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

• What's Happening at PLN?
  • Our 100th Issue is Coming Soon - Let's Celebrate!
  • Please Consider Becoming a Donor to PLN
• Purple Line in the News
• Features & Highlights
  • Update on SB 880 SAFE Roads Act
• Construction News
  • Update on the Capital Crescent Trail Tunnel
  • MDOT MTA Briefing to Prince George's County Council

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?

Our 100th Issue is Coming Soon - Let's Celebrate!

It is hard to believe, but we will be publishing our 100th issue of Purple Line NOW News in early summer! We are planning a commemorative issue and want to take a stroll (ride?!) back to the beginning of the project, specifically the early days of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. If you were around these parts and have photos, an anecdote or two, or even a memory of the work that went into imagining an east-west light rail train, finding support from elected officials, applying for federal funding, or any other hurdle (or achievement), PLEASE send them our way! We will include as many as we can in the issue. Send to Christine Scott, Executive Director at [email protected]. Thank you! 

Help Us Continue Our Work - Become a Donor!

**If you do not see your name on our donors' list, we hope you will consider helping us continue our work!**

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.

Thank you so much for your consideration! Unless you tell us otherwise, your name will be listed on our website and in publications for a year following your donation.

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

Shaver, K, “Trail tunnel faces another construction funding battle.” Washington Post, 10 February, 2022.

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

Update on SB 880 SAFE Roads Act

Quick update on the SAFE Roads Act we reported on in our last newsletter. The SB 880 is currently being negotiated in committee -- we appreciate everyone who sent in letters of support for the bill. If you haven't had the opportunity to voice your support, please take a moment to contact your state representative.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Capital Crescent Trail Tunnel Update

We have a brief update on the Capital Crescent Trail Tunnel. Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is currently in the process of applying to the RAISE competitive funding program for the completion of the Capital Crescent trail tunnel. If the county is successful in its bid for funding, that news will come later this year.

The funding would go a long way to ensure the construction of the tunnel, but we do not know whether the tunnel will open in conjunction with the Purple Line or remain as it currently stands (to be opened several years following the opening of the Purple Line.)

Purple Line NOW is actively advocating for a safe, fast, and high-quality trail connection through Bethesda to be open in concurrence with the Purple Line and will keep you posted on any developments.

Highlights from the Briefing to the Prince George's County Council

Matthew Pollack, Executive Director, Transit Development & Delivery MDOT Maryland and Transit Administration and Anita Rodgers, Deputy Project Director/Contracting Officer Transit Development and Delivery provided an overview and update on March 3, 2022 to the Prince George's County Council.

The Purple Line project encompasses a 16.2 mile light rail that will operate between New Carrollton in Prince Georges County and Bethesda in Montgomery County. It will run along a surface that includes 21 stations and connects with WMATA at different locations including MARC, Amtrak, and regional and local bus services.

Mr. Pollack reiterated that the Purple Line will “transform the region by creating convenient dependable east/west access to jobs, recreation, education centers, shopping, and attractions by relieving automobile congestion in one of the most congested areas of the nation which in turn will provide significant environment benefits and will spur economic growth along the alignment.”

Pollack added that the State accomplished “a great deal during the current interim construction period, including advancing the remaining design components to approximately 95%, relocated miles of underground and overhead utilities, advanced the production of cars at the facility in Elmira NY, and obtained final approval for all the Maryland Department of the Environment permits.”

Ongoing Construction Work Along the Corridor

As we reported last month, the modified P3 agreement was approved unanimously by the Board of Public Works on January 26 to proceed. Maryland Transit Solutions (MTS) was chosen as the new design build contractor replacing the former contractor who left the project two years ago. MTS is comprised of two companies, Dragados and OHL and we thought you would like to know a little bit about each company's respective portfolio.

Dragados is one of the largest P3 contractors in the world according to the report from Mr. Pollack. Their work includes the LAX People Mover which happens to be the largest contract in the city of Los Angeles. They have also built the I-5/I-95 corridor P3, Florida’s first P3 and the largest ever executed in the state.

