What is the Purple Line?

A proposed 16-mile east-west Light Rail Transit (LRT) line extending inside the Capital Beltway from New Carrollton in Prince George's County to Bethesda in Montgomery County. 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.
• 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.
• Connect to all three MARC lines, Amtrak, and local bus routes.
• Provide 21 conveniently located stations.
• Include a hiker/biker trail along the Georgetown Branch and CSX/Metrorail corridors between Bethesda and Silver Spring.
• Improve east-west mobility, and reduce travel times for thousands of area residents.

What will the Purple Line be?

• The Locally Preferred Alternative selected for the Purple Line is a modern light rail system.
• Light rail 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 would integrate well with the surrounding communities.
• The Purple Line would be integrated with the region's Metrorail system through convenient connections.

Why do we need the Purple Line?

• The number of people and jobs in the area is 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.
• It is difficult and time-consuming to get from many parts of the corridor to Metrorail.
• The Purple Line would provide a high-quality, faster and more dependable east-west transit link that does not exist today.
• 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 there are many residents who choose to take transit instead of driving.
• The Purple Line will support smart growth, economic development and community revitalization plans.

Where are we in the project schedule?

• On October 17, 2008 the MTA released the Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
• On August 4, 2009 Governor Martin O'Malley announced his selection of the Locally Preferred Alternative. This was a major decision point for the project.
• The Purple Line project received permission from the Federal Transit Administration to enter Preliminary Engineering (PE) on October 7, 2011. During this phase, more detailed plans are developed on the LPA and the Final Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared.
• Construction on the Purple Line could begin in 2015, if funding is available.
• It would likely take 3 to 5 years to complete construction.