Welcome to This Edition of Purple Line NOW News

Hello friends and welcome back!  As we slide into early fall and the mornings start feeling just a little crisper, the Purple Line corridor is buzzing with activity. In this issue, you’ll find updates on the Spring Street Bridge, a reader‑reported update from the Capital Crescent Trail near Talbot Street, some news out of College Park as testing ramps up, a reminder about the upcoming CAT meetings, a quick highlight from a terrific smart‑growth conference several of our board members attended, and a gentle note about our ongoing fundraising needs. We also remember our long time board member, John Robinson.

Grab something warm to sip and settle in. Lots to catch up!

Warmly,
Purple Line NOW

WHAT'S HAPPENING!

A Heartfelt Request for Support Through a Thin Stretch

As we mentioned in our last edition of the Purple Line NOW News, this time of year is always lean for us, and without corporate sponsors or grant funding to rely on, every bit of support from our community matters.

Many of you have stepped up over the past few weeks and we are truly grateful. Your generosity helps keep our newsletters coming, our website running, and our outreach tools humming along. You make it possible for us to stay present and consistent during a time when reliable Purple Line information is more important than ever.

Even so, we’re still short of what we need to comfortably cover the basics until our fall and winter fundraising season begins. If you’re able to help us bridge this stretch, your donation will go directly toward keeping our work steady and uninterrupted. Whether it’s a small gift or something larger, it genuinely makes a difference.

And if you’ve already given, thank you! Your support keeps us moving forward.

If you can pitch in, you can donate here: https://www.purplelinenow.com/donate or by clicking the donate button below.

Thank you, truly, for helping us stay afloat during this thin stretch and for standing with us as we continue this work for the corridor and the communities we all care about.

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
Nancy and Rob Soreng

Engineers

Isiah Leggett
Ben Ross

Conductors

Anne Ambler & John Fay
Posey Eitzen
Jodie Kulpa‑Eddy
John Robinson
Christine Scott and JohnR Llewellyn

Commuters

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

Passengers

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

Fall CAT Meetings: Coming Soon!

It’s that time again. The Fall 2026 Community Advisory Team (CAT) meetings are right around the corner and these sessions are one of the best ways to stay informed about what’s happening in your part of the corridor.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

Here’s the schedule for this round of meetings:

• University Boulevard CAT Tuesday, October 13, 6:00 p.m.
• Silver Spring CAT Thursday, October 15, 6:00 p.m.
• Bethesda/Chevy Chase CAT Monday, October 19, 6:00 p.m.
• College Park CAT Wednesday, October 21, 6:00 p.m.
• Riverdale Park CAT Monday, October 26, 6:00 p.m.
• Long Branch CAT Tuesday, October 27, 6:00 p.m.
• New Carrollton CAT Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 p.m.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

All meetings are virtual and open to the public. If you haven’t attended one before, they’re friendly, informative, and a great way to hear directly from the project team. You can find links and details at purplelinemd.com.

Spring Street Bridge: Still a Work Zone

If you’ve been anywhere near the Spring Street Bridge in Silver Spring lately, you already know the drill. Construction crews are still hard at work on structural elements, utilities, and roadway reconstruction. The bridge has been one of the more stubborn pieces of the puzzle, and after reaching out to county officials, we can report that crews are continuing their work, with paving yet to do. There’s no firm reopening date just yet, but we’ll keep watching this one closely and share updates as soon as they come our way.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

More on Purple Line construction updates: https://purplelinemd.com/construction

Capital Crescent Trail Near Talbot Steet Remains Under Construction

The trail segment from the Talbot Street bridge toward the Silver Spring Metro connection with the Metropolitan Branch Trail is still very much a construction zone. We hope to hear more about the progress of the trail (and all its segments!) at the upcoming CAT meetings (see above.)

Trail reconstruction in this area is tied to station work, utility relocation, and all the complicated choreography happening because of it.

Photo Courtesy of MDOT MTA

If you’re passing through, give yourself a little extra time. And if you spot anything new, feel free to send us a note. We love hearing from you.

Affordable Connected Communities Conference

Several members of our Purple Line NOW Board of Directors recently attended the Affordable Connected Communities conference hosted by the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth. It was a terrific gathering of planners, advocates, researchers, and community leaders who are all thinking deeply about how to build places that are equitable, connected, and sustainable.

If you’d like to explore the conference materials, presentations, or follow‑up resources, you can visit their website here: https://www.umdsmartgrowth.org/affordable-connected-communities-2026/

Lots of good ideas and inspiration came out of this one.

Remembering John Robinson

We also want to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of John Mark Robinson, who served on the Purple Line NOW Board for many years and continued to support our work as a donor. John passed away in April, and although we learned of his death only recently, we didn’t want this edition to go by without recognizing his contributions.

John spent much of his life in public service, working in both federal and local government, and brought that same steady commitment to his time with Purple Line NOW. He was married to his wife Patricia for more than four decades and was a devoted father and grandfather. Those who knew him remember a thoughtful, community‑minded person who believed in the value of projects that strengthen and connect neighborhoods.

We are grateful for the part he played in our organization and extend our sincere condolences to his family.

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