OHL is also one of world’s largest construction companies and their portfolio includes the massive Long Island Railroad Third Track Expansion project in densely populated New York City. Pollack said the company's project experience is especially relevant for the Purple Line. In fact, several key staff are transitioning from the LIRR project, including construction manager, quality manager, and systems integration manager. Pollack also noted that the previous contractor is no longer involved in any portion of the organization per the settlement agreement.

Organizational structure 

Regarding costs, the new design build contract is $3.4 billion and that includes design work completed by the prior design builder and the fixed price for the new design build contractor (MTS) to take the project to revenue service (opening day).

It was emphasized that the total P3 cost is not just the cost to design and build the project, but also includes the total amount of payments to be made over the 40-year life of the agreement and that encompasses “all of PLTP costs to design, construct, and commission this highly complex project including related financing costs.”

This also includes work completed by contractors assigned to MDOT MTA over the past year (called the “interim construction period”), settlement payments previously approved and already paid to the design build contractor, and payment of private activity bonds issued to fund construction under the prior design build contract and includes capital renewal costs for the 30-year maintenance period.

Costs are higher than they were six years ago when the P3 was first approved for reasons we have reported on in previous newsletters, namely the specific project challenges as a result of the lawsuits and federal court action which delayed the project, but also a number of factors not unique to the Purple Line. Those include increased material cost and delays, labor shortages and the loss of labor, mandated wage increases that became law in the last year, and a significant upheaval in the insurance market, as well as inflation.

Where is the financing coming from?

$1.7 billion TIFIA (no funds drawn, just replacing with new, larger loan)

$0.7 billion private activity bonds (the State paid off private activity bonds to create separation and avoid mixing debt accrued under prior construction work. Concessionaire will issue additional private activity bonds to help fund construction. While rates continue to rise, Pollack said that they are still a bit lower than they were in 2016.

$0.3 billion in private equity that the concessionaire (PLTP) will be bringing into deal.

The State will make availability payments over the 30 year operations and maintenance period for the contract to provide for the repayment of these amounts. MDOT is working with the State's Treasurer’s Office to confirm those payments will not count as State tax-supported debt.

Revised Project Schedule:

Coming Weeks: Financial and Commercial Close. (MTA will be continuing its own interim construction activities during initial ramping up period.)

Spring 2002: Full Scale Construction will commence by MTS.

Fall 2023: Light rail vehicles will arrive at GOMF in PG County.

Summer 2024: Test track will be complete for local testing and operator training.

Winter 2025: Construction will be complete, system-wide testing will commence, and commissioning activities will be ongoing. 

Fall 2026: Revenue service will begin – full line and 21 stations will be operational at one time (not planning for a phased approach.)

Below is the highlight of two questions the Council asked of the MDOT MTA representatives -- they are questions we get asked a lot, too!

• What plans are in place to make sure we don’t run into the same issues that derailed the project before?

Mr. Pollack said a number of things have been done to help move the teams move forward and adapt lessons learned from the previous experience. Some of those initiatives are that a more robust dispute resolution process has been put in place which not only covers use of a dispute resolution board, but also “beefs up our partnering efforts to try and avoid those disagreements from becoming disputes in first place.”

Pollack continued, “We’ve also changed the contract language that removes the clause that allowed the prior contract to unilaterally walk away from the project without going through the full dispute process -- and that’s probably the bigger thing we did on legal side of the arrangement.”

• Why was the decision made that the entire line was going to open at once, rather than the phased opening previously promised? The Councilmember emphasized that the phased opening for Prince George's county was important because significant sections of the Prince George's alignment are going to be ready in advance of other sections and waiting until the entire project can open will have clear economic impacts for the portion of the alignment that was to go first.

Pollack said that some of the decision-making around the entire line opening has to do with the nature of the design build contract and "their ability to prescribe the means and methods of the design builder." The contract wasn’t originally set up to tell the contractor where to do construction and what order to do their construction, he added. To make that change with the new design build contractor would have involved negotiating a revised construction schedule and at this point “we have not been trying to take that schedule risk onto the State. Doing the opening all at once is set up to ensure the contractor owns their construction end to end."

You can listen to the entire briefing here.

