Leaders in Maryland said there’s still a future for the Purple Line rail. As Transportation Reporter Adam Tuss found out, that future could have an impact outside of Maryland.
After millions of dollars and multiple delays, the Purple Line may finally be on track.
Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker and Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett met with Gov. Larry Hogan in Annapolis, Maryland, Thursday for a closed door session on the project’s future.
“This is probably one of the better conversations I've had,” Baker said. “[The Purple Line] is not on life support.”
Added Leggett, “I feel very, very confident that the governor is going to make the right decision."
The proposed Purple Line would connect the Bethesda and New Carrollton Metro stations without going into D.C, a benefit for commuters. It’s not clear yet if the line would be underground or a streetcar-type system. The line has the potential to run very close to residential areas.
The Purple Line could bring business to the state; business that will turn to Virginia if the line doesn’t go through, Maryland leaders say.
“There is no backup plan to this,” Leggett said. “We need this."
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A final decision on the project is expected in June.
