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

• What's Happening at PLN?
  • Beyond the Rails Grant Applications Due
  • Next Purple Line Forum
  • Thank You for Continuing to Support PLN
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Spring Community Advisory Teams Meetings Completed
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  • Historic Talbot Avenue Bridge Reopens
  • Portion of Capital Crescent Trail Slated to Open Earlier
  • MDOT MTA Releases May Newsletter
  • Summer Traffic Pattern Shift at Dale Drive and Wayne Avenue
  • The Summer Red Line Shutdown and Spring Street Bridge Closure

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?

Beyond the Rails Grant Applications Due

Just a quick reminder that the Beyond the Rails Grant Applications are due at the end of the week!

The Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) has funded a grant program that will support organizations dedicated to improving our communities. Grants will range from $1,000 to $3,000 per year and will be awarded in the following categories:

• Community – Projects that support the overall wellbeing of adjacent communities (e.g., environment, health, recreation, education, economic opportunity, etc.). Potential example: Tot-lot equipment for a pre-school.
• Environment – Projects that enhance or protect the natural environment. Potential example: A local tree-planting initiatives.

If you know of an organization or group that might meet the criteria above, please share this information, but hurry -- the deadline for application is May 31. Details on how to apply can be found on their website.

Next Purple Line NOW Forum

Thanks to a grant from the Purple Line Transit Partners, Purple Line NOW will continue our popular Envisioning the Purple Line Forum series this year! We are busy pulling together an educational and informative event and will announce the panel of speakers and date soon. As always, our events are free and open to the public and media, so keep an eagle eye out for the big announcement!

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

Spring Community Advisory Teams Meetings Completed

Please click on the website to watch the presentations for the remaining CAT meetings held since our last publication:

May 9 University Boulevard, 6:00 p.m.

May 14 Bethesda/Chevy Chase, 6:00 p.m.

May 16 College Park, 6:00 p.m.

May 21 Lyttonsville, 6:00 p.m.

May 23 Long Branch, 6:00 p.m.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

We have a lot of construction information to bring you in this issue, specifically surrounding the closures of the Red Line Metro stations and the Spring Street bridge. But first, we have two pieces of very good news – true signs of progress and a real-time glimpse of the finish line! 

Historic Talbot Avenue Bridge Reopens

Officials from MDOT MTA, the Purple Line team, elected officials, members of Purple Line NOW's Executive Committee, as well as community leaders and residents gathered last Friday, May 24, to officially reopen the Talbot Avenue Bridge in Silver Spring after its closure six years ago. Replacing the bridge was necessary to allow for the construction of the Lyttonsville Purple Line station and to allow for trains and the Capital Crescent Trail, as well as improving pedestrian access.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

According to a press release from MDOT, "The new bridge is ADA compliant and features multi-layer safety fencing and an updated two-way road surface, as well as a ramp, new curbs and wider sidewalks that are intended to improve safety for cars and pedestrians crossing CSX train tracks and the parallel Purple Line tracks under construction below."

Of the bridge's reopening, Delegate Jared Solomon remarked, "This morning was a long time coming as we celebrated the official opening of the new Talbot Avenue Bridge between Lyttonsville & North Woodside! This bridge symbolizes progress but also our history, once as a means of segregation but now as a connection between communities."

Photo Courtesy of Donna Nelson

Photo Courtesy of Donna Nelson

Portion of Capital Crescent Trail Slated to Open Earlier

The second piece of good news is the potential earlier opening of a portion of the Capital Crescent Trail than originally projected! In their bi-monthly report to the Maryland State Legislature earlier this month, MDOT has updated the timeline for the opening of a portion of the Capital Crescent Trail. According to the report, the portion of trail from Bethesda to Silver Spring is now slated to open in Spring 2026!

Along with good news and progress come construction detours and traffic woes. While patience is encouraged with an eye to the immense benefit the Purple Line will afford everyone who lives, works, or visits our communities along the alignment, we know this is going to be a difficult summer for many as we navigate those detours.

If you are interested in seeing photos of what construction was like way back in the early 1970s, before the Washington Metro grand opening in 1976, have a look at WMATA’s archived photos of what the city looked like on opening day and during construction and this amazing gallery of construction photos from George Washington University archives. Hopefully, they can serve as motivation for all of us to keep our eye on the prize!

