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

• An Important Message from Purple Line NOW
• A Recap of the Bethesda/Chevy Chase and Long Branch Community Advisory Team Meetings

Dear Friends...

Purple Line NOW is approaching a turning point in the services we will be able to offer as we go forward in 2020. With visible construction all around our communities, it is easy for the community to believe our work is done, and by and large, it is thrilling to see our advocacy efforts (and yours!) over the years come into focus in such an exciting way.

For us, though, a nearly all-volunteer organization, with one quarter-time employee, fundraising has been difficult and dwindling over the past year, despite enthusiastic attendance at our very popular forums, a widely read bi-weekly newsletter, and increasing calls and emails from the community for problem-solving help due to construction woes. We simply cannot continue our work without the funding necessary to provide these services.

As we head into the holidays, we ask you to consider a donation to Purple Line NOW. We are working on a winter forum right now, and as you can see in the newsletter below, we continue to push out as much information as we can. Please click the black "DONATE" button below to help us continue our work and forward to any friends or colleagues who will benefit from the Purple Line once opened. As always, we proudly list all of our donors on our website and in all event literature. Thank you.

Donate Today

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.

CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

This week, we continue the recap of some of the area Community Advisory Team (CAT) meetings occurring this fall. We hope these short summaries, attended by Purple Line NOW Board members, provide information and context for those not able to attend. Today, our focus is on the Long Branch and Bethesda/Chevy Chase communities.

As always, you can see the complete presentations at the MTA/MDOT website: Community Advisory Teams.

Long Branch

This CAT meeting, which happened on October 22, was presented by Gary Witherspoon (MDOT MTA Public Outreach & Communications, Deputy Project Director), Carla Julian (PLTC Senior Manager Public Affairs/Community Outreach), and Jean-Marc Wehrli (PLTC Area 2 Construction Manager). The stations in this segment of the corridor include Manchester Place, Long Branch, and Piney Branch Road. 

This past spring, the 1,000 foot Plymouth Tunnel excavation was completed and since then, waterproofing and pouring the final concrete for the tunnel lining has been ongoing. CAT members had some questions about a recent report of work to replace initial faulty construction. That work was focused on the Bethesda elevator shaft and there have not been any comparable problems for the Plymouth Tunnel. Maryland and Concessionaire officials described the system of inspections by both the concessionaire and the state, and it was that system that caught the concrete problems which are now being addressed at concessionaire expense. These inspections are regularly conducted during the construction process to avoid the problem of late discoveries that have plagued other area construction projects.

Looking ahead to the next six months for Long Branch:

Along Wayne Avenue, storm drain installation continues, as does the installation and relocation of overhead and underground utilities. Crews will also begin installing retaining walls along Wayne Avenue (in front of the Wayne Manchester Towers Apartments).

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA & PLTP

In the western Portal/Manchester Place Station (on East Wayne Avenue), concrete work for Phase 1 of the Manchester Place station will be completed. As for Kenwood House, Phase 1 work will be required to be completed before the parking lot can be relocated. There will be a temporary parking lot created during Phase 2 of Kenwood House, with the planned reinstatement of the parking lot to happen sometime next summer.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA & PLTP

At the Plymouth Tunnel (East Wayne Avenue to Arliss Street), waterproofing and the final lining of the tunnel is expected to be completed in preparation for the maintenance walkway. Further out, the Eastern is being built using a cut and cover technique, which means that first the tunnel was excavated and open to air, and then once the concrete box surrounding the entrance is complete, that portion of Arliss Road road will be rebuilt on top. When that work is complete, the upper portion of Arliss Road from Flower Avenue to the Silver Spring Library will be restored and work will begin on the lower portion from the Library to Piney Branch. This swap is expected to take place in 2020.

On Piney Branch Road, overhead and underground utility relocations will continue between University Boulevard and Arliss Street. The largest area of citizen concern was ensuring pedestrian safety when construction zones impede sidewalks. University Boulevard was a focus for Vision Zero activists due to already scarce crosswalks and a recent fatality, outside of the construction area but on University Boulevard, where Takoma Park resident Julio Vargas Valerio was struck and killed. The Purple Line Transit Partners consistently emphasize the importance of safety around construction zones and have taken steps to better coordinate sidewalk closures. This is an area where you can help! If you ever see any unsafe conditions around a Purple Line site, follow the instructions at the end of this update to call it in.

