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

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

Share This Newsletter

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

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PLN?

We Have Big News!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Purple Line in the News

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

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

Councilmember Eric Olson

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

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

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Construction Updates

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

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

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

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

Photo Courtesy: Greg Sanders

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

STAY CONNECTED

Get Connected

Make sure you are signed up for timely alerts from Purple Line NOW via our Twitter and Facebook pages, and at our website Purple Line NOW.

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

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

Share This Newsletter

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

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PLN?

Next Purple Line NOW Forum

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

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

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

Thank You for Your Continuing Support!

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

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Construction Highlights - Montgomery County

Montgomery County Detour and Closure Map

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

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Purple Line Marks Major Milestone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some of the hardworking crews that are making it happen!

Photo Courtesy: Donna Nelson

Photo Courtesy: Greg Sanders

PLN President Ralph Bennett

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

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

WJLA

NBC Washington

WTOP

MoCo360

Fox 5 DC

STAY CONNECTED

Get Connected

Make sure you are signed up for timely alerts from Purple Line NOW via our Twitter and Facebook pages, and at our website Purple Line NOW.

• What's Happening at PLN?
  
  • Next Purple Line Forum
  • Thank You for Continuing to Support PLN
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Baltimore Red Line to Feature Light Rail Trains
  • Montgomery County Detour and Closure Map
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  • Takoma Station Reopens
  • Modifications to Shuttle Buses During Red Line Closures

Share This Newsletter

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

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PLN?

Next Purple Line NOW Forum

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

We will announce dates and a link to reserve your seat soon. As always, our events are free and open to the public and media, but all seats must be reserved in advance, so keep an eagle eye out for the big announcement!

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

Thank You for Your Continuing Support!

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

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Baltimore Red Line to Feature Light Rail Trains

While not technically news along the Purple Line corridor, we were very happy to see Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s announcement last week that Baltimore’s Red Line will “feature light rail trains, not buses.”

The Governor said that light rail emerged as the “best choice” during outreach sessions conducted over the past several months, and officials were quick to add that the decision was also data driven. “Roughly three-quarters of those surveyed by the MTA through public outreach last year expressed a strong preference for rail over buses," the agency said. You can read more about where the proposed line will be and other information about the proposed project here.

Montgomery County Detour and Closure Map

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

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Takoma Station Reopens

We were delighted to see the Takoma Red Line Station reopen last Friday, two days ahead of schedule. The Silver Spring, Forest Glen, Wheaton, and Glenmont stations will remain closed for the next two months as Metro conducts a variety of upgrades, including allowing for the Purple Line connection and mezzanine access to the Metrorail station from the top level of the Silver Spring Transit Center. The completion of the Takoma Station is an important step along the way for this important, but highly disruptive, project.

Modifications to Shuttle Buses During Red Line Closures

Many of us have been enduring the detours and alternative transit/transportation offerings while the stations mentioned above remain closed. We are encouraged to see that Metro has continued to evolve its shuttle bus approach. Starting Monday, Metro is changing its shuttle bus service for riders affected by the shutdown of the four Red Line stations, aiming to improve travel times and decrease bus congestion.

“The ‘Limited 2’ shuttle, which stops at Forest Glen, Silver Spring and Fort Totten stations, will be replaced by two new, more-efficient express shuttle loops,” Metro said in a news release. The goal of the express loops is to help riders get to their destinations more quickly.

Have you been using alternate means of reaching DC? Purple Line NOW’s Vice President Greg Sanders reports that he has switched over to the S-9 bus, which directly connects him to his office, but did add about 15 minutes each way, largely due to traffic. However, he says, “Now that Takoma is reopening, I’ll be biking there instead.”

Commutes are deeply personal, but if you want to share any stories or tips for dealing with the summer road and transit closures, send us a quick email! [email protected]

Montgomery County Council Briefing on Purple Line

If you missed our recap of the State's Purple Line briefing to the Montgomery County council late last month, you can read it here. One of the highlights was that the Purple Line light rail vehicles are expected to begin arriving sometime this summer! We are excitedly anticipating that moment! Watch this space!

Photos from Around the Corridor

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

Photo courtesy of Webb Smedley

STAY CONNECTED

Get Connected

Make sure you are signed up for timely alerts from Purple Line NOW via our Twitter and Facebook pages, and at our website Purple Line NOW.

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

• What's Happening at PLN?
  
  • Next Purple Line Forum
  • Thank You for Continuing to Support PLN
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Montgomery County Detour and Closure Map
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  • Montgomery County Council Purple Line Briefing

Share This Newsletter

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

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PLN?

Next Purple Line NOW Forum

Purple Line NOW will continue our popular Envisioning the Purple Line Forum series this year! We are busy pulling together a Purple Line Status Update forum for later this summer -- with updates from project leaders and maybe a surprise guest or two! We will announce dates and a link to reserve your seat soon. As always, our events are free and open to the public and media, so keep an eagle eye out for the big announcement!

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

Thank You for Your Continuing Support!

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

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Montgomery County Detour and Closure Map

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

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Montgomery County Council Briefing on Purple Line

This past Monday, June 17, Montgomery County Council received a semi-annual briefing from the Purple Line team regarding construction and project progress.

