolish and replace the north bridge. A pedestrian crosswalk has been added for sidewalk access.

Aesthetics and Landscaping

Trees are being replaced at "better than the 2:1 requirement stipulated in the contract," the concessionaire reported. Additionally, Mr. Craig said, "13 acres along the corridor is being reforested while every effort is being employed to spare trees during the construction process."

The councilmembers had a lot of questions following the presentation and we encourage you to listed to the entire briefing.

Slides courtesy of MDOT, MTA, and the PLTP. 

PURPLE LINE NOW NEWS AND EVENTS

We are working on the next Purple Line NOW forum happening late spring/early summer 2019. The topic will be the trail and we are already lining up terrific speakers, so stayed tuned for the date announcement and official invitation SOON!

PURPLE LINE NOW ACTION

PLCC Purple Line Housing Plan Survey

Purple Line NOW is working with the Purple Line Corridor Coalition as they create a Purple Line Housing Action Plan this spring, with a principal focus on preserving and producing affordable housing for the corridor from New Carrollton to Bethesda. The coalition is made up of public, private, and non-profit organizations who have banded together to ensure equitable outcomes for residents, small business owners, and neighborhoods along the corridor.

Before the group starts writing the plan, they are reaching out to residents, community groups, and many other stakeholders to gather input and guidance on what the plan should focus on specifically and what it should prioritize. On their behalf, we would greatly appreciate it if those of you living and working inside the corridor would take the following survey (which should take no more than 5-7 minutes to fill this out) and to let your friends and neighbors know about the survey, too. 

Click on this link: Take Me to the Survey! If you would like the survey in Spanish or would prefer a PDF version, contact our Executive Director, Christine Scott at [email protected].

Consider a Donation to Purple Line NOW This Spring

If you haven't already done so, please take a moment to become a sponsor - your name will appear at all events and on all promotional materials for a year following your donation. The benefits of sponsorship are listed on our website and donating is easy - just follow this link: I'd like to become a sponsor! There are several levels of sponsorship - and we appreciate them all! 

We are a not-for-profit organization with an active group of volunteers and one quarter-time employee. We operate on a bare-bones budget and appreciate every donation we receive.

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.

We have lots to share in this edition of Purple Line NOW News, with a recap of Montgomery County T&E Committee Briefing on March 21, 2019. Not to be outdone, we’ll also be sharing the Prince George’s County Council briefing with you soon.

Please share this newsletter with your neighbors, friends, and constituents - each edition is jam-packed full of great information! 

CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

Below is a short overview of the March 21, 2019 Montgomery Council Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy, & Environment (T&E) Committee briefing by Chuck Lattuca, Executive Director for Transit Development and Delivery for the Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) and Fred Craig, the Chief Executive Office for the Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP).

We encourage you to listen to the Montgomery County T&E Committee Briefing as the presentation contains all sorts of interesting tidbits and slides, but we’ll attempt to give you the highlights as well as share some of those slides with you. 

The briefing was hosted by T&E committee chair Councilmember Tom Hucker and attended by other councilmembers of the committee including Hans Riemer, Andrew Friedson, and Evan Glass.

Mr. Craig began by confirming that passenger service remains targeted to start in late 2022. Right now, he said, project design is about 85% complete with remaining utility placement still outstanding, while construction on the project is about 10% complete, and vehicle (transit cars) is at 10% complete. He said that the Plymouth Tunnel and the Glenridge Operations Facility in Prince George’s county is slightly ahead of schedule.

Did you know the vehicles used for the Purple Line will require 600 hours of test time before they are put into service? In order to meet the appropriate hours of testing, those vehicles need to be stored and thus the storage facility on Veterans Highway is what is known as a “critical path item.” This means this part of the project is critical to the overall schedule which is why the construction there started early to accommodate the vehicle testing necessary. Right now, Mr. Craig said, the site is a “beehive of activity.” Mr. Craig described the cars as “rolling computers” – we can’t wait to see one in person soon!

Plymouth Tunnel and Noise Issues

The blasting work on Plymouth Tunnel was completed on February 26 and we wrote all about that milestone in our March 13 newsletter. It was a great day for the project and the crew working on it, with no surprises and no injuries. With the excavation complete, Mr. Craig describe the remaining work as “light, quieter, and with little vibration for the surrounding area” as was before. He went on to say the noisiest part of construction on the Plymouth Tunnel is largely over, except for truck traffic which can occur between 7 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. He said that nighttime activities are much quieter now and any noise-heavy activities will be done in the daytime from now on in this area.

