Settle In and Catch Up with Us!

Hello friends,

We hope you’re finding a little time to enjoy these long July days and maybe even a shady spot to escape the heat. There’s plenty happening along the Purple Line corridor right now -- new construction activity, fresh testing updates, a look at Bethesda’s booming development scene, and even a fun drone’s eye view of the entire alignment. We’ve also got a quick summer fundraising update and one last call to help shape our next Purple Line NOW Forum.

As always, thank you for spending a little time with us and staying engaged with all things Purple Line. Your support, your questions, and your enthusiasm keep this work meaningful, especially as we move closer to seeing trains on the tracks and riders on board. We hope the updates in this issue give you a clearer picture of what’s happening along the corridor -- from construction and testing to development and community conversations. Until next time, stay cool, stay curious, and stay connected. We’re grateful to have you with us on this journey.

Grab a cool drink, settle in, and let’s take a look at what’s new this week.

WHAT'S HAPPENING!

A Gentle Mid-Season Ask

As we move through the heart of summer, we want to pause and thank everyone who has supported Purple Line NOW so far this year. Summer is always a quieter time for fundraising -- vacations, family time, and warm evenings tend to pull us away from our inboxes. But your support keeps our advocacy, newsletters, and public forums going strong.

If you value the updates we provide, the questions we ask on your behalf, and the community we help connect, we hope you’ll consider a summer gift. Every donation -- large or small -- helps us keep this work moving, especially during these slower months. Thank you, as always, for keeping us going.

To donate, just click here or click on the purple DONATE NOW button below. Every contribution truly makes a difference. 

With Gratitude to Our Generous Donors

We are deeply grateful for the support of everyone who helps keep Purple Line NOW strong. Your contributions make our work possible, and we appreciate you more than we can say.

Presenting Donors

The Sanders‑Malloy Family

Featured Donors

Maryland Department of Transportation
Tina, Don, and Jessie Slater

Supporters

Elizabeth Barbehenn

Engineers

Isiah Leggett
Ben Ross
Nancy and Rob Soreng

Conductors

Posey Eitzen
Jodie Kulpa‑Eddy
John Robinson
Christine Scott and JohnR Llewellyn

Commuters

Anne Ambler & John Fay
Gus Bauman
Ralph Bennett
Glen Bottoms
Mike DeLong
Peter Gray
Elaine Emling & Michael Jenner
Drs. Troy Jacobs & Kawsar Talaat
Gerrit Knaap
Francine Meyer
Kathy Porter
Tom Quinn
Webb Smedley
John Undeland

Passengers

Louise & Ross Capon
John Carroll
Margaret Chasson
Patrick Dougherty
William & Kay Gilcher
Michael Larkin
Jay Miller
Judith Morenoff
James Riley
Michael Volk
William Young

Help Shape Our Next Purple Line NOW Forum: Last Chance to Take Our Survey

We’re making one final, urgent ask for your input. Our survey closes at the end of this week, and if you haven’t had a chance to participate yet, this is truly the last opportunity to weigh in. Click here to take the survey. A big thank you to everyone who has already responded -- your feedback has been incredibly thoughtful and helpful.

To catch you up: we’re putting together our next Purple Line NOW Forum, and this one will focus on Operations. With construction winding down and testing ramping up, we know folks have lots of questions about what riding the Purple Line will actually be like once the doors open. Before we finalize anything, we need your input on what format will best serve our community.

Over the past several years, our virtual forums have drawn strong attendance and made it easy for people from across the corridor to join. At the same time, we know there’s real value in gathering face to face, and if we move forward with an in‑person event, it will likely be held on the University of Maryland campus.

Whether you’re a longtime supporter, a neighbor along the alignment, or a UMD student who will soon be riding the Purple Line, your voice matters. The survey is short, easy, and genuinely helps us determine which option may work better for most folks.