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?
• Purple Line in the News
• Features & Highlights
  
  • Ever Wonder What Engineers Do on the Purple Line?
• Construction News
  • Access to Transit Increases Equitability Along the Purple Line
  • Photos from Around the Corridor

Share This Newsletter

Please feel free to share this newsletter - no permission from us is 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 working hard to bring you the latest in news from both the project and from Maryland's General Assembly as it pertains to the Purple Line, as well as planning the next forum, so stay tuned!

**If you do not see your name on our donors' list, we hope you will consider helping us continue our work!**

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.

Thank you so much for your consideration! Unless you tell us otherwise, your name will be listed on our website and in publications for a year following your donation.

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

McGowan, J., Pepe, L., Castro, J. Cerdes, “How Montgomery County, Maryland can increase equitable access to transit by improving walkability.” Brookings, 16 February, 2022.

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

Ever Wonder What Engineers Do on the Purple Line?

To celebrate National Engineers Week, MDOT MTA put together a video featuring Kevin Oberhein, PE, Purple Line Construction Manager, who gives us a peek into all the different kinds of engineers working on this complex project.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Access to Transit Increases Equitability Along the Purple Line

While the item below doesn't deal directly with construction happening along the line, it is a Purple-Line adjacent topic that we think is very important to making sure the Purple Line is available to all citizens in our community.

The article below provides a very good overview about the importance of making it easier for riders to get to and from transit: 

“Lower-income, majority-minority neighborhoods often lack the basic infrastructure for walking (such as sidewalks and crosswalks) and are more likely to have had their neighborhoods cut off by highways—resulting in disproportionate numbers of pedestrian crashes, injuries, and fatalities in these areas compared to other communities. Given that residents from these same neighborhoods are also most likely to rely on public transportation to get to work, it’s clear that deep spatial inequities exist in both transit access and safety.” McGowan, J., Pepe, L., Castro, J. Cerdes, “How Montgomery County, Maryland can increase equitable access to transit by improving walkability.” Brookings, 16 February, 2022.

The article makes two cogent points. First, it makes it clear that the status quo is not acceptable, with a 46% increase in pedestrian and bicyclist deaths since 2012. And, two, that equitable access to transit is a civil rights issue. As the article stated, disadvantaged communities, where many residents do not own vehicles and thus must walk and ride bicycles to get to the stations, are more than twice as likely to be injured or killed than more affluent neighborhoods.

This is an important issue we’ve been covering for a while and even included the topic in one of our forums in Prince Georges county. If you missed the forum, you can watch it here: A College Park Update.

The Maryland State Senate Bill #800 Safe Access for All (SAFE) Roads Act of 2022 will provide resources to make sure the Purple Line meets -- and hopefully exceeds -- ridership predictions by ensuring equal access to its stations along the corridor.

If you think this is important, too, we encourage you to send a short note to your State Senator or Delegate (you can find contact information for your legislator here.) The committee is taking testimony early next week (March 9), so contacting elected officials sooner than later is helpful. We will submit the following testimony on behalf of Purple Line NOW:

Testimony to the Senate Finance Committee

Re: SB 880 Safe Access for All (SAFE) Roads Act of 2022
By: Ralph Bennett, President, Purple Line NOW
Position: Favorable

Date: March 9, 2022

Purple Line NOW was officially formed in 2002 with the mission of ensuring the completion of the light rail Purple Line from Bethesda to New Carrollton, integrated with a hiker/biker trail between Bethesda & Silver Spring. Maryland has made a huge investment in the Purple Line and we remain steadfast in our support for the project to its fullest extent for all our citizens.

We support convenient, safe, and handicapped accessible routes for riders to use to access the Purple Line stations. Enacting the SAFE Roads Act will provide resources to make sure the Purple Line meets and potentially exceeds ridership predictions.

The SAFE Roads Act Program increases will fund a small fraction of the anticipated increases to State Highway Administration capital budget and not require redirection from current projects. With the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the funding for MDOT SHA, MDOT MTA, and MDOT MAA will increase about 20 percent (an additional $3.5 billion).  

For the safety of Maryland residents, and to maximize the investment that Maryland has already made in the Purple Line, we urge a favorable report on SB 880.

