This article or section contains information about a planned or expected public transportation infrastructure. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the infrastructure approaches, and more information becomes available.

The Purple Line, previously designated as the Bi-County Transitway (BCT), is a proposed 14-mile (23 km) transit line to link the Red, Green and Orange lines of the Washington Metro train system. Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... A taxi serving as a bus Public transport comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not travel in their own vehicles. ... Image File history File links 25_railtransportation_trans. ... The Red Line of the Washington Metro consists of 27 subway stations from Shady Grove to Glenmont. ... Greenbelt station, end of the Green line on the Washington Metro The Green Line of the Washington Metro consists of 21 subway stations from Greenbelt to Branch Ave. ... The Orange Line of the Washington Metro consists of 26 subway stations from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to New Carrollton. ... The Washington Metro, or simply Metro, is the rapid transit system of Washington, D.C., and neighboring suburban communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway. ...

History

The current Purple Line project is a result of the merging of two government projects known as the Georgetown Branch Light Rail Transit (GBLRT) and the Purple Line. The GBLRT was proposed to be 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. The Purple Line was originally conceived as a rail line from New Carrollton to Silver Spring. Silver Spring Metro station as seen from MARC bridge. ... The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad or B&O was a 19th century railroad which operated in the east coast of the United States and was the first railroad to offer commercial transportation of both people and freight. ... Categories: Companies traded on NYSE | Railway companies of the United States | Alabama railroads | Connecticut railroads | Delaware railroads | Florida current railroads | Georgia railroads | Illinois railroads | Indiana railroads | Kentucky railroads | Louisiana railroads | Maryland railroads | Massachusetts railroads | Michigan railroads | Mississippi railroads | New Jersey railroads | New York railroads | North Carolina railroads | Ohio railroads | Pennsylvania... The Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) is an 11 mile long shared-use trail from Georgetown, Washington, DC to Silver Spring, Maryland suitable for walkers, joggers, bikers, and rollerbladers. ... Bethesda is a Washington Metro station in Bethesda, Maryland on the Red Line. ... New Carrollton station as seen from a nearby parking garage. ... Silver Spring Metro station as seen from MARC bridge. ...

Robert Flanagan, the Maryland State Secretary of Transportation under former governor Robert Ehrlich, merged the two projects in order to lower costs and allow trips across both corridors. 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 official government name for the project to the ("Bi-County Transitway"). This 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 return the name to Purple Line. It should be noted that this name includes the GBLRT portion and does not currently exclude the possibility of bus rapid transit. Robert L. Flanagan> was the Secretary of Transportation for the U.S. state of Maryland from 2003 until 2007, under the administration of Governor Robert Ehrlich. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... For the entrepreneur and businessman, see Robert Ehrlich. ... There is a large number of public transport systems in European towns that fulfill several of the BRT criteria given above, but they are rarely designated as BRT. Bus lanes and exclusive use of key city-centre streets is commonplace, and bus priority on approach to traffic lights is quite... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... Martin Joseph OMalley (born January 18, 1963) is a Democratic politician and the 61st and current Governor of Maryland. ... John D. Porcari is the current Secretary of Transportation for the U.S. state of Maryland within the administration of Governor Martin OMalley. ...

Previously (in 1996), the Glendening administration (which included John Porcari as Secretary of Transportation) removed the heavy rail option from discussion because it was felt that the cost was greater than the need. The Ehrlich administration did not put the heavy line option back on the table. Another reason that the Purple Line name 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. However, since 1996, both counties along the proposed route of the Purple Line grew substantially in population and number of jobs. As a result, congestion in the region's roadways has become much worse in the intervening ten years. The O'Malley administration has not indicated any intention of reconsidering heavy rail. PARRIS N. GLENDENING Governor (Democrat), 1995-2003 Governor of Maryland, January 18, 1995 to January 15, 2003. ... The term heavy rail is often used for regular railways, to distinguish from systems such as trams/light rail and metro. ... For the entrepreneur and businessman, see Robert Ehrlich. ... For the album by the Kaiser Chiefs see Employment (album) Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... Nighttime traffic captured by a camera over several seconds. ...

Mode of transport

Currently, the state government is performing studies to weigh the pros and cons of bus and rail.

The case for a rapid bus line

• Because the Federal Transit Administration under President Bush advocates bus rapid transit and discourages the construction of new rail infrastructure, it may be easier to secure federal funds for buses than for trains.
• Although high labor costs for driving and maintaining fleets of buses means that the expenses of maintaining bus rapid transit and light rail systems are similar, bus routes are cheaper than train lines to install initially.
• Buses make it possible to operate routes that utilize the transitway for a portion of their route, but deviate into neighborhoods or continue in other directions beyond the transitway's terminus, thus making the transitway a trunk line for several bus routes. Rail service would be totally confined to the transitway.
• Buses can modify the regular route or take an alternate routes should the need arise, such as changes in demand or an incident along the main transitway.