MDOT MTA Releases May Newsletter

The May newsletter from MDOT MTA Purple Line is out and it features the Silver Spring Station:

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

We can’t help but remember when Purple Line NOW held a press conference back in May 2017 in the future tunnel of the Purple Line at the Silver Spring library to rally elected officials like Congressman Jamie Raskin and others who spoke passionately at the early morning event demanding a legal decision after the project had been stalled for many months when Judge Leon issued his original order vacating its environmental approval. We are certainly glad those days are behind us, thanks to our terrific supporters and Purple Line advocates!

Summer Traffic Pattern Shift at Dale Drive and Wayne Avenue

One of our readers sent this door knocker left on their door that we thought might be of interest to those living in or commuting through this part of the alignment. We will continue to monitor any changes to these patterns and bring you links where you can find the latest information.

The Summer Red Line Shutdown

With the summer closure of the Red Line at five busy stations beginning on Saturday, June 1, it bears repeating the information that MDOT MTA has distributed and how you might best navigate your commute during these closures.

Beginning THIS Saturday, June 1 through Saturday, August 31, the Red Line will be closed between Glenmont and Takoma. Additionally, the closure will extend to Fort Totten through Saturday, June 29, 2024. Make sure to check out this website to see what types of alternative transportation is available for those who must commute between or through those stations. Express, local, and limited services will be available in addition to new bus-only lanes and traffic mitigations.

Important Dates and Service Information: June 1 - Aug. 31, 2024

• Free shuttle buses replace Red Line trains between Glenmont and Takoma
• Station closures: Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, and Silver Spring
• Red and Green line available at Fort Totten

Note: The closure will extend to Fort Totten from June 1 - 29 only

We understand that all the shuttle buses will be boarding and off-loading in the Silver Spring station garage and, according to the station manager, they do not expect any standing buses on Colesville Road, Second Avenue, or Wayne Avenue (with the exception of heavy traffic times.) We have been assured that there will be plenty of Metro staff to help direct riders to the local and express shuttle buses which are described on the WMATA website  and in pamphlets located at station kiosks.

Additionally, the sidewalk and mid-block crosswalk from the north side station across Colesville Road, and the adjacent sidewalk, is currently under construction. MTA expects the (sidewalk) project to be completed in about two weeks. Until the north side sidewalk and stair construction is completed, we are advised that it will be most direct to cross at Colesville/Second/Wayne from the northern neighborhoods to reach the shuttle buses beginning this Saturday, June 1st.  

Spring Street Bridge Closure

Below is a detour map for the Spring Street bridge closure -- which will be in effect until January 2025.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

Purple Line NOW will stay on top of construction news and help where we can. We understand it is going to be a hard summer for all living and working in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, but we are determined to keep our eye on opening day. If you have questions about closures or cannot find the information you need, please let us know and we'll try to provide some answers for you.

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
  • Spring Community Advisory Teams Meetings
  • Election Day is May 14!
  • State of Maryland Disparity Study
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  • Riverdale/New Carrollton and Silver Spring Community Advisory Team Meeting Highlights

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

Thanks to a grant from the Purple Line Transit Partners, Purple Line NOW will continue our popular Envisioning the Purple Line Forum series this year! We are busy pulling together an educational and informative event and will announce the panel of speakers and date soon. As always, our events are free and open to the public and media, so keep an eagle eye out for the big announcement!

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

Spring Community Advisory Teams Meetings Left:

Please click on the website to find information on how to join the meeting. You will find the presentation videos for those CATs which have already occurred at the website, as well.

May 9 University Boulevard, 6:00 p.m.

May 14 Bethesda/Chevy Chase, 6:00 p.m.

May 16 College Park, 6:00 p.m.

May 21 Lyttonsville, 6:00 p.m.

May 23 Long Branch, 6:00 p.m.

Election Day is May 14 in Maryland

A friendly reminder to put May 14 on your calendar -- or better yet, vote early or by mail! You can get all the election information details here from how to register, how to request a mail-in ballot, and where your polling place is for Maryland's Presidential Primary and State Primary next month.

State of Maryland Disparity Study

The State of Maryland is conducting a comprehensive Utilization and Availability Study, led by MGT Consulting Group. The overall purpose of the Disparity Study is to determine whether there is racial and/or gender business discrimination in the markets in which the State does business – both public and private sectors. The State is "encouraging ALL business owners to provide information about their experiences, particularly with respect to discrimination, while doing business or attempting to do business with the State of Maryland and other public or private entities in Maryland’s market area. We hope that all firms, not just certified firms, will participate." If you are interested in completing the survey, visit this link.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Riverdale/New Carrollton and Silver Spring Community Advisory Team Meeting Highlights

We encourage you to view the presentations which are posted shortly after the meetings are held for your respective community. Presenters for each meeting offer lots of slides to help us better understand the work completed and the planned work coming up in the near future, and most importantly, which roads and/or services will be closed when construction warrants.

