Purple Line (Maryland) Explained

Box Width:	auto
Purple Line
Color:	612c95
Type:	Light rail
System:	Maryland Transit Administration
Status:	Under construction
Locale:	Montgomery County, Maryland Prince George's County, Maryland, U.S.
Start:	(West)
End:	(East)
Stations:	21 (planned)^[1]
Daily Ridership:	64,800 (2030 projection)
Planopen:	Late 2027
Owner:	Maryland Transit Administration
Character:	At-grade, elevated, and underground
Stock:	28 CAF LRVs^[2]
Speed Mph:	55^[3]
Tracklength Mi:	16.2
Gauge:	^[4]
Electrification:	^[5]

The Purple Line is a 16.2miles light rail line being built to link several Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.: Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton.^[6] Currently slated to open in late 2027, the line will also enable riders to move between the Maryland branches of the Red, Green, and Orange lines of the Washington Metro without riding into central Washington, and between all three lines of the MARC commuter rail system. The project is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), an agency of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), and not the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which operates Metro.

Throughout its decades-long planning process, the project was dogged by resistance, particularly from residents of the upscale community of Chevy Chase and members of the Columbia Country Club. From 2003 to 2006, Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich changed the proposed mode of transportation from light rail to bus rapid transit. Legal attempts to thwart the line continued even after construction had begun;^[7] but in December 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that Purple Line construction could continue despite these objections.^{[8] [9]}

In 2016, a consortium headed by Fluor Enterprises won the $5.6 billion contract to design and build the Purple Line, then to operate and maintain it for 36 years.^{[10] [11]} Construction began in August 2017.^[12] Work halted in September 2020, when the consortium withdrew from the contract, citing mounting delays and disputes with the state government.^[13] The project had already consumed $1.1 billion of the anticipated $2 billion construction cost.^[14]

A new general contractor was selected in November 2021,^[15] and a new contract was signed in April 2022. This new agreement added $3.7 billion to the total cost of building, running, and maintaining the Purple Line for 30 years, bringing it to $9.3 billion. Construction costs alone rose $1.46 billion, bringing the total to $3.4 billion.^[16] Full-scale construction activity resumed in summer 2022.^[17]

Costs rose and the opening date receded again in 2023^[18] and 2024. As of March 2024, the estimated cost to build the line and operate it through 2057 was $9.53 billion, some $4 billion over the initial 2016 budget of $5.6 billion. Train service is expected to begin in December 2027.^[19]

History

Early studies, public debate, design

The "Purple Line" has been the name of two different transit proposals. In 1994, John J. Corley Jr., an architect with Harry Weese Associates (which designed the Washington Metro system) proposed a multibillion-dollar Metro line around the 64miles Capital Beltway. This would have served as a "ring" line, connecting suburb to suburb and complementing the existing Metro lines, which radiate from Washington.^[20] (See Rapid transit#Network topologies.) In 1998, the Beltway Purple Line received considerable political support from Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan and Governor Parris Glendening, which was a $10 billion, 30miles line from National Harbor to Montgomery Mall.^[21]

In 1987, after CSX expressed a desire to abandon the Georgetown Branch rail line, Maryland leaders immediately started planning to repurpose it for transit and a hiking trail.^[22] The idea of adapting the railroad for a transit line dated back at least as far as 1970, when such a use was included in the October 1970 Master Plan for the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Planning Area.^[23] Montgomery County purchased its portion of the railroad right-of-way from CSX in 1988 and in 1989 budgeted $107 million to build a trolley between Bethesda and Silver Spring and a pair of trails between Silver Spring and the District.^{[24] [25]}

Eventually, this proposal came known as the "Inner Purple Line" to distinguish it from the "Beltway Purple Line". By 2001, the "Beltway Purple Line" proposal had been abandoned as too costly and the name was attached to the Bethesda to line.^[26]

Robert Flanagan, the Maryland State Secretary of Transportation under Governor Robert Ehrlich, merged the Purple Line proposal with the Georgetown Branch Light Rail Transit (GBLRT) line. The GBLRT was proposed as a light rail transit line from westward, following the former Georgetown Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, now a short CSX siding and the Capital Crescent Trail, to .^[27]

In March 2003, the Ehrlich administration renamed the project the "Bi-County Transitway", reflecting a proposal by Ehrlich and Flanagan to use bus rapid transit instead of light rail, and because the name "Purple Line" seemed to suggest a new heavy-rail system like the color-named lines of the Washington Metro system. The new name did not catch on; several media outlets and most citizens continued to refer to the "Purple Line". In 2007, Governor Martin O'Malley and Secretary of Transportation John Porcari reverted to "Purple Line".^[28]

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.^[29] In May 2008, it was projected that the Purple Line would have about 68,000 daily trips.^[30] A draft environmental impact study was issued on October 20, 2008.^[31] On December 22, 2008, Montgomery County planners endorsed building a light rail line rather than a bus line. On January 15, 2009, the county planning board also endorsed the light rail option,^[32] and County Executive Isiah Leggett has also expressed support.^[33] On October 21, 2009, members of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board voted unanimously to approve the Purple Line light rail project for inclusion into the region's Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan.^[34]

Planners proposed to use existing Washington Metro stations and to accept the WMATA's SmarTrip farecard.^[35] Metro's 2008 annual report envisioned that the Purple Line would be fully integrated with the existing Washington Metro transit system by 2030.^{[36] [37]}

