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

• What's Happening at PLN?
  • Happy New Year!
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Please Share With Your Baltimore Friends
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  • Our Top Ten Purple Line Stories of 2023!

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?

Happy New Year!

The wait is over! Our annual Top Ten List is below, so keep on reading!

But, first we want to let you know that we will have the final results of our matching campaign for you in the next edition of Purple Line NOW News. In the meantime, we want to thank EVERYONE who donated during the campaign! We are astounded by the generosity that abounds in our Purple Line NOW community and grateful to all who support us in so many ways. 

Our need is ongoing, so if you missed the matching campaign, please know that your donation any time of year in any amount is welcomed and necessary for us to continue our work. You can easily donate by clicking the Purple "Donate" button below.

Thank you from all of us here at Purple Line NOW!

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Please Share With Your Baltimore Friends

On behalf of the Baltimore City House Delegation’s Transportation Subcommittee, Delegate Robbyn Lewis invites you to the City for All Forum on January 27, 2024. Let’s envision a transportation future that is healthy, accessible, reliable, sustainable and equitable for all! This first-of-its kind public event is open to all residents of Baltimore city and metro region. The vibe will be positive, respectful, forward-looking, optimistic and open-hearted. Participants can join in-person or virtually.

Pre-registration is required. Click here to sign up and share your vision!

DATE: Saturday 27 January 2024
TIME: 11am – 2pm
VENUE: Morgan State University, Earl G. Graves School of Business Auditorium, Rm. 104
ADDRESS: 4100 Hillen Road, Baltimore, MD 21218

We all want a transportation network that delivers fast and reliable access to jobs, school, health care and recreation for all, regardless of age, race, income or physical ability. We can have this! Learn about planned improvements, like the Frederick Douglass Passenger Rail Tunnel and Mondawmin Transit Hub Upgrades. And lend your voice to make even more projects possible - join us!

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Our Top Ten Purple Line Stories of 2023

As we have been doing since Purple Line NOW News debuted, our team gets together to look at the top stories that made our list for the past year! Without further delay, here are the Top Ten Purple Line happenings of 2023, in no particular order, that landed on our radar over the previous twelve months:

1) Throughout the Purple Line corridor, an iconic visual of progress has begun to pepper the landscape -- TRACKS! Over 1,500 linear feet of track has been laid in a variety of areas, including at the Operations and Maintenance Facility. After so many months of underground utility relocation, track installation is one of the many signs that the Purple Line is well on its way to opening day!

2) You may have seen the news regarding Gov. Moore's announcement regarding cuts to make up for a deficit in the transportation budget. We were pleased to note that those cuts will not have immediate implications for Purple Line construction, but finding a sustainable funding approach is critical for the larger health of transit in our state and larger Metro funding challenges.

3) Although the Talbot Avenue Bridge is slated to open very soon, we were delighted to see a ceremonial walk across the bridge between the Lyttonsville and Woodside communities back in November. When the bridge opens to the public, the event will surely be near the top of the Top Ten list!

4) Did you know the underground utility relocation phase of building the Purple Line is one of the largest utility relocation efforts in the country? While underground utility relocation isn’t nearly as fun to write about as hoisting bridges, we understand how important it was and excited to hear during the Community Advisory Team meetings this fall, they are nearly complete!

5) This fall we learned, in a delightful sign of progress, that station canopies are being installed! Station canopies will provide shade and shelter at most of the stations and truly bring home the vision set out in the artwork we have been eyeing for years. The first to go up was at the Riverdale North Station (which will also be the first station to be completed.)

6) Not all happenings are good news, unfortunately. One of the biggest stories of the year happened in July when MTA and PLTP requested approval from the Board of Public Works for a “modification to the Purple Line Public-Private Partnership (P3) Agreement to formally extends the contractual deadline for achieving Revenue Service Availability to Spring 2027.”

7) Want a breathtaking sign of progress? One of the most visible signs of progress occurred in January when the multi-use pedestrian bridge over Connecticut Avenue was installed during the wee hours of the night. According to the Purple Line Team, the 190k-pound structure was placed at 3 a.m. while most people slept!

