A federal judge has ordered, again, transit officials to study how Metrorail’s across-the-board struggles might affect the proposed Purple Line, dealing the long-awaited light rail line yet another blow.
But it might not be a death blow for the 16.2-mile Purple Line, which many consider a critical east-west link between Bethesda in Montgomery County and New Carrollton in Prince George’s County. Transfers from Metrorail are expected to provide more than a quarter of all Purple Line ridership. The line, as currently planned, will have 21 stations and will be constructed under a public-private partnership.
In a decision issued recently, U.S. District Court for D.C. Judge Richard Leon reaffirmed his previous ruling from August that the Federal Transit Administration and the state of Maryland “wholly failed to consider the impact that Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail’s recent safety and ridership issues could have on the Purple Line project.”