Here are some of the questions we’re considering for the session:

• Will e‑scooters and bikes be allowed on the trains

• How transfers will work between Metro, MARC, Amtrak, and Ride On

• What’s happening with the Capital Crescent Trail and other bike and pedestrian connections

• How fares will work

• What service frequency might look like

• What riders should know about safety, accessibility, and wayfinding

• What to expect during the testing phase before opening day

We’re still shaping the details, but as soon as we have a date, time, and slate of speakers, you’ll be the first to know. If you haven’t taken the survey yet, please do -- your input really does help us plan something meaningful.

Where the Project Stands: Summer Construction & Testing Update

The Purple Line team continues to make steady progress this month, with several new construction activities and testing operations underway across the corridor.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

According to the latest updates from MDOT MTA’s Purple Line team, here’s where things stand:

System Testing Expands

Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) testing continues in multiple segments, including College Park, Riverdale Park, and the Lyttonsville–Bethesda stretch. Testing includes acceleration, braking, horn and bell use, and signal integration. Please stay outside the project limits and follow posted signage.

Upcoming Work in Silver Spring

Crews are preparing for additional overhead catenary system work near the Silver Spring Transit Center. This may include temporary lane closures or pedestrian detours in the coming weeks. The team notes that this work is part of the final push toward full systems integration.

Bethesda Station Area Activity

Utility work and station finishing tasks continue around the Bethesda Station footprint. Expect periodic sidewalk detours and short‑term closures as crews complete water service upgrades and prepare the station area for future testing.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

College Park Campus Impacts

Overnight testing continues on select nights through early September with brief traffic holds at cross streets. The Purple Line team advises travelers to expect short delays and follow detour signage.

These updates reflect the project’s shift into the intensive testing and systems readiness phase. 

Bethesda’s Building Boom: Purple Line‑Driven Growth

If you haven’t been to Bethesda lately, you’re in for a surprise. The pace of change -- completed projects, active construction, and newly announced plans -- is remarkable, and much of that momentum is tied directly to the coming of the Purple Line. The corridor is seeing a wave of reinvestment as developers position new homes, shops, and community spaces within easy reach of future stations (Bethesda Urban Partnership).

One project that really illustrates this trend is the planned apartment building at 7749 Old Georgetown Road. The site, once home to a small office building, is being reimagined as a modern residential community with more than 300 apartments, ground‑floor retail, and improved streetscape features designed to make the area more walkable and welcoming. The building’s height and design reflect Bethesda’s shift toward transit‑oriented living -- creating homes for people who want to be close to Metro, close to shops, and soon, close to the Purple Line (Bethesda Magazine, 2025).

What’s especially striking is how this project fits into the broader transformation happening all around downtown Bethesda. Blocks that once felt quiet or underused are now filling in with new housing, restaurants, and public spaces. The Purple Line’s promise of reliable east‑west transit is helping fuel that confidence, encouraging long‑term investment and giving the community a more connected future.

A Drone’s Eye View of the Purple Line

If you’re looking for a fun and fascinating way to see the Purple Line’s progress, our longtime friend Dan Reed over at Greater Greater Washington recently highlighted a fantastic new drone video created by Don O’Brien, a YouTuber and devoted railfan who has been documenting the Purple Line from above for years (Greater Greater Washington, 2026). 

Every few months, Don takes to the skies with his drone and traces the entire route from Bethesda to New Carrollton, capturing a smooth, continuous flyover of stations, trackwork, bridges, and all the construction activity happening along the corridor. His latest video, filmed on May 28, is more than an hour long and includes music and captions to help viewers follow along. Don even suggests watching at 2x speed for the full effect.

It’s a wonderful way to see the project’s progress from a completely different angle and Dan’s write‑up includes links to other great rail‑spotting locations around the region if you’re inspired to explore more. You can watch the full video and read Dan’s coverage at Greater Greater Washington.

It’s well worth a look -- and we’re grateful to both Dan and Don for giving the community such a creative window into the Purple Line’s progress.

STAY CONNECTED

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