8) The Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF) is up and running and fully operational. Soon, the facility and the testing tracks will welcome the new rail cars waiting to be delivered!

9) Blasting began and the final depth of 130 feet was reached for the Bethesda elevator shaft back in the spring of 2023.

10) For 2023, we found the uptick in construction across the Purple Line corridor one of the most exciting things to see after a long year of gearing up! Presently, there are 60 active construction sites with over 1,100 workers bringing the project to life. MTA reports that the project is over the halfway point at 58% completion. Want to see the progress in photos?! Here’s a terrific video that captures the sensational work being done throughout the alignment.

As we look forward into 2024 for even more signs of progress -- rail cars arriving at the OMF, bridges opening, more canopies installed -- we are incredibly excited to inch our way toward taking that first ride!

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.

There are just a few hours left in our TRIPLE matching campaign!

With time running out, this will be our final ask for 2023: Until the stroke of midnight (unless we reach our goal first), all gifts to Purple Line NOW will have TRIPLE the impact thanks to a generous donor who has offered to increase their match of your gift 2-1 in an effort to get us over the top of our goal of $6,000!

All gifts, of any size, are welcome and will help us close the significant gap in our budget, but time is truly running out on this offer. If you can consider a donation to Purple Line NOW, this is a great way to make your donation s-t-r-e-t-c-h!

Thank you to EVERYONE who has jumped in to help -- every penny you have donated will be used to continue our mission of writing, publishing, and sending our bi-weekly newsletter, hosting our annual (and sometimes twice a year!) forum series, and continuing our advocacy work with elected officials, the concessionaire, the state, and other transit organizations. We also provide liaison services to help those of you with questions get in touch with the folks who have the answers.

We are SO grateful to each of you.;

You can see all of our donors on our website. If you do not see your name here, we hope you might consider a donation to Purple Line NOW this weekend. 

In case you missed our previous newsletters, we would like to share a few words from our Board President, Ralph Bennett about why we are asking and why it is so critical that Purple Line NOW continues our work.

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you to highlight our low bank balance and the urgent need to raise funds to continue our important work. As you know, Purple Line NOW rarely holds special event fundraising, instead we rely on our donors and supporters to come through for us to assist when our financial needs outweigh our revenue.

At our recent quarterly board meeting, our Treasurer reported that our current bank balance is dangerously low and that we are at risk of being unable to continue working with the public to broaden our advocacy efforts and achieve our goals. We cannot afford to let this happen.

That is why I am asking for your help. Every donation, no matter the size, will help us continue our outreach to the community via our widely read bi-weekly newsletter, advocate for issues facing the Purple Line and beyond at the local, state, and federal levels, and continue hosting the very popular community webinars on a regular basis where we bring experts and industry leaders together to discuss all things Purple Line along the corridor.

If you or your organization have not donated in the past year, I ask you to consider a donation to Purple Line NOW at this time. All donors are listed on our website for a year following their donation. A very generous anonymous donor has offered to match all donations during this campaign, beginning today through the end of the year, or until our goal of $6,000 is reached, so your help will count twice as much this holiday season!

Your support will make a real difference in our efforts to close the significant gap in our budget and ensure our work continues until opening day of service.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you for all you do for us and for our community. Happy New Year!

Purple Line NOW
https://www.purplelinenow.com/

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

• What's Happening at PLN?
  • Happy Holidays!
  • Halfway to Our Goal!
  • A Message from PLN Board President, Ralph Bennett
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Old Train Routes to New Trail Networks
  • Please Share With Your Baltimore Friends
  • A Whole New Metro Network -- In Paris
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  • Transportation Budget Deficit
  • 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?

Happy Holidays!

From all of us here at Purple Line NOW, we wish you and your loved ones a very happy holiday! Thank you for all of your support, cheerleading, and advocacy throughout the year. This is the final newsletter for 2023, but rest assured, we'll be back in the new year with our Top Ten list, so stay tuned!

Halfway to Our Goal!