You may also find this schedule for construction work hours helpful:

Plymouth Tunnel

• Day Shift: 6 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Swing Shift: 2:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
• Typical day shift: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Typical night shift: 7 p.m. – 4:30 a.m.
• Make-up / maintenance day will be Saturdays, as required

The public will be notified through notifications on www.purplelinemd.com for:
• Utility shutdowns
• Road/driveway closures
• Pile driving
• Night work
• Weekend work
• Major lane closures

Bethesda/Chevy Chase

On October 29, about 50 residents and CAT members gathered at North Chevy Chase Elementary School to hear updates and share concerns about the segment of the Purple Line that passes through their neighborhoods. The presentation began with an introduction of the speakers, an overview of the progress of the entire 16.2 mile corridor, and more detail about the status of the project between Bethesda and Rock Creek Park. Please check out the presentation because it shows that the project is really moving along and will also give you a better idea of where construction is currently happening along this portion of the route.

Gary Witherspoon, who has stepped in for Mike Madden following his retirement, said he will miss Madden's historical knowledge given that Madden has worked on the Purple Line since 2002. 

Of particular interest to the attendees was the prediction that by early spring, probably March, the steel girders for the Purple Line and Capital Crescent Trail overpasses should be in place. Following that, both bridges over Connecticut will be constructed. The PLTP representatives made note of the request to keep residents informed of the strategy for building these bridges including road closures and detours. 

There were questions and concern about the impact of dust and noise to a child care center located adjacent to the current CC trail. The owner of the facility and a parent whose children are cared for there said they appreciate the attention that they have gotten to date, but the issues are on-going. There was also concern about some night time construction that took place without notification of residents. PLTP was pretty sure that this was activity by WSSC, but they will look into it. 

Some highlights:

• The Bethesda Shaft (which will connect the Purple Line to WMATA’s Red Line) has been excavated to a depth of 100 feet and the concrete lining for the shaft that began in June will be completed next spring.
• Progress near East-West Highway includes the installation of retaining walls on the GT Branch Trail.
• At the Columbia Country Club, the east golf cart underpass has been completed and re-opened.
• Over on Connecticut Avenue, the piles for future LRV and CCT bridges have been installed.

On Jones Mill Road, a new temporary traffic pattern has been established for the CCT underpass construction, so please be on the watch for that if Jones Mill Road or Jones Bridge Road are on your daily commute.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA & PLTP

Carla Julian encouraged everyone with concerns to call the Purple Line Hot-line at 240-424-5325. They will get an answering machine instead of a real person because they want a record of concerns. A text of the message left by the caller will be forwarded to the outreach team and they will respond as soon as they can.

PURPLE LINE NOW NEWS AND EVENTS

• Next Purple Line NOW Forum: Stay tuned for an announcement of the next Purple Line NOW forum happening late winter 2020!

PURPLE LINE NOW ACTION

Can You Help Purple Line NOW Continue Its Work?

If you haven't already given this year, would you consider a donation to Purple Line NOW? We have reprinted the appeal here as it contains all the bits you might want to know about what we do with your donations - those dollars work hard!

As we reported earlier this year, we here at Purple Line NOW have shifted our energy from our prior focus of advocating for funding and approval of the project to the daunting task of keeping communities along the Purple Line corridor up-to-speed regarding breaking news, construction woes, and exciting new developments being built around the new line.

Purple Line NOW operates on a very small budget and, as you know, we don’t hold special event fundraisers. Instead, we rely on an email outreach to our most dedicated supporters to help us meet our bottom line each year during our fall appeal campaign.

To that end, we ask for your financial support so that we may continue our work. Donating is easy via our secure link or by sending a check through the mail – all the information to do so can be found on our website.

Below, you will read what it is we do each year with your generous donations. As always, we are happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Just shoot us an email or give us a ring.

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

How Will Purple Line NOW Use My Donation?

As we said, Purple Line NOW exists on a very slender budget. Our work is done by a dedicated and hardworking group of volunteers, as well as one quarter-time employee. We pay for our website maintenance and for the resources needed to reach the community through email blasts, literature, and supplies. We also cover any expenses associated with hosting our popular educational forums – as you know, these events are always free and open to the public (we don’t charge you to attend!)

Purple Line NOW News

With your support, Purple Line NOW has published a bi-weekly, information-packed newsletter with the latest in construction news, photos, and insider information to keep you on top of what is going on in the field. We have a large following and we are often surprised that readers come from all over the country, from Baltimore to California! Thanks to the many volunteer contributors who help us write and release the newsletter every other week. It’s a big undertaking and we appreciate your support in making it happen! Did you know you can view all of our previous newsletters on our website?!

