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

• What's Happening at PLN?
• Purple Line in the News
  • New Purple Line Contractor in Place by February
• Features & Highlights
  
  • The Purple Line and the Local Business Community
  • Draft -- Six Year Consolidated Transportation Budget
  • Suggestions for Next Purple Line NOW Forum
• Construction News
  • Navigating Construction at the University of Maryland
  • Pedestrian and Worker Safety
  • Landscaping Plans at Purple Line Stations
  • Meet Chevy Chase Artist Heidi Lippman
  • Photos Around the Purple Line Corridor

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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PLN?

Please Help Us Continue Our Work

Each year, we ask you to consider a donation to Purple Line NOW which helps us continue to offer events like our online webinars which are always free of charge to all participants, as well as this information-packed newsletter, along with answering many of your questions and staying on top of what is going on throughout our corridor as it relates to the project as a whole.

Purple Line NOW was fortunate enough to be the recipient of a generous matching donor last winter and you stepped up to help us during that campaign which has seen us through a difficult year. It will be time to ask anew in the fall, so we hope at that time, if you are able, you will consider supporting us with a financial donation.

We do not host special event fundraisers, nor do we receive underwriting grants from any source, government (local or otherwise), nor are we a membership organization (we do not ask for annual dues). We rely solely on support from donors like YOU!

Remember, with your donation, your name (or your business name) will be listed on our website, as well as in event literature and signage for a year following your donation.

As always, a great big thank you to ALL OF OUR DONORS! We simply could not do our work without your support. If you don't see your name on our website link, you can donate by clicking the purple button below.

Thank you, thank you! Especially after the year from which we are all slowly emerging, a great big THANK YOU!

THE PURPLE LINE IN THE NEWS

New Purple Line contractor should be in place by February (K. Shaver, Washington Post, September 8, 2021)

FEATURES & HIGHLIGHTS

The Purple Line and Local Business Communities

In case you missed this in our prior newsletter, the Maryland Purple Line project management office is standing up a Business Engagement Team. If you have a business along the line or know someone who does, the team is available to help foster relationships. The team consists of:

• Lesli Leath, Business Relationship Manager, [email protected], 1-240-695-9269
• Minh Diep, Business Engagement Officer for Montgomery County, [email protected], 1-551-206-5889
• Marlene Veras, Business Engagement Officer for Prince George’s County, [email protected], 1-443-802-1608

Draft -- Six Year Consolidated Transportation Budget

Last week, the Governor and MDOT released a draft of the six year consolidated transportation budget. You can read the entire draft of the report here: 2022 State Report on Transportation. With regard to the Purple Line project, Delegate Marc Korman (District 16) said via Twitter that, “the budget would increases short-term spending on the Purple Line by paying the rest of the construction settlement immediately instead of financing it and continuing work while the P3 partner looks for a new construction partner, which the Dept claims could be ID'ed before the end of the year.”

What Would You Like to See At the Next Purple Line NOW Forum?

We are beginning to think about the next Purple Line NOW forum, set to occur sometime later this fall. What would you like to know more about? General updates? Specific focus areas? Campus and the Purple Line highlights? Send your ideas to [email protected] and we'll try to make it happen! 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Navigating Construction at the University of Maryland

With schools starting across our region, including at the University of Maryland, here’s a quick overview of how to navigate some of the campus construction going on in College Park. A quick date on one very important change students will see upon arrival at the College Park campus -- according to the University’s website, “Those driving onto campus at its main entrance will quickly realize a campus landmark has been relocated. The M Circle, which was at the intersection of Campus and Regent Drives, was moved across the street and is now adjacent to the Mitchell Building. The change was precipitated by the Purple Line light rail project.”

Pedestrian and Worker Safety

Pedestrian and worker safety around the Purple Line, both during construction and after completion must remain a top priority. We were saddened by the news of the passing of a pedestrian struck on University Boulevard and will continue to watch safety issues both in the alignment itself and in the surrounding roads.

Landscaping Plans at Purple Line Stations

Want to know more about landscaping plans for a variety of Purple Line stations? Check out the plans on the MDOT MTA website.

Meet Chevy Chase Artist Heidi Lippman

Have you seen this video yet featuring an artist who created one of the Art-In-Transit installations? Chevy Chase artist Heidi Lippman's contribution to the Connecticut Avenue station will be a multi-colored glass installation harkening back to the history of the area. In the video, Lippman says she created the installation “as an homage to what was there” and that colors and shades of the installation will change with the seasons, the time of day, and the weather. Check out the video to see the colorful renderings for this station.

Photos from Around the Corridor

Crews continue to work hard throughout the corridor. Thanks to MDOT MTA for the photos.

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