Purple Line Update

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The public hearings for community members to provide input on the preferred route of the Purple Line have been scheduled. The Maryland Transit Administration has been evaluationg several different options for how the Purple Line will travel through our communities from New Carrollton Metro Station to Riverdale to College Park, UMD and eventually Silver Spring and Bethesda.
The need for alternative public transportation connecting our communities and employment centers (New Carrollton, M-Square and UMD) has never been greater as gas prices increase and we confront climate change. We strongly encourage you to attend these hearings and let the state know your thoughts on the Purple Line alignment. More details can be found at www.purplelinemd.com (http://www.purplelinemd.com)
hearings have been set for
Saturday, November 15th
New Carrollton
Municipal Center
11am to 3PM
Open House Starts 30 minutes before public hearing.
Wednesday, November 19th
Ritchie Coliseum - UMD
College Park
5-9 PM

Background:

The Purple Line study is moving forward with a renewed energy. The new Secretary of Transportation for Maryland, John Porcari, restored the project to its former name, the Purple Line, rather than the Bi-County Transitway. While the Bi-County Transitway name reflected the two-county area of the proposed project, the Purple Line was the original name for the project and has continued to be used by most people. The project study has not changed, and the Purple Line continues to be a high transportation priority

The Purple Line is a proposed 16-mile rapid transit line extending from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George's County. It will provide a direct connection to the Metrorail Red, Green and Orange Lines; at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton. The Purple Line will also connect to MARC, AMTRAK, and local bus services. Twelve initial station locations have been identified with additional stations under consideration.

The Purple Line will be either light rail or bus rapid transit, operating largely at street level. However, there may be areas where tunnels or aerial structures are used to improve travel times or minimize environmental or community impacts.

History:
Methods for improving transportation between Montgomery and Prince George's Counties have been under study since 1992 as part of the Capital Beltway and Purple Line studies. Planning and consideration for a transit facility along the Georgetown Branch right-of-way in Bethesda and Chevy Chase date back to the early 1970's and an east-west transportation link has been on the Montgomery County Master Plans for more than twenty years. The transitway along the Georgetown Branch and a line between Silver Spring and New Carrollton were combined as the Bi-County Transitway in 2003.

In early spring 2007 Secretary of Transportation, John Porcari directed the MTA to restore the project to its former name, the Purple Line. While the Bi-County Transitway name reflected the two county area of the proposed project, the Purple Line was the original name for the project and has continued to be used by most people. The project study has not changed, and the Purple Line continues to be a high transportation priority.


Goals:

Provide better, faster transit service in the corridor
Make it easier to get to Metrorail, commuter rail, and local bus services
Serve people who rely on transit
Minimize and mitigate impacts to the natural and human environment in the corridor
Provide a safe and attractive transit service that fits in with the local community character
Show that the overall benefits of the transitway justify the cost of building and operating it
Support local, regional and state policies and adopted Master Plans
Increase the potential for Transit Oriented Development at existing and proposed stations in the corridor
Make it easier to get to existing and planned shopping and business areas in the corridor

Benefits:

Montgomery and Prince George's Counties are changing, with steadily growing numbers of residents and jobs. Creating the Purple Line, an east-west public transportation link between Montgomery and Prince George's County, will address the growing congestion on the roads by providing an alternative to driving and providing more options to the large number of people in the area who already rely on transit.
The Purple Line will create a more efficient transportation system by:


Providing more reliable and rapid east-west travel
Improving the overall dependability of the transportation system within the study area
Providing easier access to the Metro lines and other transportation services
The Purple Line will encourage economic development by:


Connecting people to jobs
Supporting the revitalization that many areas are experiencing
Complementing the over $400 million in renovations and new construction that are being invested in Silver Spring
Connecting major economic centers and key activity areas
Process:
There are many steps that MTA must go through before the Purple Line becomes a reality. These steps ensure that:

Transportation, community and environmental impacts from the Purple Line project are assessed.
These impacts are avoided, minimized or mitigated to the extent possible.
Public participation and community input help guide the decision-making process.
1. Public Scoping

In September 2003 MTA held a series of meetings inviting the public, government agencies and any interested parties to provide input on potential transportation, social, economic, and natural environmental issues. This input was used to further define the problem and identify the need for the project, settle on the initial range of alternatives to be considered, and identify potential issues related to the proposed alternatives that would need to be addressed in the environmental document.
2. Alternative Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Study

The next step is analyzing and identifying the alternatives to retain for detailed study. This begins the formal alternatives analysis and environmental process. The results of this step are documented in a "Definition of Alternatives" report.
Bus and rail alternatives and alignment options that have been retained for detailed study are then fully evaluated and better defined so that their environmental effects, community impacts, transportation benefits, and costs can be accurately assessed. The end product of these activities will be the Alternatives Analysis and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS) document, which is distributed for review and then discussed at a formal public hearing.
3. Final Environmental Impact Statement

Preliminary Engineering and a Final Environmental Impact Statement (PE/FEIS) will be prepared based on the outcomes of the AA/DEIS process and the selection of a Preferred Alternative.
4. Record of Decision

A "Record of Decision" (ROD) will be sought from the Federal Transit Administration at the completion of the PE/FEIS process. The ROD formally transitions a project from the planning and environmental process into design and construction.

