Since the departure of the previous builder, one of the most persistent and critical questions from the public has been when the Purple Line will open. Maryland Transit Administration was not comfortable providing estimates until a new builder was selected as that would be part of the competition and negotiation. In November, we learned that the new builder would be Maryland Transit Solutions, made up of the U.S. subsidiaries Dragados USA, Inc. (Dragados) and OHLA Group, Inc. (OHLA).

Yesterday, Maryland announced the new schedule -- opening day is to come in late 2026 (Shaver, K. “Purple Line Will Open Late.” Washington Post, 12 January 2021.) The new opening timeframe would be the date in which the entire line is set to open. As part of the competitive process for attracting a new builder, Maryland moved away from the plan to open the project in stages.

The cost of construction increases by $1.4 billion, bringing the total cost, including 30 years of operations, from $5.6 to $9.3 billion. The new contract will go to the Board of Public Works at the January 26 meeting for approval by Maryland’s governor, treasurer, and comptroller.

Purple Line NOW Board President Ralph Bennett reacted to the news by saying, “The delay that has resulted in pushing the project to 2026 along with the cost increases are a huge disappointment, but one influenced by economy-wide conditions.” In their transportation road show late last fall, Secretary Slater reported that pandemic disruptions, including material costs and supply chain challenges, as well as labor pool shortages have contributed to both cost and time increases.

Bennett emphasized that the fundamental strengths of the line remain. “It is filling the missing east-west connection that brings together four Metro branches and three MARC lines from Bethesda to New Carrollton. Its role as a jobs line, bringing an estimated $2.2 billion in annual growth to our region can be seen in developments occurring and planned throughout the corridor. The Purple Line will help address the mounting cost of transit-accessible housing, and its environmental benefits in taking 17,000 cars off the road have only grown more urgent. Finally, it will complete the Capital Crescent Trail extension between Bethesda and Silver Spring.”

Local officials noted the pain of the delay, but pointed to the criticality of completing the project to attain the benefits and end the disruption. This sentiment was echoed by Purple Line NOW Vice President Greg Sanders, “I think it’s safe to say Maryland wants more certainty and they are willing to pay a premium to get it.” Addressing the cost increases, Sanders continued, “The numbers are bigger than we’d like and it’s later than we’d like, but the key thing is getting to that opening day.”

Critically, as Maryland officials explained, key risks and sources of conflict are now behind the project. There were four causes of the delays that the builder raised in the $850 million dispute with Maryland: the costs added by the lawsuit inflicted delay, the pace of property acquisition, the freight company CSX demanding a separation wall for a portion of the right of way, and environmental permits.  MDOT MTA Purple Line Project Manager Matthew Pollack told reporters that the State has resolved the design of the wall, has the permits in hand, and full “legal control” of all the needed properties.

In a recap of the status of the project earlier this week, Mr. Sanders cited the massive task of relocating utilities as another regular source of problems for infrastructure projects. Maryland used the downtime while searching for a new builder to take over the 150 contracts and has made significant progress, according to the State’s year end compilation, utility relocations are now 66 percent complete and design is 95 percent complete. Finally, Sanders notes, “A frivolous lawsuit cost the state precious time and by directly causing nearly a year of delay, managed to seed conflict and cost Maryland leverage in the original agreement. Vitally, the last of the suits have been dismissed and the higher courts have been consistent in finding them without merit.”

Purple Line NOW Treasurer Tina Slater noted one piece of good news that emerged last fall at the Maryland Transportation Roadshow,  “As part of this new contract, Maryland is buying additional light rail trains. This was always planned, but with huge progress completed on the initial set of light rail cars, this was an opportunity to reduce headways at rush hour from the initial time of 7.5 minutes. This is one of the most important factors for the quality of transit and a practical demonstration that Maryland was looking for best value when bringing on a new builder. It will have been some 40 years from the initial idea of a trolley on the Georgetown Branch to the complete on the Purple Line, and it could have been completed much more cheaply without a series of unnecessary delays. However, what matters now is ending the disruption and gaining the benefits of the line, and that end is now in sight.”

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

• Matching Campaign is Drawing to a Close
• Purple Line in the News
• Features & Highlights
  • Bidding Farewell to Gregory Slater
• Construction News
  • The Top Ten Purple Line Stories of 2021!

