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

• What's Happening at PLN?
  • Fall Fundraising Season Begins
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Fall Community Advisory Team Meetings Scheduled
  • Beyond the Rails Grant Opportunity
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  
  • Brief Recap of PLN Fall Forum with Recording Link

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?

Fall Fundraising Season Begins

You may see a few more asks from us in the coming weeks -- fall is usually the time when Purple Line NOW focuses our efforts on fundraising, whether it is through event sponsorship, individual sponsors, or corporate sponsorship -- every dime and dollar is appreciated and put to good use.

Your donation will help us continue our advocacy efforts and ensure the Purple Line project is a success. If you are a previous donor, thank you for your past gift(s) to us and continuing your support into the future. If you are not sure whether you contributed to us in the past year, check out our current donors on our website. (All donors are listed for a year following their donation.)

If you are new to us, welcome! Please contact us with any questions you may have. 

The "DONATE" button below will take you directly to the donation page. Thank you in advance for your consideration and for all you do for our community!

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Fall Community Advisory Team Meeting Schedule

The meeting dates and times for the fall Community Advisory Team (CATs) meetings has been set. Visit their website for call information and a link to log into the meetings:

October 10
Silver Spring
6:00 p.m.

October 12
College Park
6:00 p.m.

October 17
Bethesda/Chevy Chase
6:00 p.m.

October 19
University Boulevard
6:00 p.m.

October 24
Greater Lyttonsville/Woodside
6:00 p.m.

November 2
Riverdale Park-Glenridge/New Carrollton
6:00 p.m.

November 7
Long Branch
6:00 p.m.

Beyond the Rails Grant Opportunity

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 -- the deadline for application is November 30. Details on how to apply can be found on their website.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

Brief Recap on Purple Line NOW Fall Forum

We were thrilled to host an information-packed forum two weeks ago that put the spotlight on the future of the communities surrounding the Purple Line.

The forum, Planning for the Purple Line – Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties’ Initiatives, featured a fantastic panel with Planning Board Chairs from both Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, Artie Harris, (Montgomery County) and Peter Shapiro, (Prince George’s County), Evan Glass, Montgomery County Council President, Eric Olson, Prince George's County Council Member and Transportation Committee Chair, Maricela Cordova, Montgomery County Department of Transportation Acting Deputy Director, Transportation Policy, Christina Contreras, Strategic Projects Implementation Manager, and Victor Weissberg, Special Assistant to the Director and Major Projects Manager, Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation.

We are grateful for each of these very busy professionals for sharing a thoughtful and forward-looking update from their neck of the woods as it pertains to all we have to look forward to once the project is complete.

If you missed the forum, you can watch it here: Purple Line NOW September 20, 2023 Forum. Many of the questions you submitted in advance were answered during the course of the presentations and for those that we were not able to get to, we will provide follow-up soon.

Our Vice President, Greg Sanders, who also manages all of our social media, tweeted out some great tidbits live during the forum and included some helpful links, too:

1) Chair Artie Harris @montgomeryplans shared the Montgomery Board's plan for safe and convenient pedestrian access to the Purple Line. https://t.co/Pnl6NY0xlg

2) Chair Peter Shapiro and Prince George's County are working to create a scorecard for that county's efforts and also a placemaking initiative in Riverdale. 

3) Prince George's County Councilmember Eric Olson covered Plan 2035, a comprehensive guide for the future of development in Prince George's county. http://planpgc2035.org

3) Montgomery Council President @CMEvanGlass raised the challenges of construction, equitable growth, & the importance of bike & road safety. The Council just passed the Safe Streets act which will be relevant to many bikers and walkers going to the line or nearby.

4) Maricela Cordova highlighted the grant program for businesses negatively affected by Purple Line. https://montgomerycountymd.gov/business/purpl

5) MoCo Strategic Projects Implementation Manager Contreras noted that the concessionaire is aiming to open the Bethesda to Silver Spring part of the trail at a point when it can be generally opened and would not be subjected to recurring widespread closures.

6) Vic Weissberg of @PGCountyDPWT followed on the safety issues describes vision zero as their centerpiece and vision zero is centered on building on the data. So this means working with the state to address safety during construction and making sure key corridors around the line become safer, for example at Metzerott Rd. and Adelphi Rd. Prince George's county has won grants that will help with these safety upgrades. https://t.co/345v2L336S

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.