MTA is taking the lead on this project, with the support and close coordination of a team that includes the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, State Highway Administration, and local municipalities in the project area.

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Purple Line Facts What is the Purple Line?


The Purple Line is a proposed 16-mile east-west rapid transit line extending inside the Beltway from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George’s County.
The Purple Line would operate largely at street level.
The Purple Line would connect the major central business districts and activity centers of Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma/Langley Park, College Park/University of Maryland, and New Carrollton.
The Purple Line would provide direct connections to Metrorail at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton; linking the two branches of the Red, Green, and Orange lines.
The project would also connect to all three MARC lines, AMTRAK, and local bus routes.
Twenty-one station locations are currently being evaluated.
A hiker/biker trail is included along the Georgetown Branch and CSX/Metrorail corridors.
What will the Purple Line be?


The Purple Line would be either light rail (LRT) or bus rapid transit (BRT).
The Purple Line would not be a Metro line, but it would be integrated with the region’s Metrorail system through convenient connections.
A BRT system has permanent stations, large buses that look and feel like a rail car, which operate on streets with traffic, in dedicated lanes or on a separate right-of-way.
A LRT system is an updated streetcar line that operates on tracks with overhead wires, has permanent stations, and can run on roadways in mixed traffic, in dedicated lanes or on a separate right-of-way.
The Purple Line would be a pedestrian-friendly transit system that is sensitive to the surrounding community.
Why do we need the Purple Line?


The number of people and jobs in the area are growing and more people are traveling east to west and vice versa.
The existing roads are highly congested, and commuting times continue to increase.
The existing east-west bus services are unreliable and slow.
The project would provide a high-quality, faster and more dependable east-west transit link that does not exist today.
It is difficult and time-consuming to get from many parts of the corridor to Metrorail.
It would provide a direct link to the state’s primary university and largest employer in Prince George's County, the University of Maryland.
There is a large population in the area that relies on transit and many residents who choose to take transit instead of driving.
Where are we in the project schedule?


The MTA is currently conducting an Alternatives Analysis and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS).
We are continuing to refine the Purple Line alternatives and working with the community to address their concerns and improve the design of the project.
The AA/DEIS was released on October 17, 2008, and public hearings will be held in November. The 90-day public comment period will take place from October 17, 2008 until January 14, 2009. A decision on the "Preferred Alternative" will be made after the AA/DEIS process, in early 2009.
The very earliest that construction on the Purple Line could begin is 2012.
It would likely take 3 to 5 years to complete construction.

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If you want to participate in a public hearing, please take a moment to read over the following instructions, it will save you a headache later.

Please read over the following procedures in advance of the hearings:
Elected and public officials will be heard first, and are requested to limit their statements to five minutes.

There will be limited pre-registration for the public hearings. Up to 30 members of the public per hearing can pre-register to testify by calling 866-842-9283, weekdays between 9:00am - 5:00 pm. People will be able to pre-register beginning November 3, 2008.

Each pre-registrant must contact the MTA independently; one person will not be able to sign-up more than one person at a time. Each person will only be able to pre-register for one meeting. Pre-registration for each hearing will close at noon, the day prior to the hearing.

At the hearing, people desiring to testify should register at the entrance to the hearing room, and will be called in order of registration, after any pre-registrants and elected officials and pre-registrants have completed their testimony.

Anyone present at a hearing may register at any time during the meeting. Individuals will only be allowed to sign themselves up to testify. Individuals who have spoken at a previous Purple Line Public Hearing will be required to allow first-time speakers the opportunity to speak first. An additional court stenographer will be available for those who wish to provide oral statements without an audience.

Speakers are required to limit their statements to three minutes. In fairness to all attendees, speakers will not be allowed to donate any leftover time to other speakers.

Any individual may appear and speak for him or herself, or if duly authorized, for any local civic group, organization, club or association, subject to the rules provided herein. Speakers should give their name and address.
If representing a group, this information should also be given.
In an effort to create a comfortable environment for all speakers, please do not applaud or comment on the speakers' statements. Attendees interrupting the proceedings will be asked to leave. If you are representing weride, please state so, we appreciate the mention. Thank you.

Each person speaking before the audience must do so at the floor microphone. All statements will be recorded and transcribed by a court stenographer.

If required, the Hearing Officer will announce any other specific rules governing this hearing.

Comments can also be submitted in writing and left in the comment box provided.

Additional prepared statements, or literature pertaining to the subject outlined in the AA/DEIS, may be submitted at this hearing or through the ways described in this brochure.

These statements will be made part of the official hearing record if they include a legible name and address.

At this hearing, all statements, oral or written, should be directed to the Hearing Officer and must be related to the subject matter of this hearing, as outlined in the AA/DEIS.