The case for a train line

• Regardless of how many features separate rapid from ordinary buses, there is a feeling that current drivers will not stop using their cars to ride a bus, because buses suffer from an "image" problem that trains do not. One source of the image problem may be that drivers consider their own cars faster and more dependable than buses.
• For communities interested in smart growth, rail has been shown to have a much greater impact on surrounding development than buses. For example, downtown Bethesda and Silver Spring are large, urban activity centers due in no small part to their Metro stations. If the Red Line were a bus route instead of a subway, it is not likely that Bethesda and Silver Spring would be as successful as they are.
• Rail can accommodate higher capacity ridership than buses, since buses cannot be coupled together to form sets.
• Rail, while not pollution-free, produces less than buses.
• Rail offers a smoother, more comfortable ride compared to the often bumpy and jerky motion of buses.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation provides financial and technical assistance to the local transit systems. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... There is a large number of public transport systems in European towns that fulfill several of the BRT criteria given above, but they are rarely designated as BRT. Bus lanes and exclusive use of key city-centre streets is commonplace, and bus priority on approach to traffic lights is quite... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... // Main article: Link aggregation In computer networking, trunking defines using multiple network cables or ports in parallel to increase the link speed beyond the limits of any one single cable or port. ... Smart growth is a concept and term used by those who seek to identify a set of policies governing transportation and land use planning policy for urban areas that benefits communities and preserves the natural environment. ... The Red Line of the Washington Metro consists of 27 subway stations from Shady Grove to Glenmont. ...

Route and station locations

The planned rail or rapid bus line will connect the existing Metro stations at:

• Bethesda (Red Line)
• Silver Spring (Red Line)
• College Park (Green Line)
• New Carrollton (Orange Line)

New stations are planned at: Bethesda is a Washington Metro station in Bethesda, Maryland on the Red Line. ... The Red Line of the Washington Metro consists of 27 subway stations from Shady Grove to Glenmont. ... Silver Spring Metro station as seen from MARC bridge. ... The Red Line of the Washington Metro consists of 27 subway stations from Shady Grove to Glenmont. ... College Park-U of Md is a Washington Metro station in Prince Georges County, Maryland on the Green Line. ... Greenbelt station, end of the Green line on the Washington Metro The Green Line of the Washington Metro consists of 21 subway stations from Greenbelt to Branch Ave. ... New Carrollton station as seen from a nearby parking garage. ... The Orange Line of the Washington Metro consists of 26 subway stations from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to New Carrollton. ...

• Chevy Chase Lake
• West Silver Spring
• The Woodside community in Silver Spring
• The Long Branch section of Takoma Park and Silver Spring
• The border between Takoma Park and Langley Park (New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard)
• The main commercial zone in Langley Park (Riggs Road and University Boulevard)
• College Park / University of Maryland (possibly additional stations to existing)
• Riverdale

This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Silver Spring is an urbanized, but unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. ... Silver Spring is an urbanized, but unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. ... Silver Spring is an urbanized, but unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. ... Location Location in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Maryland Montgomery Founded Incorporated 1883 1890 Mayor Kathryn H. Porter Geographical characteristics Area     City 5. ... Silver Spring is an urbanized, but unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. ... Location Location in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Maryland Montgomery Founded Incorporated 1883 1890 Mayor Kathryn H. Porter Geographical characteristics Area     City 5. ... Langley Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Washington, D.C. metro area. ... Langley Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Washington, D.C. metro area. ... College Park is a city in Prince Georges County, Maryland, USA, United States. ... The University of Maryland, College Park (also known as UM, UMD, or UMCP) is a public university located in the city of College Park, in Prince Georges County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., in the United States. ... Riverdale Park is a town located in Prince Georges County, Maryland. ...

Community support and opposition

Support for rail

• The Washington Post advocates construction of the Purple Line light rail option.
• Subsequent to the 2006 midterm election, the members-elect of the Montgomery County Council and Prince George's County are unanimously in favor of the Purple Line light rail option.
• Other officials recently elected by the community (in particular, Governor O'Malley) are also strong Purple Line advocates.
• 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 risk factor for global warming.
• Student leaders at the University of Maryland support transit alternatives to campus.^{[1] [2]}

