We hope everyone has recovered from the historic blizzard our area has just endured - it was great to see transit back up and running so quickly following the record snowfall.

As we begin this eventful new year, it's important to look back to see how the previous year treated us, and so we have created a Top Ten List of Purple Line Stories for 2015, David Letterman style!

#10 -  Purple Line Wins Award for Environmental Excellence
The Purple Line is receiving accolades even before a shovel hits the dirt! The project was recognized by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in 2015 for the quality of its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In selecting the Purple Line EIS as winner of the award, the FTA stated: “The Purple Line EIS exemplifies best practices for a well-managed environmental documentation process. The review committee was particularly impressed with the presentation of information, including the use of reader-friendly language, graphics and tables, while successfully resolving complicated environmental issues.”

#9 - Fight over Fences in Purple Line Right-of-way Continues
The court fight over fences that have been built in right-of-way owned by Montgomery County and preserved for the Purple Line continued to play out over the course of 2015. Since the county purchased the former B&O railroad right-of-way in 1988, a number of residents who live along the right-of-way have built or maintained structures such as fences and sheds that encroach into county-owned land.  The county has allowed these structures to remain on county property while it was still unclear if the Purple Line would ever be built, but as the project finally nears the construction phase, the county has sent letters to residents informing them to remove the structures by April of 2016. And on January 22, 2016, the state’s highest court, the Maryland Court of Appeals, ruled that residents who were occupying the county’s right-of-way cannot claim ownership of the land, which hopefully marks the end of this saga.

#8 - Purple Line’s Projected Economic Impact Grows
A major economic impact study released in mid-2015 indicated that the Purple Line will have an even greater economic impact on the region than was originally thought in 2010. The study estimated that the Purple Line will create more than 4,000 temporary jobs during the 5-year construction period, 23,000 permanent jobs in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties after its completion, and have a six-fold economic return on the investment from the local, state, and federal governments.

#7 - Town of Chevy Chase Drops Opposition to Purple Line
In September, the Town of Chevy Chase reversed its long-standing opposition to the Purple Line project by a unanimous vote of the town council, and agreed to redirect its efforts towards a mitigation strategy that focuses on reducing potential impacts of the project on the town and its residents.

#6 - Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties Increase Financial Commitment to Purple Line
The excitement generated by the announcement that the state would be moving forward with the Purple Line was tempered when it was learned that the approval was contingent upon Montgomery and Prince George’s counties picking up a greater portion of the tab for the project in order to reduce the state’s financial exposure. Thankfully, both Montgomery and Prince George’s county stepped up to the plate by contributing between $20 to $40 million in additional funding on top of their prior commitment of $100 million dollars.

#5 - Renewed Hope for Improved Bethesda Station and Capital Crescent Trail
One of the most unexpected and positive developments of the year concerns the Bethesda station stop and the popular Capital Crescent Trail that runs through it. In November, a developer agreed in principle to purchase the Apex office building in Bethesda which sits above the planned Bethesda station and the Capital Crescent Trail, thereby potentially reopening the door to redevelopment of the property and a separate tunnel for the trail and its users. Without the redevelopment of the Apex Building, it is likely that trail users would have to cross Wisconsin Avenue at-grade at its intersection with Bethesda Avenue. The sale of the building has not been finalized, but it presents some hope that the original vision for the trail will be realized.
 
#4 - Bids Submitted for Purple Line Construction, but Secretary Rahn isn’t Promising a Winner
The four consortiums of private companies vying to build, operate and maintain the Purple Line submitted bids detailing how they would build the line in late November of 2015. This is an important milestone because all four teams stayed in to the end and the range of choices helps Maryland get a good value in picking a private partner. However, Sec. Rahn raised the possibility that there would be no winner, saying “We are hoping that is not the case. We won't know that until a very thorough evaluation of these proposals.” The Secretary is trying to encourage low cost bids, but delay imposes costs too as interest rates and construction costs go up. MTA is expected to announce a winning vendor in February, and if they don't, we’ll keep up the pressure to build the Purple Line, Now!

#3 - Congress Passes Landmark Transportation Bill
At the end of 2015, Congress passed a 5-year, $305 billion transportation funding bill that significantly increases the chances of the Purple Line receiving federal funding. The bill marks the first time in more than a decade that Congress has a enacted a long-term, multi-year transportation bill, meaning state and local governments can plan major projects, like the Purple Line, with the assurance that the federal dollars will be there when the time comes.

#2 - Cost Savings Measures Detailed by Hogan Administration
When the Governor gave the green light to the Purple Line in June, he also set forth several dozen cost saving measures for the project.  The largest cost savings will be achieved by reducing the frequency of peak period trains from 6-minutes to 7.5 minutes, which will in turn enable the state to purchase fewer rail cars. Other measures include a reduction in the budget for public art and simplified finishes to retaining walls and station canopies. A complete list of cost savings measures can be found here: Hogan's Proposed Purple Line Changes

#1 - Governor Hogan Gives Green Light to Purple Line
The biggest news story of the year, by far, occurred on June 25 when after months of speculation, Governor Hogan signaled his intent to move forward with the Purple Line project. Since November 2014, there were questions as to whether Governor Hogan pick up where the previous administration left off and see the project through completion, or if he would scrap the project altogether. Those questions were put to rest when the Governor announced, wearing a purple tie no less, that the state would be proceeding with a more cost effective and streamlined version of the project.

We have heard buzz that groundbreaking for the Purple Line could start as early as this summer - stay tuned! We hope you have enjoyed this incredible list - what a productive year it was and looking forward to an even better 2016!

We will reschedule as soon as possible. Please repost this and let your groups know that the event has been postponed due to weather.

With grateful hearts, we want to formally announce a generous and unique donation from a long-time supporter, a gift that also provides an exciting way for you to sponsor Purple Line NOW's efforts! As you heard earlier this month, PLN is hosting an innovative series of individual forums over the next 12 months called Envisioning the Purple Line. With your financial support, we will be able to continue our mission of making sure awareness and accountability for the project are a top priority for all involved.

To encourage your sponsorship of the series, a devoted donor of ours has generously agreed to match EVERY dollar raised from individual sponsors until the end of February or until the total amount of giving reaches $5,000 - whichever comes first!

We hope you will take advantage of this exciting way to have your generosity matched, dollar for dollar! As you know, we live on a bare-bones budget and our once-every-other year special event provides the funds to continue our work. Please consider a donation today by going to the Sponsorship Page. All donations will be acknowledged on our website and in our materials. We are grateful for every penny we raise - no gift is too small! Thank you for your consideration.
 
Important: If you haven't reserved your seat for the 1st forum in the Series on January 25 called Purple Line and a New College Park, please do so today. Every event in the Series is free and open to the public, but you must reserve your seat in advance. 
 
Thank you for all you do for Purple Line NOW, for the project, and for our communities!

Add your name to our growing list of sponsors!