The Purple Line, previously designated as the Bi-County Transitway, is a proposed 16-mile (25 km) transit line[1] to link the Red, Green and Orange lines of the Washington Metrorail transportation system in Washington, D.C..
The Purple Line was conceived as a rail line from New Carrollton to Silver Spring. Maryland's Glendening administration (which included John Porcari as Secretary of Transportation) removed the heavy rail option from planning discussion because it was felt that the cost was greater than the need. Robert Flanagan, the Maryland State Secretary of Transportation under governorRobert Ehrlich, merged the Purple Line with another transportation project, Georgetown Branch Light Rail Transit (GBLRT). The GBLRT was proposed as a light rail transit line from Silver Spring westward, following the former Georgetown Branch of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (now a short CSX siding and the Capital Crescent Trail) to Bethesda.
Both Governor Ehrlich and Secretary Flanagan introduced an alternative mode — bus rapid transit ? that might be utilized in lieu of light rail transit. To reflect this possibility, the administration changed the name of the project to the "Bi-County Transitway" in March 2003. Another reason that "the Purple Line" was discouraged by the Ehrlich administration was that its associations with the other color-oriented names of the Washington Metro system (which consists of heavy rail) might lead the public to expect a heavy rail option. The new name did not catch on, however, as several media outlets and most citizens continued to refer to the project as the Purple Line. As a result, Governor Martin O'Malley and Secretary of Transportation John Porcari opted to revert to "Purple Line".
In January 2008, the O'Malley administration allocated $100 million within a six-year capital budget to complete design documents for state approval and funding of the Purple Line.[2] In May 2008, it was reported that the Purple Line could carry about 68,000 daily trips.[3]
A draft environmental impact study was issued on October 20, 2008.[4]
Route and station locations
A map of the proposed Purple Line routes including alternative alignments east of Silver Spring
The planned rail or rapid bus line will connect the existing Metro stations at:[5]
The Washington Post advocates construction of the Purple Line light rail option.
After the 2006 election, the members-elect of the Montgomery County Council and Prince George's County were unanimously in favor of the Purple Line light rail option.
State officials (including Governor O'Malley, Dem.) are also strong Purple Line advocates. State officials say that a Purple Line, which would run primarily above ground, "would provide better east-west transit service, particularly for lower-income workers who can't afford cars."[7]Washington Post
The development firm Chevy Chase Land Co. is a strong proponent of the construction of the Purple Line. The website for the pro-Purple umbrella group Purple Line NOW! lists Edward Asher as a member of its board of directors. The Washington Post indicates that the development firm would "no doubt profit from property it owns near at least one of the proposed stations."[8]
The Town of Chevy Chase supports bus rapid transit on the alternate Jones Bridge Road alignment based on concerns over expected ridership numbers and carbon footprint.[11]
Several political leaders support this option due to its reduced sunk costs and the ability to easily modify its routing should such a need arise.
There are few indications of support for the rapid bus option among residents of Montgomery and Prince George's counties, as evidenced by the lack of endorsements from organizations or other prominent individuals.
Opposition
Many opponents of the Purple Line believe that the Bethesda-Silver Spring portion will negatively impact the Capital Crescent Trail, a popular recreational path along which the Purple Line might run. An organization called Save the Trail was formed to organize local opposition to Purple Line construction.[12]
A leading opponent of the Purple Line is the Columbia Country Club, a golf course with land that occupies both sides of the planned route between Bethesda and Silver Spring.[13]
Opponents cite the high cost of the project, estimated at $2 billion. Many opponents of the Purple Line believe that a rapid bus plan would be more cost effective.[14]
Some residents in Bethesda and Chevy Chase believe a rail line running near their properties will negatively impact property values near the route.[15] In support of this position, the Town of Chevy Chase independently hired transportation planning firm Sam Schwartz Engineering to study alternatives to the proposal.[16]
Some Silver Spring residents are concerned that one of the proposed routes will take houses along Thayer Avenue, cross in back of East Silver Spring Elementary School, take over an acre of Sligo Creek Park, and bring noise to a residential neighborhood.
University of Maryland administrators have raised concerns that the Purple Line could disrupt existing pedestrian and autombile traffic patterns on campus.[17]
Response to opposition
Common responses to opposition points include arguments that:
The Purple Line will not destroy the Capital Crescent Trail, but will exist adjacent to it.[18]
The Purple Line will allow the final 1.5 mile section of the Capital Crescent Trail to be completed into Silver Spring as an off-road trail and will reduce the number of at grade crossings. [19]
The right-of-way for the Capital Crescent Trail was purchased by the state of Maryland specifically for a transit line, so the trail would not exist if not for the transit line.[20]
The environmental benefits of increased transit use, such as lower vehicle emissions, more than offset the removal of trees along the route from an environmental perspective.[21]
Bus rapid transit is not as effective as light rail.[22]
The suggested alternate route along Jones Bridge Road between Bethesda and Silver Spring is indirect and slower than the Capital Crescent route.[23]
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