Most Purple Line Objections Dismissed, Ridership Study Stands: Judge

WASHINGTON, DC — Maryland officials on Tuesday appealed a ruling that the embattled Purple Line commuter rail project that would serve Montgomery and Prince George's counties needs further study of Metro's dropping ridership numbers, which would help feed the line. Earlier in the day the judge rejected arguments in a lawsuit that the proposed commuter line did not evaluate the environmental impact on birds and wildlife.

The MTA's Purple Line would run from Bethesda to New Carrollton if built, although supporters are worried that a May 22 ruling on the ridership issue imperils federal money needed for the rail line and the governor called the move "baffling" and "disappointing." Last August the project halted after Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled for the Federal Transit Administration to perform additional studies on the project. His decision put $900 million in federal funding for the $5.6 billion project on hold.

Leon has ordered a more thorough look into Metro’s ridership and reliability, even as the year-long series of Surges was under way to repair WMATA tracks. In his 2016 ruling, the judge said he could not turn a blind eye to “seemingly endless Metrorail breakdowns and safety issues.” He said the FTA must review the potential effect of Metro’s issues on future Purple Line ridership.

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office appealed the order to review ridership projections to account for Metro’s decline; the ruling blocks the state’s access to $900 million in federal construction grants. Supporters of the line, including the Greater Greater Washington organization, said last week that without environmental approval by June 1, Maryland officials will have to stop planning and design work that is under way. The state also stands to lose $800 million, including $200 million to pay back the private firm building the Purple Line, for ending its contract early.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn did not comment on the June 1 deadline Tuesday, but his office told The Washington Post: “This project will provide tremendous value and benefits to the surrounding communities and the state, and we are hoping the appellate court will move forward expeditiously.”

Previously, Judge Leon sided with the Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail and two other opponents of the rail line, saying the FTA must take "a hard look" at Metro usage and what it could mean for the Purple Line. The government’s dismissive treatment of Metro’s potential impacts was “arbitrary and capricious,” he wrote last week, and agencies must update a ridership study “as expeditiously as possible.”

Gov. Larry Hogan last week vowed to pursue any and all legal action to ensure that the Purple Line will move forward. The time it took Judge Leon to decide that more study is needed is "completely baffling and, if allowed to stand, will cause irreparable harm to this vital project and cost the state hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars," Hogan said on May 22. "Moreover, the judge’s concerns were thoroughly addressed by federal transit officials by studies already completed and in public testimony more than five months ago. Ultimately, this ruling completely ignores both federal and state transportation experts, as well as environmental advocates, who are strong proponents of the Purple Line."

Last month Hogan slammed Judge Leon for what the governor perceived as a conflict of interest on the issue since he lives in the Chevy Chase area. Leon belongs to Columbia Country Club, which had opposed the rail line until state officials changed the route to avoid cutting into the course reports The Washington Post reports.

Coalition for Smarter Growth Executive Director Stewart Schwartz said in a statement that Metro ridership will make up a limited percentage of Purple Line ridership.

"The Purple Line is a badly-needed east-west transit connection for access to jobs and revitalization, and significant ridership will be driven by that demand, as well as the revitalization inside the Beltway that the project will spur," Schwartz said. "We are also certain Metro ridership will recover as the system completes repairs and reforms. In an era of climate change, the most progressive transportation solution available is to build more transit.”

President Donald Trump's team in January put together a list of 50 infrastructure projects, which was obtained by McClatchy, and it called for $5.6 billion to build the Purple Line. The line would provide a direct connection to Metrorail's green, orange and red lines through 21 stations, plus MARC, Amtrak and local bus service, according to the report posted by McClatchy.

Construction of the Purple Line has a price tag of $5.6 billion and would lead to 5,000 "direct job years," the report adds, noting that engineering is done, permitting is 95 percent complete and the funding would be a combination of public and private with a large public share.

Maryland is expected to pay about $3.3 billion of the Purple Line cost over three and a half decades, according to state officials.

To supplement state funding, more than $330 million in cash and contributions will come from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties: Montgomery pledged to pay $210 million, and Prince George’s County agreed to contribute $120 million to the project.

SEE ALSO:

• Purple Line Construction 'Going to Ruin Everything': Resident
• 'Now I Don't Have Anything': Purple Line Resident
• Purple Line: Rail Project Seen As Boon for Jobs, Setback for Some
• Business Down, Owners Stuck Waiting on Purple Line

Ground was scheduled to be broken for the rail route by the end of 2016, state leaders said, with plans for Purple Line service to begin in 2022.

The 16-mile Purple Line would run through Silver Spring and College Park and would include five stops on or near the University of Maryland’s campus that would be free for students.
Stations for the Purple Line LPA would be at these locations:

• Bethesda
• Connecticut Avenue
• Lyttonsville
• Woodside/16th Street
• Silver Spring Transit Center
• Silver Spring Library
• Dale Drive
• Manchester Place
• Long Branch
• Piney Branch Road
• Takoma/Langley Transit Center
• Riggs Road
• Adelphi Road/West Campus
• Campus Center
• East Campus
• College Park Metro
• M Square
• Riverdale Park
• Beacon Heights
• Annapolis Road/Glenridge
• New Carrollton

Purple Line map, rail car courtesy of Maryland Department of Transportation