We encourage you to watch the briefing, which can be found on the Montgomery County Council website. Below, we bring you some highlights and construction information as we all muscle through the summer closures and resulting detours.

Members of the Council who sit on the Transportation and Environment (TE) Committee are: Evan Glass, Chair, Marilyn Balcombe (District 2), and Kate Stewart (District 4).

Ray Biggs II, Purple Line Senior Project Director, Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), Doran Bosso, CEO, Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP), and Hugo Fontirroig, Project Executive, Maryland Transit Solutions (MTS) presented the update to the committee.

Watching all of the track being laid throughout the corridor and the hubbub of construction happening from nearly every vantage point is certainly exciting, but we also know that this summer is proving to be a difficult one for commuters and residents in Silver Spring, as well as surrounding areas. With the closure of the Spring Street bridge, as well as the Silver Spring Transit Center and surrounding stations, the pain is real, even if the promise of a world class transit system awaits just a few short years down the road.

It is exciting to hear that the entire project is 60% complete – nearly two-thirds of the way to opening day!

Fourteen stations are currently under construction and canopies are being installed. Milestones such as the re-opening of the Talbot Avenue bridge give us the clearest glimpse of the project’s completion that we have had thus far.

And, it is promising to note that the date for revenue service to begin has not changed and is still slated for winter of 2027.

The briefing focused on most of the areas along the corridor in Montgomery County, but concentrated mainly on those areas that are seeing the massive disruptions, closures, and detours.

By now you know that the Spring Street bridge was closed on June 7 as demolition of the old bridge begins. It is slated to reopen at the end of this year.

Lots of information was shared about the implementation of traffic shifts at Wayne Avenue and Dale Drive, which happened late last week where crews are installing the first embedded tracks and continuing the reconstruction of the bridge over Sligo Creek. Mr. Bosso said that he or others leading the project are onsite daily and crews are scrambling to make as much progress as possible during this closure before school reopens at the end of August.

This area is a critical juncture along the alignment and planning for the congestion, detours, and traffic shifts has been in the works for some time now. The closure allows crews to embed 3,000 feet of track per month! This will also allow them to work in areas where there will not be as much impact during the remainder of 2024 and 2025.

Councilmember Stewart confirmed that the pace and intensity of the construction at this intersection will result in the work being done six months earlier than originally scheduled, so that certainly provides motivation to get through the summer headaches. She asked that she be kept involved and apprised of any delay in the anticipated end date, especially as it coincides with the opening of school in late summer.

Other construction area updates included Manchester Place, Long Branch, and University Boulevard where another traffic shift occurred over the weekend between Piney Branch Road and University Boulevard.

Mr. Bosso highlighted the concessionaire’s Beyond the Rails grant program, which awards grants up to $3,000 for Purple Line related projects and service (one of which was awarded to Purple Line NOW during the initial round of grants.) He said that they are in the second round of grant-making right now as they award grants twice a year.

He also reminded us that there is a $4M funded business grant program to support businesses impacted along the alignment with more details coming later this year. Mr. Bosso said that the entity is making sure to “balance being a good member of the community and supporting those businesses who are living through the construction patiently as we advance Purple Line work.”

Residents are encouraged to keep abreast of construction news at the project website.

Chair Evan Glass conveyed appreciation to the team on the progress being made, saying he believes “this is the most amount of progress information being provided at one of these biannual updates and it is a good thing!”

He asked if there were any expected changes to the timeline or to the budget and Senior Project Director Ray Biggs responded that there were no changes to either at this time and service is still on schedule to begin winter of 2027.

Councilmember Stewart asked if some of the way-making signage in her district could also be printed in Spanish. They will look into the possibility of adding Spanish to those signs in the near future.

Regarding the Capital Crescent Trail, it is still on tap to open earlier than rail service, sometime in the spring of 2026.

Maricela Cordova, Special Assistant to the Director, Strategic Projects, Montgomery County Department of Transportation reported that they are aware that some residents are experiencing cut-throughs in their neighborhoods as a result of the detours and/or closures, and the county is helping to mitigate some of the traffic flow to and around those areas.

Michael Paylor, Chief of Traffic Engineering and Operations for Montgomery County MDOT gave a brief description of what went into the planning for classifying certain alternative routes for residents, and noted that the team has to take into consideration the imbalance in the ability of some of those types of roadways (through neighborhoods, for example) to handle a significant traffic load.

He likened cut-through traffic to water saying, “it’s going to go where it needs to go” and they are listening to residents and working on problem areas as they arise. He said that authorized regulatory signage that would restrict or deny access to traffic from certain roads has to go through a process that can take upwards of a year to come to fruition. Councilmember Stewart offered to help in any way possible to speed up that process. He cautioned that with that signage would need to come enforcement and that will need to be considered as the project moves along.

Councilmember Balcombe also thanked the team for their updates and the council for furthering the discussion of some of the headaches happening along the way.

With so much happening throughout the Purple Line corridor, updates to specific areas can be found via the written notes from the team. Want to see the progress in action? Have a look at this terrific video!

As always, if you have a question or concern, you can contact the Purple Line team directly at [email protected] or contact us at [email protected] and we’ll help point you in the right direction to get some answers.

A shout out to all of the crews working through these hot temps and to all of us who are trying to figure out alternative routes to and from work, patience will be key as we get through this together.

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.