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 are not quite ready to let the cat out of the bag just yet -- but you all REALLY stepped up to help us get closer to our goal of raising $5,000 through a matching campaign! We will have the final numbers and a full list of our generous donors for you in the next newsletter, but please know how grateful we are for your financial support. Thank you, thank you! While our matching campaign is ending, Purple Line NOW continues to operate because of your generosity. If you didn't have a chance to donate before the end of the year and would like to do so now, just click the purple button below.

We use every donation we receive to continue our newsletter, continue offering regular webinars, continue being a strong liaison to help connect you to people who can solve your issues, and continue our strong advocacy for the project in every way possible. If you would like to know more about who we are, why we are asking for donations, and what we do with your gift once it arrives on our doorstep, you can read all about it in our November newsletter.

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

DePuyt, Bruce. "Slater to depart MDOT in January." Maryland Matters, 30 Dec. 2021

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

As you may have read, Maryland’s Secretary of Transportation, Greg Slater is set to leave the position later this month. Governor Larry Hogan has named his successor, James F. Ports Jr., the executive director of the Maryland Transportation Authority.

We are grateful for Secretary Slater’s steady hand during a tumultuous time for the Purple Line project. His hard work and public dedication helped steer the team through the loss of the previous builder and ultimately naming the new builder just this past fall. Many of you may remember his willingness to show up when asked to answer tough questions, as he did for our forum last year. We wish him all of the best in his new position and thank him for all he has done for the Purple Line, our communities, and our state.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

A Look Back at 2021

As Purple Line NOW News heads into its fourth year of publication, we know our annual round-up of Top Ten Purple Line stories is one of our readers' favorites!

On the surface, as we awaited the announcement of a new builder, it may have seemed like a quiet year with regard to the project, but in reality, with crews working on nearly every inch of the future path, the Operations and Management Facility up and very nearly complete, and lots of work behind the scenes to inform the potential bidders so they could submit competing bids, the year was an active one for the line.

Although at times construction woes and traffic disruptions made for intermittent frustrations, as we closed out 2021, there was lots of good news to celebrate, too, not the least of which was the end to the lawsuits that have plagued the project for the last few years!

See if you agree with our selection of the Top Ten Purple Line stories for 2021 below. If you think we’ve forgotten one, send us a line or two at [email protected]. And, if you have any future predictions, send them along, as well!

Here are the biggest stories (with lots of links if you would like to read further!) we believe had an impact on the project:

10. Maryland Transit Administrator and Maryland’s Secretary of Transportation Leave Posts

On the state level, two key Purple Line staff left their positions. Kevin Quinn announced his resignation back in early summer and the late-breaking news of the impending departure of Greg Slater, Maryland’s Secretary of Transportation in just a few weeks. We appreciated Kevin’s hard work during a difficult time for the project and grateful to learn his replacement, Holly Arnold, was named permanent Administrator not long after his leaving. We haven’t yet had time to process Greg Slater’s departure, but he will certainly be missed here in our neck of the woods. His work on the project during a tumultuous time is commendable and as we wrote above, Purple Line NOW is deeply appreciative of his hard work.

9. Three Builders Shortlisted for Final Competition

In early spring, we learned three competitors were chosen to move on to the final stage to replace the builder who left in the previous year. Those bids came from: Halmar International, Maryland Transit Solutions, and Tutor-Perini. This was an important step, although there was still work left to do as extra time was granted to each of the firms to gather additional information and research before submitting their final brief to the state in early autumn.

8. Good News for Small Businesses

Although any one of these likely business-friendly items merits its own place on our Top Ten list, collectively, they spell good news for businesses along the corridor. First, the Maryland Purple Line project management office stood up a Business Engagement Team earlier last summer.

Next, we received news Senate Bill 199/House Bill 114, sponsored by Sens. McCray and Zucker (D-Baltimore City) and Del. Lierman (D-Baltimore City), would extend portions of the Maryland Metro/Transit Funding Act to increase operations and capital spending for MTA. Additionally, the bill would establish a $2 Million Purple Line Construction Zone Grant Program which would be administered through the Department of Commerce to assist small businesses. This amount comes on top of $231,000 appropriated by  the Montgomery County Council in the late November.