Below are a few highlights from each meeting, but again, we encourage you to watch the videos so that you can be as prepared as possible for what is going on in your neighborhood or on your commute as it pertains to Purple Line construction. You also might enjoy this video of the construction progress shown in a new before and after video of the Purple Line’s Riverdale Park-Kenilworth Station.

The Riverdale/New Carrollton Community Advisory Team (CAT) meeting was held on May 2 and included updates on construction happening on many of the roads in and around a variety of neighborhoods and main thoroughfares. Rivertech Court at River Road will be closed from June 15 through August 25 for track installation. Although for many enduring these closures on a daily basis construction might seem endless, seeing tracks going down certainly makes the detours easier to digest!

Another highlight from this CAT is that work on the test track at the Glenridge Operations & Maintenance facility is expected to be completed by 2024.

Canopies and station platforms at the Riverdale Park North-UMD Station have been completed

For those living and working in and around Silver Spring, we gently nudge you to have a look at the presentation at the link above. Silver Spring's Community Advisory Team meeting was held on May 7 and the Purple Line team shared a trainload (!) of information on a variety of detours, road closures, and the upcoming summer closure of the Silver Spring Station. While work on the Purple Line requires the station to be closed for several months, Metro has coordinated with MTA to schedule additional improvements and upgrades instead of multiple disruptive closures in the future.

Additionally, the Spring Street Bridge will be closed from June 2024 until January 2025, as well as detours and road closures around Wayne Avenue and Dale Drive and Sligo Creek.

During the meeting, the team explained that the intersection at Wayne and Dale will be open, but you will only be able to make right hand turns in all directions beginning on June 14  through Aug 24 or so. You will not be able to cross from southbound Dale to eastbound Wayne toward Long Branch OR from northbound Dale to westbound Wayne toward Silver Spring. SimiIarly, westbound Wayne toward Silver Spring cannot turn left onto southbound Dale or eastbound Wayne to northbound Dale (towards Colesville). Most importantly, you will not be able to cross Wayne on Dale Drive. See the slide show at the link to learn of alternatives for getting around this busy intersection during this time.

It comes as no surprise to any who have been following along that a large portion of what is currently happening along the alignment has been utility relocation work. You'll remember that the State took this work on when the first contractor walked off the job, but ran behind schedule in implementing those relocations. It has only been in recent months that they were able to hand off the finished work back to the new consortium.

Utility relocation goes well beyond making sure the trains have reliable power and the area under the track is stable. It also involves stormwater management, which ties into those large tubes you have probably seen at the side of the road throughout the corridor. The Purple Line project has meant the entire right-of-way has undergone a significant upgrade to get up to code.

The project is now more than the 65% completed for the overall project (we are over the half-way mark!) and at 86.8% for utility relocation. Trackwork is visible at many points throughout the right-of-way, which is so exciting and helps all of us envision what is to be in just a few years' time. We are anxiously awaiting the opening of the Talbot Avenue Bridge! 

This summer will be rough for everyone who lives and works within the Purple Line corridor with highly disruptive closures throughout our communities. But, a drive along the alignment keeps us hopeful and energized as do your photos! Send us some snaps of Purple Line progress happening in your neck of the woods!

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
  • Community Advisory Teams Schedule for Spring Set
  • Election Day is May 14!
  • National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 17
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  • Summer Red Line Shutdown Information
  • Other Items of Interest
  • 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?

Next Purple Line NOW Forum

Thanks to a grant from the Purple Line Transit Partners, Purple Line NOW will continue our popular Envisioning the Purple Line Forum series this year! We are busy pulling together an educational and informative event and will announce the panel of speakers and date soon. As always, our events are free and open to the public and media, so keep an eagle eye out for the big announcement!

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

Community Advisory Teams Schedule for Spring is Set

Please click on the website to find information on how to join the meeting.

May 2 Riverdale/New Carrollton/Glenridge, 6:00 p.m.

May 7 Silver Spring, 6:00 p.m.

May 9 University Boulevard, 6:00 p.m.

May 14 Bethesda/Chevy Chase, 6:00 p.m.

May 16 College Park, 6:00 p.m.

May 21 Lyttonsville, 6:00 p.m.

May 23 Long Branch, 6:00 p.m.