Photos from Around the Corridor

The following photos are courtesy of MDOT MTA. Thank you to the hard working 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.

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

• Purple Line in the News
• Features & Highlights
  • Community Advisory Teams
  • Could the Trail Open Early?
• Construction News
  • Wisconsin Tunnel Funding in Question
  • T&E Subcommittee Briefing on the Purple Line
  • Photos from Around the Corridor

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 so appreciative of your financial support over the past months (and years/decades!). Your donations help us: 

--continue our work advocating for the project!
--maintain our role as an answer-getter for all of your questions!
--bring important project information to our community and beyond!

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.

Although the matching campaign has ended, we are grateful for every donation we receive, so 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 above. Unless you tell us otherwise, your name will be listed on our website and in publications for a year following your donation.

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

DePuyt, B. "New Purple Line Contract Aims to Keep Construction Firms on the Job." Maryland Matters, 12 February 2022.

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

2022 Community Advisory Teams

We do not have the dates for the 2022 Community Advisory Teams (CATs) yet, but understand they will be happening later this spring. As soon as we know, we'll publish those dates in this newsletter.

Could the Trail Open Early?

According to Katherine Shaver of the Washington Post via a Twitter post on February 11 indicated that a "top Maryland transit official told lawmakers today the Capital Crescent Trail could reopen between Bethesda and Silver Spring before the Purple Line opens in fall 2026" and said the state would “'very much like' to reopen trail while PL trains are tested, after construction is done." We hope this comes to pass and will certainly keep our eye open for any official news regarding an early reopening of the trail.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Wisconsin Tunnel Funding in Question

Once again, funding for the tunnel that was slated to go underneath Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda protecting bicyclists and pedestrians from the traffic above, is not a given in the current budget proposal by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. Purple Line NOW has actively advocated directly to the council on the importance of a safe, fast, and high-quality trail connection through Bethesda, as originally promised, when full service begins in the fall of 2026. Applying for funding for the tunnel is a start, but this connection deserves to be treated as a priority and to have its place in the budget.

You can read more here: Trail tunnel planned for downtown Bethesda faces another construction funding battle

T&E Subcommittee Briefing on the Purple Line

The Transportation and Environment Subcommittee, chaired by Delegate Marc Korman, held a briefing on the project on February 11. Holly Arnold, Administrator, Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), Matt Pollack, Executive Director of Transit Development and Delivery, Jaclyn Hartman, Chief Financial Officer, MDOT provided an update on the progress since the builder was named late last fall.

You can watch the full briefing here: T&E Subcommittee Purple Line Briefing

According to materials provided by the state at the briefing, the updated design-build contract will cost $3.4 billion, including all prior and future work. The P3 Agreement total cost includes:

1) PLTP’s cost to design and construct the highly complex light rail system, including all related financing costs for:

• All construction completed to date by the previous design-builder
• The replacement design-builder’s fixed price to complete the project
• Work completed by MDOT MTA during the resolicitation period

2) Costs related to the Settlement Agreement:

• Settlement payments made to the previous design-builder
• Repayment of the private activity bonds for construction work previously completed

3) Capital renewal costs for the 30-year operating period

4) Operations, maintenance, and insurance costs over the 30-year operating period:

• Deductions to O&M payments will be made if performance specifications are not met

As we explained in our previous newsletter, the cost of the P3 Agreement has increased for several reasons, including:

• Delay impact of federal court action that was later overturned.
• Impacts of global COVID-19 pandemic, including rising materials costs rising and supply chain issues across the construction industry, along with labor shortages/workforce challenges.
• Mandatory wage increases for living wage laws in Maryland and Montgomery County.
• Changes in the insurance market, making insurance harder and more costly to obtain.
• Inflation experienced over the last five year.
• Bringing on a new design-build contractor to the Project mid-construction.

For the details in actual dollars, the state provided this chart:

We also were able to view an updated calendar for milestones leading to opening day in late fall, 2026.