The proposed project drew support and opposition in the community:

Support for Purple Line

• Purple Line Now is a non-profit organization that advocated for a Purple Line light rail line from Bethesda to New Carrollton to be integrated with a hiker/biker trail from Bethesda to Silver Spring.^[38]
• The Action Committee for Transit is a community group that supports the Purple Line.
• The Washington Post editorial board endorsed the Purple Line light rail option in 2008.^[39]
• The Montgomery County Council and Prince George's County Council voted unanimously in favor of the light rail option for the Purple Line in January 2009.^[40]
• Maryland state officials (including former Governor Martin O'Malley) are also strong Purple Line advocates. State officials say that a Purple Line, which is to run primarily above ground, "would provide better east–west transit service, particularly for lower-income workers who cannot afford cars."
• 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 stated that the development firm would "no doubt profit from property it owns near at least one of the proposed stations."^[41]
• The Sierra Club advocates a larger-scale rail system to parallel the Capital Beltway and link all existing Metro lines at their peripheries. This environmental group advocates rail transit over car use because carbon emissions are a major cause of climate change.
• Some student leaders (the Student Government Association and Graduate Student Government) at the University of Maryland support transit alternatives to campus.^{[42] [43]}
• On January 27, 2009, the Montgomery County Council voted to support the light rail option.^[44] Governor O'Malley announced his own approval on August 4, 2009.
• The vice president of trail development for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has said that with proper design, the trail-Purple Line combination can be "among the best in the nation."^[45]
• Members of the Facebook group New Urbanist Memes for Transit-Oriented Teens were "irrationally excited for the forthcoming Maryland purple line."^[46]

Support for bus

• A 2008 study by Sam Schwartz Engineering for the Town of Chevy Chase supported bus rapid transit using an alternate Jones Bridge Road alignment. The Chevy Chase study expressed concerns about the expected ridership numbers, carbon footprint, interruptions in recreation pathways, and the cost of bus and light rail proposals by the MTA involving a Capital Crescent Trail alignment. Although a Jones Bridge Road alignment was also proposed by the MTA, the study noted that features typical of bus rapid transit that were missing from the MTA proposal.^[47]

Opposition to rail

• A not-for-profit local organization, Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail, began collecting signatures on a petition opposing the MTA's Purple Line proposals in 2003; in 2014, it filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia asserting that the Federal Transit Administration had not complied with federal environmental laws when it approved a grant to help build the Purple Line. In 2008, the organization's website asserted that the MTA's light rail and bus rapid transit proposals would undermine the environment and safety on the Capital Crescent Trail,^[48] and endorsed running bus rapid transit on Jones Bridge Road, as recommended by the Chevy Chase study. But the petition called for yet a different option because the Jones Bridge Road route would affect the trail.^[49]
• A leading opponent of the Purple Line was the Columbia Country Club, a private club whose golf course occupies both sides of the planned route between Bethesda and Silver Spring.^[50] The club, "long viewed as one of the most well-financed and politically connected Purple Line foes", spent thousands of dollars over a decade lobbying state and federal officials, hosting fundraisers for sympathetic politicians,^[51] and organizing "grassroots" opposition.^[52] In 2013, newly elected leaders of the Club signed an agreement not to oppose the Purple Line if its route were adjusted by 12feet and other concessions were granted.^[53]
• Opponents in the Town of Chevy Chase cited the town's study of bus rapid transit alternatives. The study estimated a cost of less than $1 billion for a bus rapid transit system, compared with an estimated cost of $1.8 billion for light rail.^[54] A 2011 news report placed the cost of the rail line at .^[55]
• In 2010, residents around the Dale Wayne stop worried that doubling the size of the road, along with the county's "smart growth" policy around transit stops, would encourage commercial development in a residential neighborhood. They wondered about the accuracy of the MTA's prediction that the Dale station would see 1,427 daily boardings.^{[56] [57]}

Approval

In June 2015, the Purple Line was approved by Governor Larry Hogan, who opposed the project while campaigning in 2014. Hogan cancelled its sister project, the Baltimore Red Line, citing excessive costs, and reduced the state's contribution to the Purple Line from $700 million to $168 million, putting the difference toward highway construction. To make up the difference, Prince George's and Montgomery counties would contribute more money and the frequency of train service would be reduced.^[58]

The Purple Line was procured as a full design-build-finance-operate-maintain public–private partnership. On December 7, 2015, four teams composed of major American and international firms submitted their bids to realize the project:^{[59] [60]}

• Maryland Purple Line Partners: Vinci Concessions, Walsh Investors, InfraRed Capital, Alstom and Keolis
• Maryland Transit Connectors: John Laing Investments, Kiewit Development Company, Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate and RATP Dev
• Purple Line Transit Partners: Meridiam, Fluor Corporation, Star America, CAF and Alternate Concepts
• Purple Plus Alliance: Macquarie Capital Group, Skanska, Kinki Sharyo and Transdev.

On March 2, 2016, Hogan announced that the state had chosen Purple Line Transit Partners to build, operate, and maintain the Purple Line for $3.3 billion over 36 years, with service to start in late 2022.^[61]

On April 6, 2016, the Maryland Board of Public Works (composed of Hogan, State Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp, and State Comptroller Peter Franchot) unanimously approved the contract.^[62] The $5.6 billion contract is 876 pages long and, according to The Washington Post is "believed to be the most expensive government contract ever in Maryland" and "one of the largest public-private partnerships on a U.S. transportation project" ever. The contract approval allowed the MTA to finalize $900 million in federal construction grants.