Envisioning the Purple Line Series

We continue the very popular Envisioning the Purple Line series of forums hosted in a variety of communities along the corridor in both Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Just last month, we held an update in Chevy Chase, focused on Completing the Capital Crescent Trail where we brought in the CEO of the Purple Line Transit Partners (the builders), Montgomery County councilmembers, bicycle and trail advocates, and others to offer lots of information to the 70+ folks who attended. We try to do at least two events each year around the Purple Line Corridor. Previous events have been held in Silver Spring, Bethesda, Riverdale Park, University of Maryland, College Park, and more. We are currently working hard on organizing the next forum, so stay tuned!

Connecting People

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

Sharing Information

Purple Line NOW board members have a long tradition of attending hearings, testifying on behalf of the project, being a part of Purple Line-oriented neighborhood groups, and connecting to elected officials on behalf of the Line. Our volunteer board leadership continues to meet every single month in person, as they have done for over a decade, to share information gathered and exchange ideas to keep the project on track. We attend meetings, provide updates, and take notes! Many of our members stay on top of transit news through their membership and support of other local and regional transit organizations and many are also very active on the neighborhood Community Advisory Teams.

Maintaining a Presence

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

Remember, with your donation, your name (or your business name) will be listed on our website, as well as in event literature and signage for a year following your donation.

We are grateful for your consideration of our request and for your support, financial and otherwise. We wish you a happy and healthy fall season.

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:

• A Recap of the Silver Spring Community Advisory Team Meeting
• October Community Advisory Team Meetings
• Important Appeal: Purple Line NOW Needs Your Financial Help!

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.

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

CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

As we have done in the past, we will be doing a highlight reel from some of the area Community Advisory Team (CAT) meetings occurring this fall. We hope these short summaries, attended by Purple Line NOW Board members, provide information and context for those not able to attend. Today, we’ll start with the Silver Spring CAT meeting on October 10, and in future newsletters, we will cover the University Boulevard meeting (which occurred on October 15) and Tuesday night’s Long Branch meeting before focusing on upcoming CATs still to come on the schedule. (See below for all of the upcoming meetings on the docket right now.)

As always, you can see the complete presentations at the MTA/MDOT website: Community Advisory Teams.

Silver Spring Community Advisory Team Meeting

Gary Witherspoon (MDOT MTA Public Outreach & Communications, Deputy Project Director), Carla Julian (PLTC Senior Manager for Public Affairs/Community Outreach), and Chris McRobbie (PLTC Area 1 Lead Structural Engineer) led the presentation with the announcement that Mike Madden had retired from his role as Purple Line Project Director after 48 years of public service (36 of which had been with MTA). Gary Witherspoon was named the new Deputy Project Director. You may have previously seen Gary at Purple Line Now Forums where he was among the MTA attendees in his public information role, which included the great PurpleLineMD.com website relaunch earlier this year.

Construction along the entire line is 20% complete, and 12 of the 16.2 miles are under active construction, with over 850 craft men and women working on the project.

Photo Courtesy of PLTP & MTA MDOT

In the past six months, crews have undertaken work to relocate utilities on East Bonifant Street, installed erosion and sediment controls and storm water management facilities for construction, and tree clearing for utility relocation along Wayne Avenue and Sligo Creek. Survey work and overhead/underground utility work continues. As we reported a few newsletters ago, Phase 1 of the retaining wall installation at Silver Spring International Middle School has been completed as has been the demolition of a portion of the Falkland Apartments and pier construction for the LRV bridge over WMATA’s Red Line.

Photo Courtesy of PLTP & MTA MDOT

Looking ahead to the next six months, clearing and grubbing will occur along 16th Street from Spring Street to Colesville Road, and utility relocation work will continue all along the corridor. The demolition and restoration of the Falkland Apartments will be completed. The CCT bridge abutment construction will begin and the LRV abutment construction will continue.

For those interested in how those two aspects will affect traffic, during installation of both bridges a staging area with a mobile crane will be placed in the center of Colesville Road. Two lanes in each direction will be maintained weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with the full closure of Colesville Road occurring during three weekends to install the CCT bridge portion in early winter 2020. Overnight closure of Colesville Road will be required for the erection of the LRV bridge happening at the same time (winter 2020).

Along Bonifant Street, new long-term traffic patterns will be implemented including the closure of Bonifant Street (West) occurring late November 2019 and the closure of the eastern portion occurring a few months later in winter 2020. There will be pedestrian walkways with safety fencing to separate work zones from pedestrians and, the best news is that local access to businesses will be maintained. Once reopened, Bonifant Street will permanently be a one-way westbound street. A 30-day notice will be provided via the notification system and local access will be maintained for pedestrian and vehicles needing to access the parking garages and surrounding buildings.