7. Capital Crescent Trail Plans

The Montgomery County Planning Board in mid-October gave a detailed briefing on the two-stage plan for the Capital Crescent Trail crossing and possible tunnel at Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. The Capital Crescent Trail breezeway is in the #4 slot on the Montgomery Planning Board's top 100 capital program list, one of four Purple Line related improvements. In previous years, cost estimates have risen for the tunnel, and a funding source has not yet been identified for it. However, with the passage of the federal infrastructure bill, there are additional opportunities for funding. Throughout the year, pedestrian and bicycle safety has been an important issue in both Montgomery and Prince George's county and will be all the more important as construction ramps up under the new builder.

6. Economic Development Around the Corridor

A number of development-oriented stories made us smile this year, including the groundbreaking at the Crescent at Chevy Chase Lake apartment building in October. The project is across the street from a Purple Line station and will include connections to the Capital Crescent Trail. As Maryland cited, this project is part of $2 billion in transit-oriented development along the Purple Line corridor.

The New Carrollton Economic Development Strategy is now complete and available online! This completed PAMC project highlights steps the city can take to support existing businesses and attract new ones. 

And, on the topic of ensuring that the Purple Line’s benefits are widespread, elected officials and advocates are joining forces to help small businesses make it through construction while safeguarding 17,000 units of affordable housing.

5. Board of Public Works Approves Funding for Purple Line Consultants & Prepays Bond

In early June, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved $183.5 million for consultants to continue managing many of the 150 contracts the state took over when the former builder left the project. The approval was not considered a cost increase because it was already in the budget for work that the former builder would have done (and been paid for.)

In September, the state announced it would also be prepaying a $313 million private activity bond to smooth the way for the selection process. Secretary Slater explained that “every activity we do under this new contract authority is an activity that won’t be included in the costs when the new builder is hired. This funding will move the process along and reduce risk."

4. Construction on Purple Line Continues

This may seem like a no-brainer, but after the former builder left the project in 2020, whether or not construction would continue while the state regrouped and decided what happened next was not a sure thing. The past year saw huge gains in relocating the majority of utilities (and that is a massive undertaking on a project of this size), the delivery of 29,000 rail ties, the Campus Drive pump house completed, and the lights turned on at the Glenridge Operations and Management Facility, among many other construction highlights. All of these were important accomplishments to attract a quality builder. Want to see more of what was accomplished construction-wise? View this cool wrap-up of the year from the state.

3. Additional Railcars Acquired

This little sliver of news was casually slipped into conversation during Maryland’s Transportation road show last fall, but our ears perked right up when we learned that the state had acquired additional railcars for the Purple Line. Why is this important?  Secretary Slater said that the additional railcars will “position us to offer a high level of service” and they will help reduce headways (time spent waiting on a train to come), as well. We call that a big win!

2. Purple Line NOW Forum

Not to toot our own horn too much (okay, maybe just a little), we were thrilled to offer to the public at no charge, a virtual forum which featured a thorough update from Gregory Slater, Maryland’s Secretary of Transportation. Along with Secretary Slater, the new CEO of the Purple Line Transit Partners, Doran Bosso joined us, as did Matt Pollack from MTA’s Purple Line Team. We were thrilled to have additional reports from representatives of both counties, Maricela Cordova Garcia (Montgomery County) and Vic Weissberg (Prince George’s County). Secretary Slater took a moment to speak to the importance of citizen advocacy, saying, “Working together to make such projects a success is critical, not just here in the national capital region, but in Maryland as a whole.”

1. New Builder Chosen!

Not much of a surprise here, but our top news story -- the news we all had been waiting for since late 2020 -- finally came through! Just before Thanksgiving, we received word that a new builder had been chosen! We extend a warm welcome to Maryland Transit Solutions (MTS) which is comprised of Dragados USA and OHL USA. This selection will be forwarded to the Maryland Board of Public Works for final approval any day now.

As we start the new year with lots more milestones to reach (what will next year’s top ten look like? Any guesses?!), we wish each of you best wishes for a safe, healthy, and happy new year. Thank you for all of your support!

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.

Just FOUR days left in our Matching Campaign!

As of this morning, Purple Line NOW is halfway to our goal, but time is running out for every donation that Purple Line NOW receives (from $25 up to $1,000 until the goal of $5,000 is reached) to be matched DOLLAR for DOLLAR! Thank you to so many of you who have already given, especially in this tough, tough year. 