We are very excited to announce the next Purple Line NOW forum, Planning for the Purple Line – Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties’ Initiatives, will be on Wednesday, September 20 from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm!

This forum will bring together Councilmembers from both Prince George's and Montgomery counties, the Chairs of each county's Planning Board, and inside-baseball staffers from each. 

Mark your calendars and REGISTER to reserve your seat now!

In the coming days, we will announce the full slate of speakers, but please take a moment to register below. As with all the fora we have hosted over the past many years, these remain free and open to the public and press, but you must register in advance:

Questions for panelists? Please submit questions in advance of the webinar – our panelists will try to answer as many as they can in the time allotted. The earlier you can submit your questions, the better the opportunity for us to provide some answers, so don't delay! Send your questions to Christine Scott, Purple Line NOW Executive Director at [email protected].

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

• What's Happening at PLN?
  • Forum Registration is OPEN!
  • Fall Fundraising Season Begins
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • From Our Friends at PLCC
  • Long Branch Fall Festival
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  
  • Things That Caught Our Eye

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?

Registration for PLN Fall Forum is OPEN!!

We are very excited to announce the next Purple Line NOW forum, Planning for the Purple Line – Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties’ Initiatives, will be on Wednesday, September 20 from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm!

This forum will bring together Councilmembers from both Prince George's and Montgomery counties, the Chairs of each county's Planning Board, and inside-baseball staffers from each. 

Mark your calendars and REGISTER to reserve your seat now!

In the coming days, we will announce the full slate of speakers, but please take a moment to register below. As with all the fora we have hosted over the past many years, these remain free and open to the public and press, but you must register in advance:

Questions for panelists? Please submit questions in advance of the webinar – our panelists will try to answer as many as they can in the time allotted. The earlier you can submit your questions, the better the opportunity for us to provide some answers, so don't delay! Send your questions to Christine Scott, Purple Line NOW Executive Director at [email protected].

**Event Sponsorship: If you would like to sponsor the event, please let us know. We publish all our donors and sponsors at every forum – we can’t do this without you. Thanks in advance for your consideration!

Fall Fundraising Season Begins

You may see a few more asks from us in the coming weeks -- fall is usually the time when Purple Line NOW focuses our efforts on fundraising, whether it is through event sponsorship (see above!), individual sponsors, or corporate sponsorship -- every dime and dollar is appreciated and put to good use.

Your donation will help us continue our advocacy efforts and ensure the Purple Line project is a success. If you are a previous donor, thank you for your past gift(s) to us and continuing your support into the future. If you are not sure whether you contributed to us in the past year, check out our current donors on our website. (All donors are listed for a year following their donation.)

If you are new to us, welcome! Please contact us with any questions you may have. 

The "DONATE" button below will take you directly to the donation page. Thank you in advance for your consideration and for all you do for our community!

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

From Our Friends at the Purple Line Corridor Coalition

Friends at the Latino Economic Development Center recently authored an article in Nonprofit Quarterly about small business preservation work in partnership with the Purple Line Corridor Coalition. Read the piece to learn more about coordinated efforts to support small business owners who are organizing to stay in their communities and benefit from the Purple Line once its complete.

Long Branch Fall Festival

With temperatures soaring this week to record highs, it may not feel quite like autumn is around the corner, but by the weekend, hopefully temperatures will have cooled and fall will be in the air. Our friends at Action Committee for Transit will have a booth at the Long Branch Fall Festival -- if you are around, make sure to swing by and say hi!

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

From the Purple Line MD Team:

From Holly Arnold, Administrator, 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?
  • Purple Line NOW Forum
  • Thank you!
• Happening Along the Purple Line Corridor
  • Impacted Small Business Grants Available
  • Purple Line Corridor Business Directory
  • Purple Line NOW Joins Coalition Effort to Increase Metro Funding
  • Items that Caught Our Eye
• Construction Updates and Project Features
  
  • Photos 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?

Purple Line NOW Forum

We are working to pull together a forum headlined by both the Prince George's and Montgomery counties' Planning Boards in September. Stay tuned and watch this space for more information!