... The relevance of particular information in (or previously in) this article or section is disputed. ... Prince Georges County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland immediately north, east, and south of Washington, D.C. It is the wealthiest majority African-American county in the nation. ... The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization founded on May 28, 1892 in San Francisco, California by the well-known preservationist John Muir, who became its first president. ... The Capital Beltway (in green) The Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) is an expressway-class interstate highway which circles the Washington, DC area. ... The Washington Metro, or simply Metro, is the rapid transit system of Washington, D.C., and neighboring suburban communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway. ... An environment is a complex of external factors that acts on a system and determines its course and form of existence. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Top: Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels as measured in the atmosphere and ice cores. ... Global mean surface temperatures 1850 to 2006 Mean surface temperature anomalies during the period 1995 to 2004 with respect to the average temperatures from 1940 to 1980 Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans in recent decades and the projected... University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (also known as UM, UMD, or UMCP) is a public coeducational university situated in suburban College Park, Maryland just outside Washington, D.C. The flagship institution of the University System of Maryland, the university is most often referred to...

Support for bus

• Several political leaders support this option due to its reduced sunk cost 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.

It has been suggested that Bygones principle be merged into this article or section. ... The relevance of particular information in (or previously in) this article or section is disputed. ... Prince Georges County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland immediately north, east, and south of Washington, D.C. It is the wealthiest majority African-American county in the nation. ...

Opposition

• The leading opponent of both options is the Columbia Country Club, whose golf course occupies both sides of the planned route (the Georgetown Branch rail right-of-way).^[3]
• Some Bethesda and Chevy Chase residents also object, because they feel the new line would be less beautiful than the current space and could impact the value of properties adjoining the rail right-of-way. The group representing this viewpoint is called the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Coalition; their mission statement is "To foster the creation of green space in the urban environment."
• Some Silver Spring residents have concerns 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.
• Others oppose the purple line because it will not be part of the existing Metro system, will warrant an increase in taxes to pay for it, and there are other transportation options that should be a higher priority such as the Corridor Cities Transitway or the Intercounty Connector (ICC).

• The environmental argument against the Purple Line is that thousands of trees of various sizes would have to be removed to make room for the mass transit line.

This article is about the sport of golf. ... Right-of-way is a legal term which may have any of several meanings: priority at a crossing, or in traffic. ... Right-of-way is a legal term which may have any of several meanings: priority at a crossing, or in traffic. ... A map of the officially proposed transitway route (orange), with an alternate alignment proposed by the Action Committee for Transit (blue). ... Maryland Route 200, also known as the Intercounty Connector or ICC, is an as-yet-unbuilt toll freeway in Maryland, to run between Montgomery County to the west and Prince Georges County to the east. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... In the United States of America, transit describes local area common carrier passenger transportation configured to provide scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis. ...

Other mass transit linking lines

If the Purple Line is built, the transit system of the capital of the United States will join the list of international transit systems with linking lines. This article is about a city that serves as a center of government and politics. ...

• In the Shanghai Metro, Line 4 (colored purple on the official map) is called the Circle Line. The Shanghai "Purple Line" links the red, green and yellow lines of the Shanghai subway system.
• In the Moscow Metro, the ring line (colored brown on the official map) is Koltsevaya. The Moscow ring line links all eleven of the other metro lines.
• The London Underground is so extensive that many lines link the lines that go downtown.
• Madrid Metro has two circle lines: line 6 Circular, connecting most of the other lines around city center, and line 12 MetroSur, linking six neighbourhoods in the southern part of the metropolitan area.

The Shanghai Metro (上海轨道交通) is an urban rapid transit system that serves the city of Shanghai by transporting around 1. ... Shanghai Metro, Line 4 - Circleline(now with a C shape line) Line 4 will form a circle metro through the city, sharing the part from Baoshan Lu till Hongqiao Lu with the current Line 3. ... Shanghai Metro, Line 1 Line 1 was the first metro line in Shanghai to be opened in 1995. ... Shanghai Metro, Line 2 While Line 1 form the north-south axis of the network, this Line 2 form the west-east axis of the network since 1999. ... Shanghai Metro, Line 1 Line 1 was the first metro line in Shanghai to be opened in 1995. ... A current official map of the Moscow Metro. ... edit The Koltsevaya Line (Russian: ), also known as the Ring Line, is a line of the Moscow Metro. ... The London Underground is an electric railway system that covers much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ... The Madrid Metro is the large metro subway system serving the city of Madrid. ...

References

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Official state government

• Maryland Transit Administration

Purple Line Maps

• Washington Post Map 5/31/2007 - based on updated MTA proposed stops
• Sierra Club Proposed Route - full loop not actually being studied

Rail advocates

• ACT Purple Line Page
• Coalition To Build The Inner Purple Line
• Action Committee for Transit
• Prince George's Advocates for Community-based Transit
• Sierra Club proposal

Rail or bus advocates

• College Park Informational Page

Opposition

• Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Coalition
• Silver Spring/Thayer Ave.