Posted on 07/07/2006 9:11:55 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
Silver Spring, Md. (AP) - A study of an east-west transit route in Montgomery and Prince George's counties is moving ahead despite a perception that it is being muscled out by higher profile projects, Maryland transportation officials said Wednesday.
State planners hope to complete a study of the environmental effects of the Bi-County Transitway next year, a necessary step to winning federal funding that will be needed to build the line. Work could begin as early as 2010, according to Maryland Transportation Secretary Robert Flanagan.
But it is still unclear what form of transit would be used for the line linking Bethesda and New Carrollton, and how much the project would ultimately cost.
Planners will chose between a light rail line running on its own tracks and a rapid bus system that could use existing roads or its own network of roadways. Depending on the route and type of bus or rail line used, the Bi-County Transitway could cost from $375 million to $1.6 billion.
Flanagan indicated the state may shy away from a more expensive project, saying federal funding could be at risk if federal planners conclude it is not cost effective. As an example, he cited a proposed extension of Metro to Washington Dulles International Airport, where added features such as a tunnel under Tysons Corner have threatened federal aid.
He also tried to counter criticism that other projects like the Intercounty Connector, an east-west highway slated to start construction this year, have been given higher priority that than the transit line. The Bi-County Transitway is not "on the back burner," he said.
The proposed line would connect three Metro lines, making it no longer necessary to travel in and out of Washington to travel within the Maryland suburbs of Washington. It would also connect job centers in Bethesda and Silver Spring with workers in eastern Montgomery and Prince George's.
It was originally called the Purple Line, and some proposals called for it to be heavy rail like the rest of the Metrorail system. But those plans were later scaled down to light rail or rapid bus transit as a cost-cutting measure.
Wow. Impressive map with the purple added. Go for it provdied the tax payer isn't fleeced.
Yes, but the purple line is probably not going to happen. There's no one in charge of Washington Metro, really.
As a DC metro area native, that purple line map made me drool. It's definitely a pipe dream to not have Metro Center and Gallery Place - Chinatown not be hubs. A tax hike would be acceptable for this.
Too bad that pic is from the Sierra Club.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.....
Bump!
Bump!
This will never happen.
U of MD could have had the green line station right underneath the student union. They decided, no way in hell will we let the many undesireables (young black males) have that kind of access to the college.
The same is true of Georgetown. No way will the rich liberals there let a subway stop open there.
Cool. It will soon be called, "The Crime Line."
It looks like that map is pretty far out of date - it doesn't even have the current name on the airport.
Whoever pretends to be in charge will probably use any money already set aside for this to make all of the Metro signs bilingual, anyway.
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