Photo Courtesy of PLTP & MTA MDOT

On Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street to Manchester, overhead utility relocations will occur, as well as storm drainage installation. And, at Silver Spring International Middle School, the parking lot construction is continuing, along with the retaining wall, and a 6” storm drain outfall at Sligo Cabin Park. During Phase 1 (winter 2020), traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction and shifted to the south side of Wayne Avenue. During this time, there will be no left turn from eastbound Wayne Avenue onto Sligo Creek Parkway. Drainage work at Sligo Creek will be performed at night during this phase so trail access will not be impacted.

Important: the presentation included detailed slides of many of the Zone Details, so if construction delays and pain points in this area affect your commute, please click here to view the full presentation: Silver Spring Community Advisory Team. 

In closing, Carla Julian mentioned that the concessionaire is partnering with schools in the community by having female engineers work with STEM students. Awesome!

PURPLE LINE NOW NEWS AND EVENTS

• Next Purple Line NOW Forum: Stay tuned for an announcement of the next Purple Line NOW forum happening late winter 2020!
• Upcoming CATs:
  • October 29: Bethesda
    7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
    North Chevy Chase Elementary School
    3700 Jones Bridge Road (All-Purpose Room)
    Bethesda, MD 20815
  • November 5: Riverdale & Glenridge/New Carrollton
    6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
    Purple Line Project Office
    6811 Kenilworth Avenue, 1st Floor Training Room
    Riverdale, MD 20737
  • November 12: Greater Lyttonsville/Woodside
    7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
    Rosemary Hills Elementary School
    2111 Porter Road (All Purpose Room)
    Silver Spring, MD 20910

PURPLE LINE NOW ACTION

Can You Help Purple Line NOW Continue Its Work?

If you haven't already given this year, would you consider a donation to Purple Line NOW? We have reprinted the appeal here as it contains all the bits you might want to know about what we do with your donations - those dollars work hard!

As we reported earlier this year, we here at Purple Line NOW have shifted our energy from our prior focus of advocating for funding and approval of the project to the daunting task of keeping communities along the Purple Line corridor up-to-speed regarding breaking news, construction woes, and exciting new developments being built around the new line.

Purple Line NOW operates on a very small budget and, as you know, we don’t hold special event fundraisers. Instead, we rely on an email outreach to our most dedicated supporters to help us meet our bottom line each year during our fall appeal campaign.

To that end, we ask for your financial support so that we may continue our work. Donating is easy via our secure link or by sending a check through the mail – all the information to do so can be found on our website.

Below, you will read what it is we do each year with your generous donations. As always, we are happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Just shoot us an email or give us a ring.

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

How Will Purple Line NOW Use My Donation?

As we said, Purple Line NOW exists on a very slender budget. Our work is done by a dedicated and hardworking group of volunteers, as well as one quarter-time employee. We pay for our website maintenance and for the resources needed to reach the community through email blasts, literature, and supplies. We also cover any expenses associated with hosting our popular educational forums – as you know, these events are always free and open to the public (we don’t charge you to attend!)

Purple Line NOW News

With your support, Purple Line NOW has published a bi-weekly, information-packed newsletter with the latest in construction news, photos, and insider information to keep you on top of what is going on in the field. We have a large following and we are often surprised that readers come from all over the country, from Baltimore to California! Thanks to the many volunteer contributors who help us write and release the newsletter every other week. It’s a big undertaking and we appreciate your support in making it happen! Did you know you can view all of our previous newsletters on our website?!

Envisioning the Purple Line Series

We continue the very popular Envisioning the Purple Line series of forums hosted in a variety of communities along the corridor in both Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Just last month, we held an update in Chevy Chase, focused on Completing the Capital Crescent Trail where we brought in the CEO of the Purple Line Transit Partners (the builders), Montgomery County councilmembers, bicycle and trail advocates, and others to offer lots of information to the 70+ folks who attended. We try to do at least two events each year around the Purple Line Corridor. Previous events have been held in Silver Spring, Bethesda, Riverdale Park, University of Maryland, College Park, and more. We are currently working hard on organizing the next forum, so stay tuned!

