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Purple Line will open first between College Park and New Carrollton, state says Purple Line will open first between College Park and New Carrollton, state says
(about 4 hours later)
The first part of the Purple Line will open in late 2022 in a five-mile stretch between the New Carrollton and College Park-U of Md. Metro stations in Prince George’s County, Maryland transit officials said Thursday.The first part of the Purple Line will open in late 2022 in a five-mile stretch between the New Carrollton and College Park-U of Md. Metro stations in Prince George’s County, Maryland transit officials said Thursday.
State officials previously had said the light-rail line under construction between Bethesda and New Carrollton would have to open first on the eastern end because trains will need the rail yard and operations and maintenance facility in Glenridge. However, they hadn’t said how far west the first segment would reach. State officials previously had said the light-rail line under construction between Bethesda and New Carrollton would have to open first on the eastern end because trains will need to use the rail yard and maintenance facility in Glenridge. However, they hadn’t said how far west the first segment would reach.
The rest of the 16-mile line extending west to Montgomery County is scheduled to open in 2023. The rest of the 16-mile line extending to Montgomery County is scheduled to open six months later, by late June 2023, said Charles Lattuca, head of project delivery for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA).
Purple Line will open in two phases, with first in Prince George’s, officials sayPurple Line will open in two phases, with first in Prince George’s, officials say
Veronica Battisti, spokeswoman for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), said the first segment will link Metro’s Green, Yellow and Orange lines, as well as MARC commuter rail’s Penn and Camden lines. It also will connect to the Amtrak station in New Carrollton and serve bus routes in the New Carrollton and College Park areas, she said. The entire line, with 21 stations, was initially scheduled to open in March 2022. However, state officials have said an unsuccessful lawsuit and construction delays pushed back the full line’s opening until 2023. Lattuca announced the two-phase opening in September, saying the state wanted passengers to ride at least part of the line in 2022.
In addition to the Metro stations on both ends, the first Purple Line stops will be, from west to east: Riverdale Park North-UMD, Riverdale Park-Kenilworth, Beacon Heights-East Pines and Glenridge. The first segment will not include stops on the University of Maryland campus. “We thought if we can get some Purple Line benefits by the end of 2022, that helps us,” Lattuca said.
While the line’s first segment would offer limited service, officials in Prince George’s cheered the news, saying their residents are eager to begin riding light-rail trains. The east-west line is designed to provide faster, more reliable public transportation than buses and spur redevelopment around stations in older suburbs inside the Capital Beltway, particularly in Prince George’s. The first segment will link Metro’s Green, Yellow and Orange lines, as well as MARC commuter rail’s Penn and Camden lines. It also will serve the Amtrak station in New Carrollton.
College Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn said he was glad to hear the line’s first segment would extend to College Park. He said he foresees people using it westbound to reach the Metro station closest to the university, while College Park residents could ride it eastbound to reach Amtrak and MARC stations. In addition to the Metro stations on both ends, the first Purple Line stops will be, from west to east: Riverdale Park North-UMD, Riverdale Park-Kenilworth, Beacon Heights-East Pines and Glenridge. The first segment will not include the University of Maryland campus.
“People will be really excited about it,” Wojahn said. “People in College Park are very excited about the seeing the Purple Line come. I’d love to see it extend to [the University of Maryland] campus right away, but I understand the logistical challenge.” Lattuca said College Park was the most logical western terminus because that Purple Line stop will have crossover tracks to allow light-rail vehicles to turn around.
The entire line, with 21 stations, was initially scheduled to open in March 2022. However, state officials have said that construction delays pushed back the full line’s opening until 2023. State officials announced the two-phase approach in September, saying they wanted passengers to be able to ride at least part of the line in 2022. The part of the Purple Line west of College Park will take more time because it connects to the busy Silver Spring Transit Center, requires moving more underground utility lines and entails work along the CSX freight-rail tracks, Lattuca said.
Battisti said the state is still in “discussions” with the contractor, Purple Line Transit Partners, about how much each side will pay to make up for the construction delays. The team of companies is building the line and will operate it under a 36-year public-private partnership. “It’s a little bit more complex,” he said.
While the first segment would offer limited service for six months, local officials in Prince George’s cheered the news, saying their residents are eager to ride. The east-west line is designed to provide faster, more reliable public transportation than buses and spur redevelopment around stations, particularly in Prince George’s.
“People in College Park are very excited about the seeing the Purple Line come,” said College Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn. “I’d love to see it extend to the [University of Maryland] campus right away, but I understand the logistical challenge.”
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The private consortium has said delays have added at least $300 million to the project’s $2 billion contract construction cost. However, Maryland officials have said the contractor is responsible for some of the problems. Prince George’s County Council member Dannielle M. Glaros (D-District 3) said residents in her district have been closely watching construction, including the aerial station going up on Riverdale Road near Kenilworth Avenue.
“People are excited,” Glaros said. Late 2022 “doesn’t seem that far off.”
Alan K. Thompson, mayor of Riverdale Park, said the Purple Line’s full benefits will come when residents can ride it to the University of Maryland and to Silver Spring for work, shopping and restaurants.
Even so, Thompson said, “I’m glad to hear we’re going to be part of the first segment. . . . I think a lot of people will appreciate being able to get to other parts of the county quickly.”
Montgomery County Council member Tom Hucker (D-District 5), chairman of the transportation committee, said Montgomery residents will be disappointed to hear their part will open more than a year behind schedule.
But if they know the sequencing was driven by the Purple Line rail yard’s location in Prince George’s, Hucker said, “I think they’ll understand. . . . Everyone is eager to experience the benefits of it.”
Lattuca said the state is still discussing with the contractor, Purple Line Transit Partners, how much each side will pay to make up for some of the construction delays. The team of companies is building the line and will operate it under a 36-year public-private partnership.
“I think we’re close” to an agreement, Lattuca said. “But I can’t tell you exactly when it will be done.”
The private consortium has said delays have added at least $300 million to the $2 billion contract construction cost. However, Maryland officials have said the contractor is responsible for some of the problems.
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