In August 2016, U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon vacated the Purple Line's federal approval, ruling that the MTA and the Federal Transit Administration did not properly study whether Metro's maintenance issues and ridership decline would affect the Purple Line.^[63] Hogan responded that Leon's residence at the Columbia Country Club, a leading opponent of the line, represented a conflict of interest.^[64] A federal funding agreement cannot be signed without the reinstatement of the environmental approval, and Maryland had said it could not afford to build the Purple Line without sufficient federal funding.^[65] On August 21, 2017, despite the ongoing court case over the environmental analysis, $900 million of federal funding was granted for the light rail project.^[66] On December 19, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in favor of the Purple Line, stating that declining ridership on the Washington Metro system does not require Maryland to complete a new environmental study for the Purple Line. This federal appeals court ruling allowed for construction to continue and effectively ended the three-year legal battle surrounding the light-rail line project.

In 2019, the Purple Line Transit Partners said the opening date would slip to 2023 or 2024.^[67]

On April 13, 2020, U.S. District Judge James Bredar dismissed the third and final lawsuit brought by opponents of the Purple Line.^[68]

Builder consortium quits

By 2020, the project had accrued over $800 million in change orders from Purple Line Transit Partners and the opening date had slipped 32 months.^{[69] [70] [71]} On May 1, the consortium declared their intent to cease work on the line and withdraw from their contract. A temporary restraining order halted the company from quitting work, but it was lifted in September,^[72] and PLTP began packing up construction sites the following week.^[73] In November, MDOT announced that MTA had assumed many of the Purple Line's contracts, including the manufacturing of light-rail cars, operations, and maintenance, as well as design and construction contracts.^[74] On November 24, MDOT agreed to pay $250 million to PLTP to settle the costs of overruns,^{[75] [76]} a move approved unanimously in mid-December by Maryland's Board of Public Works (BPW). Officials aimed to restart construction within nine months—i.e., fall 2021.^[77]

Work resumes

On November 5, 2021, Purple Line officials announced that the contract to finish construction would go to Maryland Transit Solutions: a joint venture of Dragados USA and OHL USA, both American subsidiaries of major Spanish construction firms. The contract was ultimately set at $2.3 billion, bringing total construction costs to $3.4 billion, some $1.46 billion over the 2016 plan.

As 2022 opened, state officials said the line would open in fall 2026.^[78] The new construction contract was approved by BPW on January 26, 2022, and signed in April 2022. Full-scale construction activity resumed in summer 2022. In June 2022, MTA said that 77% of the necessary utility relocations had been completed, and that the Glenridge Operations and Maintenance Facility was complete and in operation.^[79]

In January 2023, the estimated cost to build and operate the line for 36 years was $9.28 billion. In July 2023, MTA officials added $148 million to their construction-costs estimate, pushing the build-and-operate cost to $9.4 billion. The expected opening date was delayed to May 2027, more than five years later than first planned. The officials said the changes were due to the change of contractor, to inflation, and to labor shortages.

In March 2024, MTA officials asked the state's Board of Public Works to approve another $425 million for the project. The extra money would go toward construction costs and also extend the contract to operate the line to 2057. The request would boost the total cost to build and operate the line to about $9.53 billion, about $4 billion over the initial 2016 budget of $5.6 billion. It was the second-largest request for extra funds, after the 2022 addition. They also said the Purple Line was now forecast to open in late 2027.^[80]

Route and station locations

The planned rail line will connect the existing Metro, MARC commuter rail, and Amtrak stations at:^[6]

• (Metro Red Line)
• (Metro Red Line, MARC Brunswick Line)
• (Metro Green Line, MARC Camden Line)
• (Metro Orange Line, MARC Penn Line, Amtrak Northeast Regional, Amtrak Vermonter)

The following stations are part of the "Locally Preferred Alternative" route approved by Governor Martin O'Malley on August 9, 2009:^[81]