Connecting People

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

Sharing Information

Purple Line NOW board members have a long tradition of attending hearings, testifying on behalf of the project, being a part of Purple Line-oriented neighborhood groups, and connecting to elected officials on behalf of the Line. Our volunteer board leadership continues to meet every single month in person, as they have done for over a decade, to share information gathered and exchange ideas to keep the project on track. We attend meetings, provide updates, and take notes! Many of our members stay on top of transit news through their membership and support of other local and regional transit organizations and many are also very active on the neighborhood Community Advisory Teams.

Maintaining a Presence

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

Remember, with your donation, your name (or your business name) will be listed on our website, as well as in event literature and signage for a year following your donation.

We are grateful for your consideration of our request and for your support, financial and otherwise. We wish you a happy and healthy fall season.

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:

• Silver Spring Plaza Construction and Cyclists
• Early Opening of the Purple Line
• Metro Ridership Numbers Up
• Financing Urban Tree Canopy Programs
• October Community Advisory Team Meetings
• Purple Line NOW Needs Your Financial Help - Please Consider a Donation Today

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.

CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

For today's newsletter, we have a series of brief updates for you along the Purple Line corridor:

Silver Spring Plaza and Cyclists
The plaza between the Silver Spring Metro station and the Silver Spring Transit Center is under construction, which has resulted in the temporary closure of adjacent bike racks. After reading about the confusion on social media and then visiting the site in person, Purple Line NOW reached out to the concessionaire about a week ago to see if we could get more way-finding signage to help bikers find the alternate locations for bike racks during construction. We are happy to report, they responded quickly and the multiple types of signs have already been created and installed. A-frame signs, small posters on the perimeter fences, and metal bike rack signs all work together to lead bikers from the old location to the new biker location. Depending on the direction you are coming from, Purple Line NOW Vice President and Silver Spring Metro commuter Greg Sanders also suggests that, "if you don't mind doubling up, consider taking your bike under the bridge by the Penguins mural and parking by the entrance on the NOAA."

As always, if we can help solve a problem, let us know and we’ll do our best to connect you with the right people. You are often among the first to know of construction pain points in your community, and when you reach out to us, we work to make sure those concerns reach the right people.

Early Opening
As we mentioned in our previous newsletter, the Purple Line will open in two stages, the first in late 2022, and the rest just a few months later, in 2023. 

As you probably know, the test track, about two miles long, will likely be the part of the segment that opens first. The track is along Veterans Highway in Prince George’s county. Maryland transit officials have promised more details by the end of year.

More information can be found in this September 19 Washington Post article. 

Metro Ridership Numbers
WMATA reported that daily passenger trips are up 2.3% in the first half of 2019 and 3.3% in the second quarter of 2019 (compared to last year during the same time period.) This is good news for all in our area, and especially for the Purple Line as we draw closer to opening day! You can read more about the numbers, nation-wide, here: A Glimmer of Hope as Ridership Rebounds.

Financing Urban Tree Canopy Programs: Guidebook for Local Governments in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
This document from the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay presents "practical strategies for funding and financing municipal urban tree canopy (UTC) programs in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Its target audience is policy makers and urban forestry managers in towns and cities throughout the region, but its content may be of interest to anyone involved in promoting the development and maintenance of thriving community forests."

You can link to the Guidebook here: Chesapeake Trees

An Update in Photos
We’ve written about many of these areas of construction along the route, but wanted to bring you some photos of crews in action. Thanks to MTA for sending these our way!

Manchester Place

Silver Spring International Middle School

Silver Spring Transit Center

Ellin Road

PURPLE LINE NOW NEWS AND EVENTS

October Community Advisory Team Meetings

• October 10
  Silver Spring
  7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
  Silver Spring International Middle School
  313 Wayne Avenue (Media Center)
  Silver Spring, MD 20910
• October 15
  University Boulevard
  6:30 – 8 p.m.
  Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School
  8201 15th Avenue
  Hyattsville, MD 20783
• October 22
  Long Branch
  7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
  Oak View Elementary School
  400 E. Wayne Avenue
  Silver Spring, MD 20901
• October 29
  Bethesda
  7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
  North Chevy Chase Elementary School
  3700 Jones Bridge Road (All-Purpose Room)
  Bethesda, MD 20815

PURPLE LINE NOW ACTION

Can You Help Purple Line NOW Continue Its Work?

If you haven't already given this year, would you consider a donation to Purple Line NOW? We have reprinted the appeal here as it contains all the bits you might want to know about what we do with your donations - those dollars work hard!

As we reported earlier this year, we here at Purple Line NOW have shifted our energy from our prior focus of advocating for funding and approval of the project to the daunting task of keeping communities along the Purple Line corridor up-to-speed regarding breaking news, construction woes, and exciting new developments being built around the new line.