Thank You!

A big THANK YOU to all who answered our call for financial support a few weeks ago! We had quite few donations from new supporters -- welcome aboard!! To all of our supporters, thank you for your continued help during these summer months -- we truly cannot do this without you.

If you don't see your name on our website list of sponsors, we hope you will consider a gift to Purple Line NOW. For those who may have missed it, we are reprinting our appeal below and ask for your help to continue our work:

We are making an appeal to those of you who have not contributed to Purple Line NOW in a while and to those who have never donated to our organization. For those of you who are new to us, you may not realize that Purple Line NOW does not do any special event fundraising, nor are we underwritten by any organization or company. Everything we do -- all the advocacy, newsletters, educational webinars -- is supported by our donors. We operate on a tiny budget (under $20,000 a year) and when our coffers get low, we ask our supporters to consider a donation to us.

To that end, we wanted to reach out to you with a quick update on the status of the Purple Line project and to ask for your support.

As you know, Purple Line NOW was established to promote the approval and funding of the Purple Line project. After more than 20 years of advocacy, we were thrilled when the project was finally approved. We had worked tirelessly to ensure that the Purple Line would become a reality, and we are proud of our efforts.

However, we have learned that since construction began, the challenges to completing the project have continued. Nevertheless, we remain convinced that the Purple Line will have an incredibly positive impact on the quality of life for commuters and travelers in our region. We believe that the Purple Line will provide a vital connection between neighborhoods, universities, and job centers, and will help to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.

Despite the challenges, we here at Purple Line NOW have continued to work as a conduit between the community and builders so that questions and concerns can be addressed. We have advocated for a final product that is a real asset for the communities it will serve. We have also been working to raise awareness of the benefits of the Purple Line and to build support for the project.

However, we cannot do this work alone. We rely on the support of donors like you to help us continue our efforts. We are asking for your help once again to ensure that the Purple Line project is completed as planned, and that it serves the needs of our community.

Your donation will help us continue our advocacy efforts and ensure the Purple Line project is a success.

If you are a previous donor, thank you for your past gift to us and for your consideration of continuing your support into the future. If you are not sure whether you contributed to us in the past year, check out our current donors on our website. (All donors are listed for a year following their donation.)

If you are new to us, welcome! Please contact us with any questions you may have. 

The "DONATE" button below will take you directly to the donation page. Thank you in advance for your consideration and for all you do for our community!

HAPPENING ALONG THE PURPLE LINE CORRIDOR

Impacted Small Business Grants Available

This announcement comes from Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson's newsletter just this morning:

"Independently owned and operated businesses with 20 or fewer employees impacted by Purple Line construction can apply for County Phase III grants starting August 15th. The application will be posted here. The County’s Business Center will host informational webinars on the program on Aug. 29, 30 and 31 at 8070 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring."

Businesses are encouraged to apply, even if they do not have all the required information readily available. The County’s Business Center staff will assist all businesses throughout the process. If you have questions, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].

Purple Line Corridor Business Directory

While we are talking about small businesses -- do you want to return to an old favorite (or find a new one) along the corridor? Check out this Purple Line Corridor Business Directory!

Purple Line NOW Joins Coalition Effort to Increase Metro Funding

Purple Line NOW has worked in tandem with the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) on joint efforts over the years and our leadership has just agreed to sign on to participate in their newest campaign aimed at winning support for sustained dedicated operating funding for WMATA. You can read more about the effort in their press release and you may see updates in the Purple Line NOW News from time to time.

Items That Caught Our Eye

Montgomery County Councilmember Balcombe retweeted and tagged Purple Line NOW in this fun post by Annie Tulkin:

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES & PROJECT FEATURES

From the Purple Line MD Team:

Photos From Around the Corridor

At Purple Line NOW's quarterly board meeting last month, we were pleased to hear a report from the Purple Line MDOT team about the progress crews are making throughout the corridor. With over 700 crew workers at more than 60 sites and 75% of the underground utility work done and dusted, the photos are getting more and more dramatic. It is nice to see progress happening above ground, too!

Photo Courtesy: MDOT MTA

Photo Courtesy: MDOT MTA

Photo Courtesy: 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.