Station Name	Location	Connections
	7450 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda, Maryland	Metrorail: Red Line Metrobus: J2 Ride On: 29, 30, 32, 34, 36, 47, 70 Bethesda Circulator Capital Crescent Trail
	Capital Crescent Trail & Connecticut Avenue Chevy Chase, MD 20815	Metrobus: L8
	Lyttonsville Place, Lyttonsville Silver Spring, MD 20910	Ride On: 2
	16th Street, Woodside Silver Spring, MD 20910	Metrobus: J1, J2 Ride On: 1, 2, 11, 18
	8400 Colesville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910	Metrorail: Red Line MARC Train: Metrobus: 70, 79, F4, J1, J2, Q2, Q4, S2, S9, Y2, Y7, Y8, Z2, Z6, Z7, Z8 Ride On: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, Flash BRT (Blue, Orange) MTA Maryland Bus: 915, 929 Shuttle-UM: 111 Peter Pan Bus
	900 Wayne Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910	Metrobus: F4 Ride On: 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 28 Shuttle-UM: 111
	Dale Drive & Wayne Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910	Ride On: 12, 15, 19
	Wayne Avenue & Plymouth Street Silver Spring, MD 20910	Ride On: 12, 13, 19
	8736 Arliss Street Silver Spring, MD 20901	Ride On: 14, 15, 16, 20, 24
	Piney Branch Road & University Boulevard Silver Spring, MD 20903	Metrobus: C2, C4 Ride On: 14, 15, 16, 20, 24
Takoma–Langley	7900 New Hampshire Ave Langley Park, MD	Metrobus: C2, C4, F8, K6, K9 Ride On: 15, 16, 17, 18, 25 TheBus: 18 Shuttle-UM: 111
	Riggs Road & University Boulevard Langley Park/Hyattsville, MD 20903	Metrobus: C2, C4, F8, R1, R2 TheBus: 18
	Adelphi Road & Campus Drive Adelphi/Hyattsville, MD 20903	Metrobus: C2, C8, F6, F8 TheBus: 18 Shuttle-UM
	Campus Drive & Library Lane College Park, MD 20742	Metrobus: C2, C8, F6 Shuttle-UM
	Baltimore Avenue & Rossborough Lane College Park, MD 20742	Metrobus: 83, 86, C8, F6 TheBus: 17 Shuttle-UM
	4931 Calvert Road & 7202 Bowdoin Avenue College Park, Maryland	Metrorail: Green Line MARC Train: Metrobus: 83, 86, C8, F6, R12 RTA: 302/G TheBus: 14, 17 Shuttle-UM: 104, 109 MTA Maryland: 204
	River Road & Haig Drive Riverdale Park, MD 20737	Metrobus: F6, R12 TheBus: 14
	East West Highway & Kenilworth Avenue Riverdale Park, MD 20737	Metrobus: F4, R12, T14 TheBus: 14
	Riverdale Road & 67th Avenue Riverdale Park, MD 20737	Metrobus: F4, T14 TheBus: 14
	Veterans Parkway & Annapolis Road Hyattsville/Landover Hills, MD 20784
	4300–4700 Garden City Drive New Carrollton, MD	Metrorail: Orange Line MARC Train: Amtrak Metrobus: A12, B21, B22, B24, B27, F4, F6, F12, F13, F14, G12, G14, T14, T18 MTA Maryland Commuter Bus TheBus: 15X, 16, 21, 21X Greyhound

Potential expansion

Although the Purple Line is a 16-mile (28.8-km) east–west line between Bethesda and New Carrollton,^[6] there have been several proposals to expand the line further into Maryland or to mirror the Capital Beltway as a loop around the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Sierra Club has argued for a Purple Line that would "encircle Washington, D.C." and "connect existing suburban metro lines."^[82] Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, while campaigning in 2006, similarly stated that he would "like to see the Purple Line go from Bethesda to across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge," adding, "Let's swing that boy all the way around" (a reference to having the Purple Line circle through Virginia and back to the line's point of origin in Bethesda).^[83]

An advocacy group known as "The Inner Purple Line Campaign" proposed that the Purple Line be extended westward to Tysons Corner and eastward to Largo, and that it could eventually cross the new Wilson Bridge from Suitland through Oxon Hill to Alexandria, eventually forming a rail line that encircles the city.^[84] The new Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-495's southern crossing over the Potomac River) is built to carry a heavy or light rail line.^[85] Suggested stops along this proposed Purple Line expansion include:^[86]

• • • Oxon Hill (potentially near Rosecroft Raceway, at which Metro has at times had plans to build a stop since 1980^[87])
• National Harbor
• Alexandria, potentially the Metro station
• Springfield
• Annandale
  • Tysons Corner

Rolling stock

The light rail vehicles designed to run on the Purple Line are being built by CAF at their Elmira, New York, facility. Each train is long, consists of 5 modules, and can carry up to 431 passengers (seated plus standing).^[88] CAF began testing the cars in 2020.^[89] Fabrication of all 130 modular car shells at the CAF facility in Spain was completed in June 2021.^[90] 26 of the 28 trains have been assembled as of February 2023.^[2]