Election Day is May 14 in Maryland

A friendly reminder to put May 14 on your calendar -- or better yet, vote early or by mail! You can get all the election information details here from how to register, how to request a mail-in ballot, and where your polling place is for Maryland's Presidential Primary and State Primary next month.

National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 17

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will sponsor eight pit stops throughout the County as part of the Washington Region’s participation in “National Bike to Work Day” on Friday, May 17. 

MCDOT will sponsor eight pit stops this year, including a new stop in Germantown at the BlackRock Center for the Arts.  

The free pit stop events offer refreshments, music and local vendor displays at varying times throughout the morning of May 17. There will be free raffle prizes and a grand prize raffle of at least one new bike at each of the MCDOT-sponsored pit stops. Residents biking to work, as well as leisure riders, are encouraged to participate.  

Registration to participate is now open.  The first 15,000 bicyclists to register and participate will get a free t-shirt and will be automatically entered into a raffle for a chance to win a new bike. Registration is encouraged but not mandatory. 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Summer Red Line Shutdown Information

You have probably heard by now that beginning on Saturday, June 1 through Saturday, August 31, the Red Line will be closed between Glenmont and Takoma. Additionally, the closure will extend to Fort Totten through Saturday, June 29, 2024. Make sure to check out this website to see what types of alternative transportation is available for those who must commute between or through those stations. At a press conference yesterday morning, transportation officials announced that they will be providing dedicated bus lanes and changes to signal timing that "will make the shuttle travel seamless." Express, local, and limited services will be available in addition to new bus-only lanes and traffic mitigations. 

Important Dates and Service Information: June 1 - Aug. 31, 2024
Free shuttle buses replace Red Line trains between Glenmont and Takoma
Station closures: Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, and Silver Spring
Red and Green line available at Fort Totten

Note: The closure will extend to Fort Totten from June 1 - 29 only

Other Items of Interest

News from the Maryland Purple Line Team -- April Newsletter

Photos from Around the Corridor

Photo Courtesy of Ross Capon

Photo Courtesy of Ross Capon

Photo Courtesy of Ben Ross

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
  • National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 17
  • Metro’s NEW Real-time Performance Tracking Tool
  • From Our Friends at the Purple Line Corridor Coalition
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  • Items of Interest
  • 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?

Next Purple Line NOW Forum

Thanks to a grant from the Purple Line Transit Partners, Purple Line NOW will continue our popular Envisioning the Purple Line Forum series this year! We are busy pulling together an educational and informative event and will announce the panel of speakers and date soon. As always, our events are free and open to the public and media, so keep an eagle eye out for the big announcement!

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

National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 17

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will sponsor eight pit stops throughout the County as part of the Washington Region’s participation in “National Bike to Work Day” on Friday, May 17. 

MCDOT will sponsor eight pit stops this year, including a new stop in Germantown at the BlackRock Center for the Arts.  

The free pit stop events offer refreshments, music and local vendor displays at varying times throughout the morning of May 17. There will be free raffle prizes and a grand prize raffle of at least one new bike at each of the MCDOT-sponsored pit stops. Residents biking to work, as well as leisure riders, are encouraged to participate.  

Registration to participate is now open.  The first 15,000 bicyclists to register and participate will get a free t-shirt and will be automatically entered into a raffle for a chance to win a new bike. Registration is encouraged but not mandatory. 

Metro’s NEW Real-time Performance Tracking Tool

Metro customers now have a new way to track performance and plan their travel with the addition of Metrobus data to MetroPulse, Metro’s real-time performance tracking tool.

MetroPulse, launched last summer, gives customers real-time information on bus and train locations, frequency, schedule adherence, and service advisories to help customers make informed decisions about their travel. MetroPulse is a web application currently in beta form, and it complements other performance tracking tools available at wmata.com, including quarterly reports and scorecards detailing on-time performance and customer satisfaction. 

From Our Friends at the Purple Line Corridor Coalition

The organization is hosting its annual meeting on April 24 in Riverdale Park. If you are interested in attending, you can find more information and register at the link.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Some Items of Interest

News from the State: Maryland Purple Line Team Newsletter

News from General Assembly: Shoring Up the Trust Fund

Photos from Around the Corridor

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

View south from Talbot Ave bridge showing Purple Line ROW adjacent to existing CSX/MARC tracks with downtown Silver Spring in background. Photo Courtesy, Webb Smedley

View of Talbot Avenue west of bridge.  CCT is on large sidewalk on right of photo. Photo Courtesy, 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.