Bethesda Station Shaft

Mr. Craig thanked the Council for their investment in the shaft and said the elevator shaft is currently about halfway to the Red Line depth. Weekday blasting will continue, as needed, but notifications will be sent via email and text ahead of time.

Because of the depth, he noted, the work is very dangerous. He described the crew taking on that work as “international caliber talent” and diligent in making sure that safety of the crew is the top priority. The noise from this work is quite muffled and when it happens, it is typically during the mid-day hours and of short duration.

Silver Spring Transit Center

Mr. Craig and Mr. Lattuca were asked about working with WMATA and CSX to make sure any closures have the least impact on pedestrians and current passengers. Both gentlemen stressed they are working closely with both WMATA and CSX to work simultaneously to minimize construction pain by piggybacking closures in the area. Pedestrian activities around the station should have minimal impact, but when and were there are detours, they will both make sure signage is abundant for safe passage. The work is to begin later this spring.

Lyttonsville Bridge

Although the bridge was opened about two weeks late, the community is satisfied with the result and happy to have the access back.

Public and Business Outreach

Mr. Hucker asked about how both MTA and PLTP are working to mitigate the impact on businesses as a result of the construction. Mr. Craig said they are doing their best not to schedule closures or work on the most active days for restaurant deliveries and patronage. Mr. Hucker asked both men to be as “creative as possible” in finding solutions to reduce the impact these businesses are experiencing, while acknowledging that once the project is built, the area will once again be a magnet for businesses and residents alike.

Workforce Diversity and Employment

Mr. Craig explained the project employs hundreds of workers and they have tried very hard to be a symbol of diversity by employing women and minorities in leadership positions. He also highlighted that even though the work on the project is short-lived, they will be leaving behind a legacy of skilled workers once completed.

Purple Line Safety

Mr. Lattuca said they are coordinating with MCDOT for good pedestrian access. He also pointed out much of the sidewalk construction will be a large improvement over what is in place now. All will be ADA compliant.

There will be adequate lighting and over 600 cameras deployed to monitor safety and security. MTA police (as well as campus police) will have a presence.

Project Delay and Cost Over-run

Mr. Hucker asked both gentlemen about the potential project delay and the resulting cost over-run. Mr. Craig said that despite what has been reported in the news, they are doing their best to stay on schedule and looking for areas where they can accelerate construction safely to meet the deadlines. Mr. Lattuca reminded everyone that the FFGA (Full Funding Grant Agreement) expires at the end of 2022 and they are certainly shooting to have the project completed by then. He said MTA is “bugging the concessionaire to work in a parallel fashion rather than a sequential one when appropriate.” Our readers will remember that there is a financial disincentive to the concessionaire for a delay in project completion.

Councilmember Glass asked about the potential for budget over-run, to which they both reiterated their goal of completing the project “safely, quickly, and on budget.”

The Trail

Councilmember Friedson wondered whether the trail needed to be closed until completion of the project. Mr. Craig said he will discuss with the contractor whether opening portions of the trail early might be a possibility down the line. He promised to find out and get back to the Council with some answers. Mr. Friedson emphasized that the trail is important to the community – folks rely on it not only for recreation, but to get their kids to school and to commute to work.

Mr. Hucker concluded the meeting by saying the project was the biggest “economic opportunity to enhance quality of life” in our community and thanked both Mr. Lattuca and Mr. Craig for their continued diligence in making sure the project was well built, done quickly, reliable, and safe. And, he added, on budget.

Again, we encourage you to watch the briefing (about 45 minutes long) for information and answers to a whole host of questions. And do sign up for construction updates so you are aware of closings and detours.

Slides courtesy of MDOT, MTA, and the PLTP. 

PURPLE LINE NOW NEWS AND EVENTS

We are working on the next Purple Line NOW forum happening late spring/early summer 2019. The topic will be the trail and we are already lining up terrific speakers, so stayed tuned for the date announcement and official invitation!

PURPLE LINE NOW ACTION

If you haven't already done so, please take a moment to become a sponsor - your name will appear at all events and on all promotional materials for a year following your donation. The benefits of sponsorship are listed on our website and donating is easy - just follow this link: I'd like to become a sponsor! There are several levels of sponsorship - and we appreciate them all! 

Please feel free to share this bi-weekly newsletter with others who may appreciate information about the project. As always, if you have any feedback on how we can improve the newsletter, drop us a line! 

If you find the information contained in our newsletter useful, please consider a donation to us - we are a not-for-profit organization with an active group of volunteers and one quarter-time employee. We operate on a bare-bones budget and appreciate every donation we receive.

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.