See also

• Southern Maryland Rapid Transit
• Washington Metro
• Talbot Avenue bridge

Notes and References

1. Governor O'Malley Announces Purple Line Locally Preferred Alternative . New Carrollton, MD . Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) . August 4, 2009 . October 18, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150914224822/http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/News/2009/August%202009/PurpleLine.htm . September 14, 2015 .
2. Web site: Community Advisory Team Meeting #10 (Lyttonsville) . 2023-02-28 . Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) . 13 . April 13, 2023 . April 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413015257/https://purplelinemd.com/component/jdownloads/?task=download.send&id=789&catid=137&m=0&Itemid=108 . live .
3. Web site: MARYLAND LRV . CAF . July 9, 2023 . July 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230709062143/https://www.caf.net/en/soluciones/proyectos/proyecto-detalle.php?p=287 . live .
4. Request For Proposals Technical Provisions Part 2B, Design Build Requirements . 2–203 . MDOT/Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) . 27 September 2020 . February 7, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210207161258/https://www.purplelinemd.com/component/jdownloads/send/18-public-private-partnership-p3/57-technical-provisions-book-2-part-2 . live .
5. Book: Shah . Dhaval R . Presale: Purple Line Transit Partners LLC . S&P Global Ratings . Toronto, Ontario, Canada . 14 . 11 December 2018 . December 14, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181214064633/https://www.spratings.com/documents/20184/908551/US_CO_Tcon_6716_presale/d498d5c4-245c-4e97-a1cd-212d5fbdc145 . live .
6. Web site: Project Overview . Purple Line . MTA . Baltimore, MD . July 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171222162406/http://www.purplelinemd.com/en/about-the-project/project-overview . December 22, 2017 . dead.
7. Web site: Metcalf . Andrew . Transit Agencies Say Metro's Woes Won't Impact Purple Line . December 19, 2016 . Bethesda Magazine . January 12, 2017 . July 14, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180714132558/http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/Web-2016/Transit-Agencies-Say-Metros-Woes-Wont-Impact-Purple-Line/ . live .
8. News: Federal appeals court ruling allows Purple Line construction to continue . Shaver . Katherine . December 19, 2017 . The Washington Post . December 26, 2017 . January 28, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210128033519/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/federal-appeals-court-ruling-allows-purple-line-construction-to-continue/2017/12/19/4f0844d8-e4d6-11e7-a65d-1ac0fd7f097e_story.html . live .
9. News: US appeals court clears a legal hurdle for Purple Line . December 19, 2017 . WTOP Radio . Chevy Chase, MD . Megan . Cloherty . December 26, 2017 . January 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220127074747/https://wtop.com/dc-transit/2017/12/u-s-appeals-court-clears-a-legal-hurdle-for-purple-line/ . live .
10. Web site: Purple Line Contract Receives Green Light From Governor Larry Hogan . March 2, 2016 . Montgomery Community Media . Rockville, MD . March 2, 2016 . March 9, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210309170649/https://www.mymcmedia.org/purple-line-contract-receives-green-light-from-governor-larry-hogan/ . dead .
11. Benjamin . Freed . Purple Line Construction to Start Later This Year . Washingtonian . March 2, 2016 . April 25, 2016 . January 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220127075719/https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/03/02/marylands-purple-line-finally-has-a-real-plan/ . live .
12. News: Purple Line set to open in fall of 2022, despite year-long delay in construction start, Maryland official says . Shaver . Katherine . September 27, 2018 . The Washington Post . October 7, 2018 . October 8, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181008061210/https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2018/09/27/purple-line-set-open-fall-despite-year-long-delay-construction-start-maryland-official-says/ . live .
13. News: Shaver . Katherine . Maryland takes over contracts on Purple Line construction after contractor quits . The Washington Post . 2020-10-09 . January 13, 2022 . March 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210304215105/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/maryland-takes-over-contracts-on-purple-line-construction-after-contractor-quits/2020/10/09/94fc0c90-0a80-11eb-a166-dc429b380d10_story.html . live .
14. News: Shaver . Katherine . Purple Line will open 4½ years late and cost $1.4 billion more to complete, state says . The Washington Post . 2022-01-12 . January 13, 2022 . February 24, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220224193626/https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/01/12/purple-line-maryland-when-open/ . live .
15. News: Shaver . Katherine . New Purple Line contractors selected to resume full construction this spring . 2021-11-05 . The Washington Post . November 8, 2021 . November 5, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211105212040/https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2021/11/05/purple-line-dragados-construction/ . live .
16. News: New construction contract for Maryland's Purple Line signed . The Washington Post . 2022-04-14 . April 21, 2022 . July 5, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705220808/https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/04/14/purple-line-construction-contract-financial-close/ . live .
17. News: Shaver . Katherine . 2022-09-30 . As Purple Line construction resumes, the fight against gentrification is on . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221202184433/https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/09/30/purple-line-maryland-gentrification/ . December 2, 2022 . October 18, 2022 . The Washington Post.
18. News: Cox . Erin . July 14, 2023 . Purple Line further delayed, another $148M over budget . July 14, 2023 . The Washington Post.
19. Web site: Sears . Bryan P. . 2024-03-01 . Cost of Purple line increases yet again, completion pushed back . 2024-06-05 . Maryland Matters . en-US.
20. News: Fehr . Stephen . A Palette of Proposals for Metro . The Washington Post . December 18, 1994 . September 10, 2017 . February 2, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170202065644/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/growth/transport/proposals.htm . live .
21. News: A Governor's Purple Vision . https://web.archive.org/web/20170202054458/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-700127.html . dead . February 2, 2017. The Washington Post. October 18, 1998.
