Prince George’s County and Montgomery County in Maryland are working together to build a 16-mile Purple Line that would run from Bethesda to College Park.
The $2.4 billion public/private project is estimated to create 27,000 permanent jobs and increase property values along the route by nearly $10billion. It will provide another transportation option to help reduce traffic congestion and linking the University of Maryland campus in College Park to federal employment centers.
“The Purple Line is a critical component to Prince George’s County’s future economic development plans,” Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker said during a strategies discussion at the University of Maryland campus on Feb. 4.
Other notable political figures in attendance for the meeting, included Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, Prince George’s County Council Chairman Mel Franklin, Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal, Greater Washington Board of Trade President and CEO Jim Dinegar, and University of Maryland President Dr. Wallace Loh.
Aside from our economy, it will significantly impact our environment and transportation infrastructure,” Baker said during the meeting. “The Purple Line offers a unique opportunity to revitalize communities and create transportation alternatives for our residents that will serve the region and state for many generations.”
President Obama requested $100 million for the Purple Line in his FY 2016 budget, which is part of the $900 million in federal construction funds being sought for the construction of Purple Line. “The Purple Line is more than a transit line,” Franklin said. “It’s a jobs engine for our state and region. Construction of the Purple Line will spur regional business investment, relieve traffic congestion, and improve our natural environment. We are bringing the world to Maryland and building the communities of the 21st century economy by constructing the Purple Line.”
In his first budget, Gov. Larry Hogan retained $312.7 million for the Purple Line in the six-year Consolidated Transportation Program. “Every dollar of public investment for the Purple Line multiplies itself many times over,” Leggett said. “And – thanks to our innovative public/private partnership arrangement – up to 40 percent of the project’s cost could be picked up by the private sector. Our task is to make the case for the investment, not simply spending, but the investment in mass transit, and the returns it will generate to our communities and to our state.”
“The continued economic prosperity of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties is inextricably linked to the Purple Line,” Leventhal said. “The Purple Line is the best investment Maryland can make to jump start our economy and attract new businesses to the state.”