Purple Line NOW operates on a very small budget and, as you know, we don’t hold special event fundraisers. Instead, we rely on an email outreach to our most dedicated supporters to help us meet our bottom line each year during our fall appeal campaign.

To that end, we ask for your financial support so that we may continue our work. Donating is easy via our secure link or by sending a check through the mail – all the information to do so can be found on our website.

Below, you will read what it is we do each year with your generous donations. As always, we are happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Just shoot us an email or give us a ring.

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

How Will Purple Line NOW Use My Donation?

As we said, Purple Line NOW exists on a very slender budget. Our work is done by a dedicated and hardworking group of volunteers, as well as one quarter-time employee. We pay for our website maintenance and for the resources needed to reach the community through email blasts, literature, and supplies. We also cover any expenses associated with hosting our popular educational forums – as you know, these events are always free and open to the public (we don’t charge you to attend!)

Purple Line NOW News

With your support, Purple Line NOW has published a bi-weekly, information-packed newsletter with the latest in construction news, photos, and insider information to keep you on top of what is going on in the field. We have a large following and we are often surprised that readers come from all over the country, from Baltimore to California! Thanks to the many volunteer contributors who help us write and release the newsletter every other week. It’s a big undertaking and we appreciate your support in making it happen! Did you know you can view all of our previous newsletters on our website?!

Envisioning the Purple Line Series

We continue the very popular Envisioning the Purple Line series of forums hosted in a variety of communities along the corridor in both Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Just last month, we held an update in Chevy Chase, focused on Completing the Capital Crescent Trail where we brought in the CEO of the Purple Line Transit Partners (the builders), Montgomery County councilmembers, bicycle and trail advocates, and others to offer lots of information to the 70+ folks who attended. We try to do at least two events each year around the Purple Line Corridor. Previous events have been held in Silver Spring, Bethesda, Riverdale Park, University of Maryland, College Park, and more. We are currently working hard on organizing the next forum, so stay tuned!

Connecting People

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

Sharing Information

Purple Line NOW board members have a long tradition of attending hearings, testifying on behalf of the project, being a part of Purple Line-oriented neighborhood groups, and connecting to elected officials on behalf of the Line. Our volunteer board leadership continues to meet every single month in person, as they have done for over a decade, to share information gathered and exchange ideas to keep the project on track. We attend meetings, provide updates, and take notes! Many of our members stay on top of transit news through their membership and support of other local and regional transit organizations and many are also very active on the neighborhood Community Advisory Teams.

Maintaining a Presence

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

Remember, with your donation, your name (or your business name) will be listed on our website, as well as in event literature and signage for a year following your donation.

We are grateful for your consideration of our request and for your support, financial and otherwise. We wish you a happy and healthy fall season.

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:

• A Fond Farewell to Mike Madden and Welcome to Gary Witherspoon
• A Re-Cap of the Montgomery County Council Transportation & Environment Committee Briefing on the Purple Line
• Purple Line NOW Needs Your Financial Help - Please Consider a Donation Today
• The Next Set of Community Advisory Team Meetings Is Set

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CONSTRUCTION NEWS TO KNOW

A Fond Farewell to Mike Madden and Welcome to Gary Witherspoon

Purple Line NOW would like to extend our deepest thanks and best wishes to Mike Madden, Purple Line Deputy Project Director for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), who will be retiring on October 1 after 48 years of public service, 36 of which has been with MTA. Mike has been an advocate for the Purple Line well before the project became a reality and championed the cause during the darkest days to see the project break ground. We are grateful for his service, his knowledge, and his diplomatic approach to keeping this train moving when the chips were down.

Mike Madden with Barbara Sanders and PLN VP Greg Sanders

Purple Line NOW Vice President Greg Sanders praised Madden's tenacity, "He represented the project at thousands of meetings with the public, in good times and bad, bore the attacks of opponents and heard the concerns of those who would face disruption. All of that is hard work and often resists easy solutions. We are grateful for his years of labor as a public servant."

We also congratulate his successor, Gary Witherspoon, Purple Line Assistant Director of Public Outreach and Communications who has been the state transportation spokesman at MDOT MTA and a valuable part of the Community Advisory Team (CAT) meetings and our own Purple Line NOW forums.