22. News: Mariano . Ann . Study Favorable to CSX Rail Plans . The Washington Post . June 13, 1987 . January 27, 2017 . February 19, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170219113015/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/realestate/1987/06/13/study-favorable-to-csx-rail-plans/d0a1a5e2-979c-498e-91d4-8bf7908ba33a/ . live .
23. Book: Bethesda : Central Business District Sector Plan . July 1975.
24. News: Armao . Jo-Ann . Rail Spur Purchase 'Priceless'; Montgomery Weighs Hiking, Trolley Line . https://web.archive.org/web/20170906182127/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1294505.html . dead . September 6, 2017 . The Washington Post . December 9, 1988.
25. News: Armao . Jo Ann . Trolley Blazes A Trail for Hikers, Bikers . The Washington Post . 4 December 1989.
26. News: Layton . Lindsey . Glendening Gives Pro-Metro Pep Talk . https://web.archive.org/web/20170202054504/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-421750.html. dead. February 2, 2017. The Washington Post . March 31, 2001.
27. Web site: What is the Purple Line . Purple Line . MTA . July 25, 2015 . July 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150725225730/http://www.purplelinemd.com/en/about-the-project/4-what-is-the-purple-line . live .
28. Web site: Project History . Purple Line . MTA . July 25, 2015 . July 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150725234726/http://www.purplelinemd.com/en/about-the-project/5-project-history . live .
29. News: Davis . Janel . January 18, 2008 . O'Malley allocates $100M for Purple Line planning . The Gazette . Maryland . October 19, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110522181838/http://www.gazette.net/stories/011808/polinew204004_32360.shtml . May 22, 2011.
30. News: Shaver . Katherine . May 30, 2008 . Trips on Purple Line Rail Projected at 68,000 Daily . The Washington Post . September 10, 2017 . August 12, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170812134511/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052902261.html . live .
31. Web site: Studies & Reports Maryland Purple Line . July 25, 2015 . MTA . July 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150725235322/http://www.purplelinemd.com/en/about-the-project/studies-reports . live .
32. News: Spivak . Miranda S. . January 16, 2009 . Montgomery Planners Back Rail . The Washington Post . September 10, 2017 . August 18, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170818010944/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011502563.html . live .
33. News: Shaver . Katherine . January 23, 2009 . Leggett Endorses Light-Rail Plan . The Washington Post . September 10, 2017 . November 7, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107095939/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012203666.html . live .
34. TPB Gives Final Approval to Purple Line Project . TPB News . XVII . 4 . 1 . November 2009 . National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board; Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments . Washington, DC . October 22, 2014 . August 22, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130822141320/http://www.mwcog.org/uploads/pub-documents/yVZYWQ20091106070705.pdf . live .
35. Web site: Public Meeting on the Purple Line . https://web.archive.org/web/20130806194434/http://www.townofchevychase.org/assets/documents/pdfs/purpleline/purplelinetranscript.pdf . August 6, 2013 . June 6, 2007 . Town of Chevy Chase, Maryland . October 21, 2014.
36. Web site: 2008 Annual Report . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) . Washington, DC . January 21, 2009 . June 15, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110615182339/http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/docs/FY08_AnnualReportBooklet.pdf . live .
37. Web site: Metro preparing for more people to shift to transit if gasoline prices continue to skyrocket . May 22, 2008 . WMATA . https://web.archive.org/web/20160530150613/http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2101 . 2016-05-30 . News Release.
38. Web site: Purple Line Now: Who We Are . October 8, 2011 . Purple Line Now . October 3, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111003092816/http://www.purplelinenow.com/who_we_are.html . live .
39. News: Full Speed Ahead . Editorial . The Washington Post . November 16, 2008 . September 10, 2017 . August 18, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170818010129/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/15/AR2008111502142.html . live .
40. Web site: News & Events . Purple Line Now . January 6, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150517111240/http://www.purplelinenow.com/newsandevents.html . May 17, 2015.
41. News: Purple Line Foes Offer No Ideas, And No Names . Katherine . Shaver . The Washington Post . July 13, 2008 . September 10, 2017 . January 29, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170129121405/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/12/AR2008071200790_pf.html . live .
42. News: Students Urge Stronger Backing of Purple Line . The Washington Post . May 13, 2007 . C04 . Katherine . Shaver . September 10, 2017 . December 11, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161211094223/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/12/AR2007051201341.html . live .
43. Web site: Letter from student leaders to UMD President . June 4, 2007.
44. News: Leggett Endorses Light-Rail Plan . Shaver . Katherine . January 23, 2009 . The Washington Post . B03 . September 10, 2017 . November 7, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107095939/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012203666.html . live .
45. News: Rails to Trails VP on Purple Line . Maynard . Patrick . June 8, 2011 . The Baltimore Sun . June 19, 2011 . August 28, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110828090059/http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/health/fitness/2011/06/rails_to_trails_vp_on_purple_l.html . live .
46. Web site: Hunt . Elle . Meet the Numtots: the millennials who find fixing public transit sexy . The Guardian . July 5, 2018 . July 5, 2018 . July 5, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180705093837/https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jul/05/meet-the-numtots-the-millennials-who-find-fixing-public-transit-sexy-urbanist-memes . live .
47. Web site: Analysis of MTA Purple Line . April 23, 2008 . Sam Schwartz Engineering . December 1, 2009 . February 8, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240208221018/http://www.townofchevychase.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/360 . live .
48. Web site: Save the Trail . July 1, 2015 . July 1, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150701170134/http://savethetrail.org/ . live .
49. http://www.savethetrailpetition.org/Alternatives.html Save the Trail Petition: Alternatives