As of this morning, we are thrilled to announce we are halfway to our goal of reaching $6,000 in donations before the end of the year!

But, there are only a few weeks left in our matching campaign. We know this is a busy time of year for everyone, but donations given to Purple Line NOW through the end of the year will be matched (dollar for dollar!) until we reach our goal of $6,000! That is a steep goal for us, but it is not only necessary in order for us to close the gap in our budget, but we are confident that with your help, we can meet it!

Continuing this newsletter, our forum series, and our advocacy work is how we use every dollar raised. No matter the size of your donation, your support will have double the impact today!

Thank you to those who have given since we kicked off our campaign a few weeks ago -- your donations have been matched and you are now listed on our website! Not sure if you have given in the past twelve months? You can see all of our donors on our website to be sure. If you do not see your name here, we hope you might consider a donation to Purple Line NOW. Every single penny we raise goes to continuing our mission.

Many of you know us well and have been thoughtful and generous donors throughout our journey toward riding the Purple Line. We have also had lots of new folks join us as construction has ramped up and visual signs of progress abound. 

In case you missed our previous newsletter, would like to share a few words from our Board President, Ralph Bennett, about why we are asking and why it is so critical that Purple Line NOW continues our work.

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you to highlight our low bank balance and the urgent need to raise funds to continue our important work. As you know, Purple Line NOW rarely holds special event fundraising, instead we rely on our donors and supporters to come through for us to assist when our financial needs outweigh our revenue.

At our recent quarterly board meeting, our Treasurer reported that our current bank balance is dangerously low and that we are at risk of being unable to continue working with the public to broaden our advocacy efforts and achieve our goals. We cannot afford to let this happen.

That is why I am asking for your help. Every donation, no matter the size, will help us continue our outreach to the community via our widely read bi-weekly newsletter, advocate for issues facing the Purple Line and beyond at the local, state, and federal levels, and continue hosting the very popular community webinars on a regular basis where we bring experts and industry leaders together to discuss all things Purple Line along the corridor.

If you or your organization have not donated in the past year, I ask you to consider a donation to Purple Line NOW at this time. All donors are listed on our website for a year following their donation. A very generous anonymous donor has offered to match all donations during this campaign, beginning today through the end of the year, or until our goal of $6,000 is reached, so your help will count twice as much this holiday season!

Your support will make a real difference in our efforts to close the significant gap in our budget and ensure our work continues until opening day of service.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Ralph Bennett, President
Purple Line NOW

Thank you from all of us here at Purple Line NOW!

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Old Train Routes to New Trail Networks

Michael Laris interviews Ryan Chao of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in the Washington Post. In the article, the Purple Line is cited as an example of how conservation efforts can be a two-way track. When completed, the Bethesda-to-Silver Spring portion of the trail will have both the light rail line and the trail traveling on paved and separated right-of-ways (with the exception of the Wisconsin avenue crossing, where the trail tunnel option is still seeking a funding source). (Laris, M. (2023, November 27). Old train routes are getting recycled into new trail networks. Washington Post.)

Please Share With Your Baltimore Friends

On behalf of the Baltimore City House Delegation’s Transportation Subcommittee, Delegate Robbyn Lewis invites you to the City for All Forum on January 27, 2024. Let’s envision a transportation future that is healthy, accessible, reliable, sustainable and equitable for all! This first-of-its kind public event is open to all residents of Baltimore city and metro region. The vibe will be positive, respectful, forward-looking, optimistic and open-hearted. Participants can join in-person or virtually.

Pre-registration is required. Click here to sign up and share your vision!

DATE: Saturday 27 January 2024
TIME: 11am – 2pm
VENUE: Morgan State University, Earl G. Graves School of Business Auditorium, Rm. 104
ADDRESS: 4100 Hillen Road, Baltimore, MD 21218

We all want a transportation network that delivers fast and reliable access to jobs, school, health care and recreation for all, regardless of age, race, income or physical ability. We can have this! Learn about planned improvements, like the Frederick Douglass Passenger Rail Tunnel and Mondawmin Transit Hub Upgrades. And lend your voice to make even more projects possible - join us!

