Welcome to the Latest Edition of Purple Line NOW News!

We’re so glad you’re here with us! As summer settles in along the corridor, the Purple Line has entered one of its most exciting phases yet -- light rail vehicles are now moving along multiple stretches of track, not just in isolated test zones but in extended runs that look and feel like the real thing. If you’ve been near College Park, Riverdale Park, or the University of Maryland campus recently, you may have caught a glimpse of a train gliding through an intersection or humming past a station canopy. It’s a sight many of us have been waiting years to see.

In this issue, we’ll walk you through:

• Dynamic testing expanding -- Purple Line vehicles are now running longer distances under their own power.
• Construction updates from the latest MDOT MTA reports, including station progress and summer work zones.
• Small business support and corridor‑wide impacts.
• A reminder to be on the lookout for our Forum Format Poll for the fall Purple Line NOW Forum.
• A thank you and gentle reminder about our summer fundraising efforts.
• A look ahead to Maryland’s June primary with links to transit‑focused scorecards and voter guides.

As always, if you want to stay on top of construction notices, detours, and weekly field updates, you should sign up directly for official alerts. It’s the best way to keep track of what’s happening on the ground as the project accelerates toward opening day.

Let’s take a look at what’s happening across the corridor!

WHAT'S HAPPENING!

A Warm Thank You and a Gentle Ask

As always, thank you to everyone who supports Purple Line NOW. Your generosity keeps this newsletter going, helps us host public forums, and ensures we can continue to advocate for a successful, community‑centered Purple Line.

Summer is traditionally a quieter giving season, but our work continues year‑round. If you don’t yet see your name on our donor list, we hope you’ll consider joining our community of supporters. To donate, just click here or on the purple DONATE NOW button below. Every contribution truly makes a difference. 

Thank you to all of our generous supporters!

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, Peter Gray, Gerrit Knaap, Francine Meyer, Kathy Porter, Tom Quinn, Webb Smedley, John Undeland

Passengers

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

Purple Line Vehicles Now Running Along the Alignment

Over the past three weeks, MDOT MTA has expanded dynamic testing, and Purple Line light rail vehicles (LRVs) are now traveling extended segments of track, including:

• College Park to the University of Maryland campus
• Riverdale Park Station area
• Sections near the Glenridge Operations & Maintenance Facility

These runs include acceleration, braking, signal integration, and interaction with crossing gates -- all essential steps toward full‑system testing. MDOT MTA has emphasized that residents should expect to see trains moving more frequently and in more locations throughout the summer.

This is the first time the public has seen multiple LRVs moving in daylight along completed track segments and it marks a major shift from construction to operations readiness.

To help communities prepare, the outreach team has been hard at work. Residents near testing areas may have already seen door hangers, variable message signs, and school safety presentations. The University of Maryland community has received targeted outreach as well, including signage and coordinated communication with campus partners. A dedicated Testing and Safety page now brings key information together in one place.

The safety message remains simple and essential:

• Always expect a train.
• Use designated crossings.
• Never walk, bike, or park on the tracks.
• Treat all overhead wires as energized -- they carry 1,500 volts DC and are extremely dangerous.

We Need Your Input: Help Shape Our Next Purple Line NOW Forum

As we plan our next Purple Line NOW Forum, we’d love your help deciding 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.

Before we make any decisions, we want to hear from you. 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. Keep an eye out for a short survey which will pop into your inbox soon asking for your thoughts on the format of the event -- should we gather in person again, stay virtual, or try a hybrid mix?

We’ll also share the same questions on our social media channels so everyone can weigh in.

Your feedback will help us choose the format that makes it easiest for you to participate and stay engaged with the project as it moves toward opening day.

Construction Progress: Stations, Systems, and Summer Work Zones

MDOT MTA’s late‑May and early‑June updates highlight several construction milestones:

• Station canopies are being installed or completed at Silver Spring, Long Branch, Riverdale Park–Kenilworth, and Beacon Heights–East Pines.
• Elevators and escalators are being tested at Bethesda and Silver Spring.
• Overhead catenary system (OCS) wiring is now energized in multiple new segments, enabling the expanded vehicle testing.
• Trail connections continue to advance, including work on the Capital Crescent Trail near Bethesda and the Georgetown Branch Trail corridor.
• Roadway and traffic pattern shifts are scheduled throughout June in Lyttonsville, University Boulevard, and Riverdale Park.

Overall construction remains near 90% complete, with systems integration now the dominant focus.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA Purple Line

Exciting news for the Bethesda and Chevy Chase communities: this month Purple Line crews will begin Live Wire testing of light rail tracks and systems with a Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) between the Lyttonsville Operations and Maintenance Facility and Bethesda Station. During the first phase of testing, operations will run overnight from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for approximately one week. The majority of future testing will be conducted between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Please continue to remain outside the project limits, as LRVs will periodically travel along the tracks and through the Purple Line work zone. Please note that testing in this section is limited to dedicated Purple Line tracks and does not interact with traffic. View testing map here.

Want to see what all the excitement is about? Thanks to our partners at MDOT MTA, we’re thrilled to share a set of brand‑new videos that show exactly what progress looks like on the Purple Line right now. Eagle‑eyed viewers will spot Purple Line NOW’s own Board Member and Treasurer, Tina Slater, and her husband Don in the first clip!

You’ll also see a glimpse of artist Claudia Fitch’s Turning Point, the Art‑in‑Transit installation taking shape at the future Glenridge Station. Designed to give the station a distinctive visual identity, the piece reflects the surrounding community and enhances the passenger experience. You can learn more about the artwork here: https://ow.ly/gJGz50Z9Z9r.

A quick reminder: This summer, construction continues on the second mezzanine at Bethesda Station, which will provide a direct connection to the Purple Line -- making transfers easier and supporting long‑term ridership growth. During this work, free shuttles are replacing trains between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights.

Learn more by clicking here.

Small Business Support Continues Along the Corridor

MDOT’s Small Business Grant Program awarded $600,000 in new grants this spring to businesses affected by Purple Line construction. You can find a bunch of information on how to apply for your group and a list of the most recent grantees here. Congratulations to all the winners!

Maryland’s June Primary: Transit Scorecards & Voter Guides

Maryland’s primary is coming up on June 23 and several organizations have released transit‑focused voter guides to help residents understand where candidates stand on transportation, land use, and climate issues.

Here are a few resources you may find helpful:

• Action Committee for Transit (ACT) Candidate Scorecards
  ACT regularly publishes questionnaires and scorecards for Montgomery County and state‑level candidates focused on transit, walkability, and sustainable transportation.
• Sierra Club Maryland Chapter 
  Their website offers great information on the upcoming election.
• Greater Greater Washington (GGWash) Voter Guides
  GGWash interviews candidates and publishes transportation‑focused guides for Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
• Coalition for Smarter Growth Resources to help you know how, where, and when you can cast your vote, and to inform you about candidates’ positions on housing, zoning, and transportation.

For official election information, visit the Maryland State Board of Elections: https://elections.maryland.gov

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