50. News: Fortunes Shift for East-West Rail Plan . The Washington Post . January 16, 2005 . C01 . Katherine . Shaver . September 10, 2017 . August 18, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170818011042/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12436-2005Jan15.html . live .
51. News: 2002-12-03 . Plan to extend Washington's Metro tees off golfers and users of trail (Baltimore Sun, Dec. 3, 2002) . A1 . The Baltimore Sun . 2023-06-08 . June 8, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230608201343/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-plan-to-extend-washing/126075565/ . live .
52. Web site: McNamara . J. Paul . March 24, 2008 . Letter: "Dear Fellow Columbia Members" . https://web.archive.org/web/20140501193345/http://www.actfortransit.org/archives/letters/ColumbiaCountryClub_letter.pdf . May 1, 2014 . June 8, 2023 . Act for Transit.
53. News: Shaver . Katherine . 2013-09-25 . Purple Line route changed to spare part of country club golf course . en-US . Washington Post . 2023-06-08 . 0190-8286 . March 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328193225/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/purple-line-route-changed-to-spare-part-of-columbia-country-club-golf-course/2013/09/25/91cf55e4-252d-11e3-b75d-5b7f66349852_story.html . live .
54. News: Chevy Chase Says Buses Beat Trains on Purple Line . The Washington Post . July 7, 2008 . Katherine . Shaver . https://web.archive.org/web/20141215105616/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2008/07/chevy_chase_says_buses_beat_tr.html . December 15, 2014.
55. News: Luz . Lazo . September 30, 2011 . In Langley Park, Purple Line brings promise, and fears, of change . The Washington Post . June 25, 2021 . July 20, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180720065527/https://www.washingtonpost.com/in-langley-park-purple-line-brings-promise-and-fears-of-change/2011/09/16/gIQAnAkmAL_story.html . live .
56. News: MTA pushing for additional Purple Line stop in Silver Spring . Jason Tomassini . The Gazette . May 12, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100515045330/http://www.gazette.net/stories/05122010/silvnew183102_32549.php . May 15, 2010.
57. Web site: An evaluation of the merits of an LRT station at Dale Drive and Wayne Avenue . August 2009 . MTA . Purple Line study report . July 13, 2010 . February 11, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110211201457/http://www.purplelinemd.com/images/stories/purpleline_documents/Dale%20Drive%20and%20Wayne%20Avenue%209-14-09.pdf . live .
58. News: McCartney . Robert . Hicks . Joshua . Turque . Bill . Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says Purple Line will move forward . The Washington Post . June 25, 2015 . September 10, 2017 . August 18, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170818045243/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2015/06/25/a255fe8c-1b4d-11e5-93b7-5eddc056ad8a_story.html . live .
59. News: Shaver . Katherine . 2015-12-08 . Four teams of private companies submit bids to build, operate Purple Line . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201012192508/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2015/12/08/four-teams-of-private-companies-submit-bids-to-build-operate-purple-line/ . October 12, 2020 . October 12, 2020 . The Washington Post.
60. Web site: Shortlisted Proposers Purple Line P3 Revised Third Party Contact Points . 18 January 2016.
61. News: Shaver . Katherine . March 2, 2016 . Maryland chooses private team to build, operate light-rail Purple Line . The Washington Post . March 6, 2016 . March 8, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160308125114/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/maryland-chooses-private-team-to-build-operate-light-rail-purple-line/2016/03/02/d4dadd9e-d107-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html . live .
62. News: Katherine . Shaver . Maryland board approves $5.6 billion Purple Line contract . The Washington Post . April 6, 2016 . April 25, 2016 . May 31, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160531110007/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/maryland-board-scheduled-to-vote-wednesday-on-56-billion-purple-line-contract/2016/04/06/7a397f82-fb44-11e5-9140-e61d062438bb_story.html . live .
63. News: Metcalf . Andrew . Purple Line Groundbreaking on Hold Until Transit Agencies Can Find Lawsuit Solution . Bethesda Magazine . November 29, 2016 . March 16, 2017 . March 17, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170317143027/http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/Web-2016/Purple-Line-Groundbreaking-on-Hold-Until-Transit-Agencies-Can-Find-Lawsuit-Solution/ . live .
64. News: Governor Hogan says Purple Line-blocking judge Richard Leon has a conflict of interest. April 19, 2017. Greater Greater Washington. David. Alpert. August 29, 2023. May 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230524010444/https://ggwash.org/view/63153/governor-hogan-says-purple-line-blocking-judge-richard-leon-has-a-conflict-of-interest. live.
65. News: Shaver . Katherine . Federal money to build Purple Line in question under Trump budget plan . The Washington Post . March 16, 2017 . March 16, 2017 . March 16, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170316193951/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/federal-money-to-build-purple-line-in-question-under-trump-budget-plan/2017/03/16/d9023ab4-09ac-11e7-b77c-0047d15a24e0_story.html . live .
66. News: Maryland to get $900-million federal full funding agreement for Purple Line . The Washington Post . Robert . McCartney . Faiz . Siddiqui . August 21, 2017 . August 28, 2017 . August 28, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170828230412/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/maryland-to-get-full-federal-funding-agreement-for-purple-line/2017/08/21/dc7f7dda-86b8-11e7-a50f-e0d4e6ec070a_story.html . live .
67. News: Neibauer . Michael . 2019-01-10 . Report: Purple Line construction delays adding $215M to price tag . Washington Business Journal . January 14, 2019 . February 8, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240208221101/https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2019/01/10/report-purple-line-construction-delays-adding-215m.html . live .
68. News: Judge dismisses third — and final — lawsuit against Purple Line project . Shaver . Katherine . 2020-04-14 . The Washington Post . May 1, 2020 . April 21, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200421113028/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/judge-dismisses-third--and-final--lawsuit-against-purple-line-project/2020/04/14/52add03a-7e6c-11ea-8013-1b6da0e4a2b7_story.html . live .