Re-Cap of Montgomery County Council Transportation & Environment Committee Briefing on Purple Line

As we have done in the past, we wanted to give you some highlights from Montgomery County Council Transportation & Environment Committee briefing held last week on September 19, 2019. Chuck Lattuca, Executive Director for Transit Development and Delivery at MDOT MTA, and Peter van der Waart, CEO of the Purple Line Transit Partners, delivered the report in person to the comittee. You can catch the whole briefing here: T&E Committee Briefing.

Mr. Lattuca and Mr. van der Waart began their presentation by announcing that the design work for the line is 96% complete. On the construction side, work is about 17% complete. Their presentation included a nifty little video of what the actual inside of a vehicle will look like. Twenty-two out of 130 modules have already been shop-assembled and the first complete train was shop-tested back in June in Elmira, New York. These will be the longest light rail vehicles in North America and hold about 430 passengers when full. Ultimately, there will be 26 sets of vehicles (each composed of 5 modules) for the total of 130 modules.

Photo Courtesy: MDOT MTA and PLTP

Before we get to the updates for specific communities along the route in Montgomery County, we want to give you information on two very important topics that were discussed during the briefing: the replacement of trees that were removed due to construction and the news that some parts of the Purple Line will open early along the route.

Eastern Segments of the Purple Line Will Open Early

While the concessionaire and MTA could not give specifics as to which portions of the line would open early, you may have heard the good news that they are committed to having at least some segments open for public use by the end of 2022. Mr. van der Waart cautioned that the areas for early opening would likely be along the segments that will be used to test the trains prior to opening (widely thought to refer to the Glenridge Railyard near New Carrollton), but reiterated that they would know more later in the year.

Tree Replanting

Councilmember Hucker raised the issue of the loss of trees, especially along Wayne Avenue, to accommodate increased volts and to prevent arcing. Mr. van der Waart emphasized that they are not removing any trees unless “absolutely necessary,” but to maintain the same amount of lanes, they had to widen the road which meant more tree loss. However, they are operating within the guidelines of the Maryland Forest Conservation Act and will be replacing 80 acres of tree banks. They announced that 30 overstory trees (according to Merrian-Webster, this represents the layer of foliage in a forest canopy), along with 25 flowering trees, will be replanted adjacent to Wayne Avenue. Tim Cupples from Montgomery County MDOT mentioned that he has been connecting folks to Tree Montgomery which will work with residents to replace additional trees. They are also working with the county arborist for advice on where replanting will occur, as well as tree maintenance after planting.

As mentioned, the presentation highlighted specific communities along the corridor with updates on each and a forecast for work in those areas in the coming months. Again, if you would like an in-depth report of each area, you can watch the video or see the slide show here: T&E Committee Briefing.

Bethesda Station

Back in January, the elevator shaft was about 40 feet deep, and since then, the depth has nearly doubled as you can see in the slide below. They have paused digging while they prepare to pour the concrete walls, but eventually, the shaft will descent another 60 feet before being completed by the summer in 2020. The hope is to have the permanent concrete structure installed by fall 2021. Elm Street is scheduled to reopen in early 2022.

Photo Courtesy: MDOT MTA and PLTP

Rock Creek Park

Crews are getting ready to put in tracks and rebuild the Rock Creek bridge after the trestle was removed back in June.

Silver Spring Transit Center

Crews are currently building the foundations for the aerial structure that will take the light rail over the Silver Spring Transit Center. The partial demolition of the Falkland Apartments continues, with a completion date in 2019 and the Capital Crescent Trail bridge truss erection across Colesville Road is occurring, as well.

Silver Spring International Middle School

The retaining wall and parking lot reconstruction was completed before school opened this year, although crews will need to come back to finish up some work with a completion date in the fall of 2020. The height of the retaining wall has been reduced for greater visibility. There have been significant enhancements to the crosswalks, which will be “continental” crosswalks which require a higher standard. These will be cross-hatched crosswalks, rather than the previous two-parallel stripes which will provide more visibility. These continental crosswalks will be installed along the entire corridor.

Photo Courtesy: MDOT MTA and PLTP

Manchester Place Station

Although the installation of the permanent structure has been ongoing since April of this year, the site has now been fully excavated and the plan is to have the cover on by the end of this year. The  parking lot for Kenwood House residents should reopen in spring of next year and the station is anticipated to be complete in spring 2021.

Plymouth Tunnel

You may remember, late last year, crews broke through the tunnel, but now the tunnel looks like a tunnel that could eventually have a train coming through it! The team will be busy water-proofing, laying rebar, and layers of spray-able concrete for the lining, with plans for that to be completed by late this year with the installation of the tunnel structure to begin shortly following in December and completed next summer. The hope is to have Arliss Street reopened by late next year, as well.