If you have been thinking about making a donation, please remember that if we receive your gift before the end of the year, a generous benefactor will match it. Donating is really easy, just click the PURPLE button below which will take you to our donation page. Please let us know if you would like more information or run into any issues. 

We will use every donation to continue our newsletter, continue offering regular webinars, continue being a strong liaison to help connect you to people who can solve your issues, and continue our strong advocacy for the project in every way possible. If you would like to know more about who we are, why we are asking for donations, and what we do with your gift once it arrives on our doorstep, you can read all about it in our November newsletter. 

Thank you for your consideration. If you can contribute at this time, please know how much we appreciate your generosity, and if you cannot, please know that we will continue to bring you as much news and information as we can in the coming year. It promises to be an exciting one for the project!

Have a happy and healthy new year!

Christine Scott,
Executive Director
Purple Line NOW

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

• We're Over Halfway to Our Goal -- Only TWO Weeks Left!
• Purple Line in the News
• Features & Highlights
  • Lack of transportation can affect students finishing college
  • Prince George’s County Homeownership Preservation Program
• Construction News
  • Bethesda Metro Cost Increase
  • $2 Million for Purple Line included in Transit Safety & Investment Act Bill

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're Over Halfway There -- Just TWO Weeks Left to Have Your Donation Matched Dollar for Dollar!

We are working hard via a matching campaign to fund our work as we head into the new year. We are at a critical juncture and what we are able to do in the coming year depends on the funds we raise now.

Below, you can see a list of our AMAZING DONORS - loyal folks who have stepped up to help keep the engines rolling. If you do not see your name on the list, we hope you will consider a donation to help us meet the December 31 deadline to participate in the matching campaign.

From today until the end of the year, thanks to a very generous donor, every donation Purple Line NOW receives (from $25 up to $1,000 until the goal of $5,000 is reached) will be matched DOLLAR for DOLLAR! With just two weeks to go, we are tickled to be halfway to our goal, but that does means we still have a long way to go to take full advantage of our benefactor's offer.

So, how do you get in on this matching campaign? It is super simple! Just click the PURPLE button below which will take you to our donation page. Holler if you would like more information or run into any issues.

We are truly grateful that you continue to make our mission a priority for your giving dollars. Thank you to the terrific folks below and to all who are working in other capacities to make this project a reality. Please accept a heartfelt virtual hug from us -- we say it all the time, we simply could not do this without your support.

Featured Donors

Chevy Chase Land Company
The Malloy and Sanders Family

Supporting Donors

Elizabeth Barbehenn
Jonathan Elkind
Neil Greene
John Robinson
Ben Ross
Tina, Don, and Jessie Slater

Engineers

Anne Ambler and John Fay
Brian and Bee Ditzler
Chris Gillis
Mary Lanigan
Nancy and Rob Soreng

Conductors

Benjamin Englert
Todd Johnson
Jodie Kulpa-Eddy
Christine Scott and JohnR Llewellyn
Cindy Snow
Eric Talbot
Ralph Watkins
College Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn

Commuters
Bruce Adams, Charles Bell, Ralph Bennett, Glen Bottoms, Marney Bruce, Cathy Carr, John Carroll, Margaret Chasson, Jeff Cronin, Michael DeLong, David Eagles, Gary Fahle, Jose Galdamez, Peter Gray, Margaret and Tom Greene, Ginanne Italiano, Patricia Jackman, Kevin Kirby, Gerrit Knaap,  Landmark Realty, Daniel Marcin, Mark Mesiti-Miller, Anita Morrison, David Murnan, Nathalie Peter, Tom Quinn, Gareth Rosenau, John Slettebak, William Strang, Carol Whitley

Passengers
Tsedal Bahta, Philip Bogdonoff, Casey Brennan,  Steve Brigham, Kris Colby, Robert, Devine, Elaine Emling, Joseph Fainberg, Nick Finio, Hugo Guzman, Judith Morenoff, Rodolfo Perez, Tom Pogue, Mark Posner, Annie Tulkin, Jerry Withers

We will use every donation to continue our newsletter, continue offering regular webinars, continue being a strong liaison to help connect you to people who can solve your issues, and continue our strong advocacy for the project in every way possible. If you would like to know more about who we are, why we are asking for donations, and what we do with your gift once it arrives on our doorstep, you can read all about it in our November newsletter.