A Whole New Metro Network -- In Paris

A reader sent this article in to us, saying, "I'm sure you will enjoy this news story from Paris where the Grand Paris Express 'joins' the Purple Line as a rare example of circumferential rail in the suburbs." We are happy to see Paris catching up with us! (Xu, X. (2023, December 5). Paris is getting a whole new Metro network. And it’s huge. CNN Travel.)

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Transportation Budget Deficit

You may have seen the news regarding Gov. Moore's announcement regarding cuts to make up for a deficit in the transportation budget. This does not have immediate implications for Purple Line construction, but finding a sustainable funding approach is critical for the larger health of transit in our state and larger Metro funding challenges. The next meeting of the commission is today at 1 pm to 4 pm. The agenda, slides, and video of for past meetings are available on the commission website.

Photos from Around the Corridor

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

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?
  • Double the Impact of Your Donation TODAY!
  • A Message from PLN Board President, Ralph Bennett
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • MARC Growth and Transformation Plan (Survey)
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  
  • 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?

Double the Impact of Your Donation TODAY!

A very generous donor continues to match every donation as we head into the holiday season! Every single donation to Purple Line NOW will be matched (dollar for dollar!) until we reach our goal of $6,000! That is a steep goal for us, but it is not only necessary in order for us to close the gap in our budget, but we are confident that with your help, we can meet it!

No matter the size of your donation, your support will have double the impact. We are so grateful!

Thank you to those who have given in the past two weeks since kicking off our campaign -- your donations have been matched and you are now listed on our website! Not sure if you have given in the past twelve months? You can see all of our donors on our website to be sure. If you do not see your name here, we hope you might consider a donation to Purple Line NOW. Every single penny we raise goes to continuing our mission.

Many of you know us well and have been thoughtful and generous donors throughout our journey toward riding the Purple Line. We have also had lots of new folks join us as construction has ramped up and visual signs of progress abound. 

In case you missed our previous newsletter, would like to share a few words from our Board President, Ralph Bennett, about why we are asking and why it is so critical that Purple Line NOW continues our work.

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you to highlight our low bank balance and the urgent need to raise funds to continue our important work. As you know, Purple Line NOW rarely holds special event fundraising, instead we rely on our donors and supporters to come through for us to assist when our financial needs outweigh our revenue.

At our recent quarterly board meeting, our Treasurer reported that our current bank balance is dangerously low and that we are at risk of being unable to continue working with the public to broaden our advocacy efforts and achieve our goals. We cannot afford to let this happen.

That is why I am asking for your help. Every donation, no matter the size, will help us continue our outreach to the community via our widely read bi-weekly newsletter, advocate for issues facing the Purple Line and beyond at the local, state, and federal levels, and continue hosting the very popular community webinars on a regular basis where we bring experts and industry leaders together to discuss all things Purple Line along the corridor.

If you or your organization have not donated in the past year, I ask you to consider a donation to Purple Line NOW at this time. All donors are listed on our website for a year following their donation. A very generous anonymous donor has offered to match all donations during this campaign, beginning today through the end of the year, or until our goal of $6,000 is reached, so your help will count twice as much this holiday season!

Your support will make a real difference in our efforts to close the significant gap in our budget and ensure our work continues until opening day of service.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Ralph Bennett, President
Purple Line NOW

Thank you from all of us here at Purple Line NOW!

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HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

MARC Growth and Transformation Plan

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is seeking public input on the development of goals for the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) service. The MARC Growth and Transformation Plan will update and expand upon the MARC Cornerstone Plan, last published in 2019, which provided strategic priorities for the system and the capital investment needed to achieve those initiatives.

The agency is seeking the public’s help in redefining the vision and goals of the MARC Train system so that it meets the needs of all Marylanders. The study area includes the existing MARC Train service area and potential extensions to Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia. The updated document will reflect an implementation strategy and associated set of required capital projects.

The results of this survey will help shape the future of MARC Train service. You can find the survey and more information at this link: mta.maryland.gov/marc-growth-plan.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Photos from Around the Corridor

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

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.