69. News: Strupp & Barthel . Purple Line Group Threatens To Quit If There's No Deal With Maryland On Delays, Cost Overruns . 26 July 2020 . WAMU Radio . 24 June 2020 . The state says the eastern section, from New Carrollton to College Park, is now expected to open in late 2022 and the rest of the line, from College Park to Bethesda, will likely open in June 2023. However, PLTP has said the various delays will set the opening dates back at least another two and a half years. . July 26, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200726184918/https://wamu.org/story/20/06/24/purple-line-group-threatens-to-quit-if-theres-no-deal-with-maryland-on-delays-cost-overruns/ . live .
70. Web site: Phillips . Zachary . Joint venture walks away from Maryland's Purple Line project . 25 September 2020 . Construction Dive . Washington, DC . 24 September 2020 . September 26, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200926053639/https://www.constructiondive.com/news/joint-venture-walks-away-from-marylands-purple-line-project/585824/ . live .
71. News: Shaver . Katherine . Purple Line project delays, cost overruns reveal long-brewing problems . The Washington Post . 18 July 2020 . July 26, 2020 . July 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200728131733/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/purple-line-project-delays-cost-overruns-reveal-long-brewing-problems/2020/07/18/d3bda6ae-c620-11ea-b037-f9711f89ee46_story.html . live .
72. News: Parsons . Jim . Rubin . Debra K. . Court Ruling Clears P3 Team to Leave Disputed $2B Md. Purple Line Rail Project . Engineering News-Record . 11 September 2020 . September 25, 2020 . September 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923070401/https://www.enr.com/articles/50029-court-ruling-clears-p3-team-to-leave-disputed-2b-md-purple-line-rail-project . live .
73. News: Shaver . Katherine . Purple Line construction workers will be packed up and ready to leave by mid-October, contractor says . The Washington Post . 24 September 2020 . September 26, 2020 . October 1, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201001045027/https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2020/09/24/purple-line-workers-packing-up/ . live .
74. Web site: Pessoa Construction Performing Purple Line Utility Relocations Along Wayne Avenue . Source of the Spring . Silver Spring, MD . 5 November 2020 . November 6, 2020 . November 5, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201105210728/https://www.sourceofthespring.com/silver-spring/pessoa-construction-purple-line-wayne-avenue/ . live .
75. News: Shaver . Katherine . Maryland, Purple Line firms reach $250 million deal to keep project moving . The Washington Post . 24 November 2020 . November 24, 2020 . November 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201125134858/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/purple-line-maryland-deal/2020/11/24/08cfe248-2e82-11eb-860d-f7999599cbc2_story.html . live .
76. News: Campbell . Colin . Maryland to pay $250 million to settle Purple Line disputes, replace construction contractor . The Baltimore Sun . 24 November 2020 . November 24, 2020 . November 27, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201127075525/https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-pol-purple-line-settlement-20201124-cdmdcshqe5b7hhn56t54m3bjcu-story.html . live .
77. News: Katherine . Shaver . Maryland board approves $250 million legal deal to complete Purple Line construction . The Washington Post . 16 December 2020 . December 18, 2020 . January 14, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210114090513/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/maryland-purple-line/2020/12/16/5a370bb8-3fb0-11eb-8bc0-ae155bee4aff_story.html . live .
78. News: Shaver . Katherine . 2022-01-26 . Md. board approves $3.4 billion contract to complete Purple Line . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220812092513/https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/01/26/purple-line-contract-maryland/ . August 12, 2022 . March 27, 2022 . The Washington Post.
79. Community Advisory Team Meeting #9 (Bethesda/Chevy Chase) . 2022-06-07 . MTA . June 14, 2022 . June 25, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220625011808/https://www.purplelinemd.com/component/jdownloads/send/119-cat-meeting-9-june-7-2022/719-presentation-english . live .
80. News: Nguyen . Danny . 2024-03-04 . Purple Line, delayed until 2027, needs another $425 million infusion . 2024-03-05 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
81. Web site: Stations . Purple Line . MTA . August 23, 2015 . August 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150817070633/http://www.purplelinemd.com/en/about-the-project/stations . live .
82. Web site: Transportation (and how it relates to Smart Growth) . October 21, 2015 . Sierra Club . March 24, 2018 . March 25, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180325045726/https://www.sierraclub.org/maryland/montgomery-county/transportation-and-how-it-relates-smart-growth . live .
83. News: Brown's 'lofty' Purple Line plans draw fire from transportation officials . Thomas Dennison and Douglas Tallman . The Gazette . October 4, 2006 . May 2, 2009 . July 20, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080720164331/http://www.gazette.net/stories/100406/burtnew214616_31941.shtml . dead .
84. http://www.actfortransit.org/purple_line.html What is the Purple Line?
85. Web site: Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-495 and I-95) . Scott M. Kozel . February 25, 2009 . January 5, 2010 . Roads to the Future . February 12, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210212144311/http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Woodrow_Wilson_Bridge.html . live .
86. Web site: Sierra Club Purple Line Map . https://web.archive.org/web/20100512142311/http://www.sierraclub.org/dc/sprawl/purple-line/purple-line-map-large.html . May 12, 2010.
87. Web site: Metrorail Branch Avenue Route Completion . Scott M. Kozel . Roads to the Future . January 23, 2001 . January 5, 2010 . February 8, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240208221023/http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Metro_Branch_Ave_Opening.html . live .
88. Web site: Operations . 2022-06-14 . Purple Line . MTA . June 14, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220614233439/https://www.purplelinemd.com/45n5erdxf16u35w2r . live .
89. Web site: Silver Spring Community Advisory Team Meeting #6 . 2020-04-28 . Purple Line Transit Partners . 5 . January 13, 2022 . December 30, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201230181951/https://www.purplelinemd.com/component/jdownloads/send/95-cat-meeting-6-apr-28-2020/517-presentation-english . live .
90. Web site: College Park Community Advisory Team Meeting #8 . 2021-06-22 . MTA . 8 . January 13, 2022 . July 27, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210727100019/https://purplelinemd.com/component/jdownloads/send/116-cat-meeting-8-june-22-2021/652-presentation-english . live .