Thank you for your consideration. We know it has been a tough year for a lot of people. If you can contribute at this time, please know how much we appreciate your generosity, and if you cannot, know that we will continue to bring you as much news and information as we can.

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

Shaver, Katie. “Cost of Bethesda Metro Increases.” Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2021

Gaskill, Hannah. “Legislature Prepares Overrides During Special Session.” Maryland Matters, 5 Dec. 2021

West, Charlotte. “Lack of Transportation Affects Students.” Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2021

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

Lack of transportation can affect students finishing college

In January 2019, Purple Line NOW hosted a forum in College Park to bring the community up-to-date on all the development happening as it pertains to the coming Purple Line in College Park.

During that forum (which you can catch here), one of our speakers, Brad Frome, an advisor to the Prince George’s County Executive, spoke eloquently about his belief that “accessibility to affordable transportation is a human right.” He said our communities and government owe its residents affordable transit to jobs and education and he believes that the Purple Line project reflects where the state of transportation is going in the future.

That sentiment includes college students, too, as this article recently pointed out. (West, Charlotte. “Lack of Transportation Affects Students.” Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2021.)

The Purple Line will go a long way in helping students overcome this barrier with five of the 21 stations located directly on or around the UMD campus. Students, faculty and staff of the university will be able to ride the Purple Line for free among those five stations, as well.

Prince George’s County Homeownership Preservation Program

Prince George’s County Homeownership Preservation Program (PG HOPP) is a construction-based resource aimed at identifying and addressing critical health, safety, and accessibility related needs of the homes of income-qualifying homeowners in eligible areas of Prince George’s County. This program is sponsored by the Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development and is being funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. If you are a homeowner in Prince George's County, check out their website to see if you might qualify.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Bethesda Metro Cost Increase

According to the Washington Post, “the estimated cost of building a connection for passengers to transfer between Metro’s Red Line Bethesda station and the future Purple Line stop nearby has grown by $22.6 million.” (Shaver, Katie. “Cost of Bethesda Metro Increases.” Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2021.)  It appears Montgomery County may be able to fund about $5 million of that increase, but will be asking for state and federal funding to cover the remainder.

We asked Maricela Cordova, Purple Line Implementation Manager for Montgomery County, to help clarify the increase:

“It is common with large, complex programs to have elements of their budget that evolve, change and are finalized over time. Planners don’t always have all the information early in the process and it is typical to look for additional funding opportunities over time. When the original budget estimate was given to the County by the State and WMATA, it was based on a planning level estimate and with the limited information that was available to the State more than 6 years ago.  At the time, the fiscal environment did not allow for any contingencies in the budget – that is why this is being brought up now. The County is anticipating needing this additional funding, however this amount is not final. We won’t know the exact project cost until WMATA designs and puts it out to bid. We are being proactive by making a funding request now so it is in place when needed. The new mezzanine will be designed and built above the Red Line inside the existing Metrorail Bethesda station by WMATA, as a separate element from the Purple Line.”

The Purple Line station is in the heart of downtown Bethesda and the second entrance to the Bethesda Metro's high-speed elevators has multiple benefits. Metro riders will be able to both transfer to the Purple Line station or directly access the shops and restaurants of Bethesda Row as well as the Capital Crescent Trail.

$2 Million for Purple Line included in Transit Safety & Investment Act Bill

On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, the Maryland General Assembly voted to override Governor Larry Hogan’s veto of legislation to provide a minimum capital funding level for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) each year for five years and protect MTA’s operating funds from reductions during the same time period. Governor Hogan had cited a desire to retain flexibility in the budget in making the veto.

Senate Bill 199/House Bill 114, sponsored by Sens. McCray and Zucker (D-Baltimore City) and Del. Lierman (D-Baltimore City), would extend portions of the Maryland Metro/Transit Funding Act to increase operations and capital spending for MTA. Additionally, the bill would establish a $2 Million Purple Line Construction Zone Grant Program which would be administered through the Department of Commerce to assist small businesses. (Gaskill, Hannah. “Legislature Prepares Overrides During Special Session.” Maryland Matters, 5 Dec. 2021.)

Happy Holidays to the Hardworking Purple Line Crews!

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.