Photo Courtesy: MDOT MTA and PLTP

Public Outreach

Mr. van der Waart and Mr. Lattuca highlighted the work that both the concessionaire and MTA are doing in the community and the dates for the next Community Advisory Teams which you can find below. With the launch of the new website and a more active role in social media, they have seen a 37% growth in followers.

The councilmembers present, Hans Riemer, Evan Glass, and Committee Chair, Tom Hucker, asked a number of questions and those, along with their answers, can be heard in the video link above.

Upcoming Community Advisory Team Meetings

• October 1
  College Park
  6:30 – 8 p.m.
  Purple Line Project Office
  6811 Kenilworth Ave.
  (1st floor training room)
  Riverdale MD, 20737
• October 10
  Silver Spring
  7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
  Silver Spring International Middle School
  313 Wayne Avenue (Media Center)
  Silver Spring, MD 20910
• October 15
  University Boulevard
  6:30 – 8 p.m.
  Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School
  8201 15th Avenue
  Hyattsville, MD 20783
• October 22
  Long Branch
  7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
  Oak View Elementary School
  400 E. Wayne Avenue
  Silver Spring, MD 20901

PURPLE LINE NOW ACTION

Can You Help Purple Line NOW Continue Its Work?

Earlier this month, we sent out a formal appeal to our entire constituency. If you haven't already given this year, would you consider a donation to Purple Line NOW? We have reprinted the appeal here as it contains all the bits you might want to know about what we do with your donations - those dollars work hard!

As we reported earlier this year, we here at Purple Line NOW have shifted our energy from our prior focus of advocating for funding and approval of the project to the daunting task of keeping communities along the Purple Line corridor up-to-speed regarding breaking news, construction woes, and exciting new developments being built around the new line.

Purple Line NOW operates on a very small budget and, as you know, we don’t hold special event fundraisers. Instead, we rely on an email outreach to our most dedicated supporters to help us meet our bottom line each year during our fall appeal campaign.

To that end, we ask for your financial support so that we may continue our work. Donating is easy via our secure link or by sending a check through the mail – all the information to do so can be found on our website.

Below, you will read what it is we do each year with your generous donations. As always, we are happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Just shoot us an email or give us a ring.

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

How Will Purple Line NOW Use My Donation?

As we said, Purple Line NOW exists on a very slender budget. Our work is done by a dedicated and hardworking group of volunteers, as well as one quarter-time employee. We pay for our website maintenance and for the resources needed to reach the community through email blasts, literature, and supplies. We also cover any expenses associated with hosting our popular educational forums – as you know, these events are always free and open to the public (we don’t charge you to attend!)

Purple Line NOW News

With your support, Purple Line NOW has published a bi-weekly, information-packed newsletter with the latest in construction news, photos, and insider information to keep you on top of what is going on in the field. We have a large following and we are often surprised that readers come from all over the country, from Baltimore to California! Thanks to the many volunteer contributors who help us write and release the newsletter every other week. It’s a big undertaking and we appreciate your support in making it happen! Did you know you can view all of our previous newsletters on our website?!

Envisioning the Purple Line Series

We continue the very popular Envisioning the Purple Line series of forums hosted in a variety of communities along the corridor in both Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Just last month, we held an update in Chevy Chase, focused on Completing the Capital Crescent Trail where we brought in the CEO of the Purple Line Transit Partners (the builders), Montgomery County councilmembers, bicycle and trail advocates, and others to offer lots of information to the 70+ folks who attended. We try to do at least two events each year around the Purple Line Corridor. Previous events have been held in Silver Spring, Bethesda, Riverdale Park, University of Maryland, College Park, and more. We are currently working hard on organizing the next forum, so stay tuned!

Connecting People

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

Sharing Information

Purple Line NOW board members have a long tradition of attending hearings, testifying on behalf of the project, being a part of Purple Line-oriented neighborhood groups, and connecting to elected officials on behalf of the Line. Our volunteer board leadership continues to meet every single month in person, as they have done for over a decade, to share information gathered and exchange ideas to keep the project on track. We attend meetings, provide updates, and take notes! Many of our members stay on top of transit news through their membership and support of other local and regional transit organizations and many are also very active on the neighborhood Community Advisory Teams.

Maintaining a Presence

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

Remember, with your donation, your name (or your business name) will be listed on our website, as well as in event literature and signage for a year following your donation.

We are grateful for your consideration of our request and for your support, financial and otherwise. We wish you a happy and healthy fall season.

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.