Spring 2022: Full-scale construction will commence by MTS
Fall 2023: Light rail vehicles will arrive at Glenridge Operations & Maintenance Facility in Prince George’s County
Summer 2024: Test track will be complete for local testing and operator training
Winter 2025: Construction will be complete, commence system-wide testing and commissioning activities will be ongoing
Fall 2026: Revenue service will begin – full line and all 21 stations operational at one time

Photos from Around the Corridor

The following photos are courtesy of MDOT MTA. Thank you to the hard working 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.

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

• Thank you!
• Purple Line in the News
• Features & Highlights
  • MDOT Urban Tree Program Grant
  • Maryland General Assembly
  • Community Advisory Teams
• Construction News
  • Board of Public Works Approves New Builder Contract
  • Photos from Around the Corridor

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?

Thank You!

Again, we are so appreciative of your financial support over the past months (and years/decades!). Your donations help us: 

--continue our work advocating for the project!
--maintain our role as an answer-getter for all of your questions!
--bring important project information to our community and beyond!

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.

Although the matching campaign has ended, we are grateful for every donation we receive, so 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 above. Unless you tell us otherwise, your name will be listed on our website and in publications for a year following your donation.

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

Shaver, K. “Maryland board approves $3.4 billion contract.” Washington Post, 26 January 2022.

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

MDOT Urban Tree Program Grant

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee (MUCFC) has opened the application period for the Urban Tree Grant Program. Please see the link for more information about this program. Some guidelines:

• Communities are eligible that have been impacted by any state transportation project, not just the Purple Line.
• Individuals cannot apply for the program exclusively, the application must be sponsored by the county’s Forestry Board. Contact the local Forestry Board office for assistance here: http://www.marylandforestryboards.org/chairs.cfm
• Applications must meet the requirements provided in the attachments and be submitted by February 15, 2022.
• Purple Line is not associated with the applications nor the selection process for the trees. The exact location of the tree plantings on properties might be limited by Purple Line construction/future placement of infrastructure.

Maryland General Assembly

Just a note that Maryland General Assembly has opened for the season. Purple Line NOW is tracking Purple Line relevant bills such as the SAFE Roads Act and the like. We'll send out related information and action alerts as they arise.

2022 Community Advisory Teams

We do not have the dates for the 2022 Community Advisory Teams (CATs) yet, but understand they will be happening sometime later this year after the new builder is on board. As soon as we know, we'll publish those dates in this newsletter.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Board of Public Works Approves New Builder Contract

One week ago, Maryland’s Board of Public Works -- comprised of Governor Larry Hogan, Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, and Comptroller Peter Franchot – approved the $3.4 billion contract for the Purple Line’s new builder, Maryland Transit Solutions (MTS). The company, which is comprised of the U.S. subsidiaries Dragados USA, Inc. (Dragados) and OHLA Group, Inc. (OHLA), had the strongest technical proposal and the lowest price of the two finalists competing for the contract.

The additional $1.46 billion in increased costs are the result of higher insurance rates, significant labor shortages, and a challenged supply chain.

According to the Washington Post, the board also approved “$15 million for a state consultant to oversee the construction’s technical details and another $15.4 million for five contracts to complete work the state began managing after the previous contractor left. That includes moving utility lines and building storm water drainage systems. That work will be done outside the new construction contract and was not included in the $3.4 billion, state officials said.” (Shaver, K. “Maryland board approves $3.4 billion contract.” Washington Post, 26 January 2022.)

A new schedule was also presented, with full scale construction resuming this spring. MDOT MTA will continue helping with aspects of construction during the ramp-up. The Light Rail Vehicles are set to arrive in fall of 2023. Vehicle testing will begin in the summer of 2024 and progress to system-wide testing by the end of 2025. Finally, revenue service (passenger service) will begin in the fall of 2026. Note that with this new contract, service along the entire route will open simultaneously, rather than the phased-in approach previously planned.

The good news is that the increase in construction costs will not affect the cost of a ride on the Purple Line, which will be priced on par with other local transit systems. In addition, the choice to purchase two additional light rail vehicles as part of the contract is a promising sign that Maryland was keeping the quality of the service in mind as part of negotiations.

We are happy to see the past two years of uncertainty behind us and looking forward to seeing full construction beginning robustly in just a few short months!

Photos from Around the Corridor

The following photos are courtesy of MDOT MTA. Thank you to the hard working 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.