About Purple Rail

The Purple Rail Alliance

The Purple Rail Alliance is a broad based, nonpartisan group working to ensure the prompt construction of the Purple Line light rail.  We strive to educate members of the business community and the general public about the economic, employment, environmental and other quality of life benefits of the Purple Line.

We will provide a voice to our partners who live and work in the greater Washington area who support rail as an essential component of an integrated economic development program.

As an advocate for Purple Rail system, the Purple Rail Alliance (PRA) will advise decision-makers on transit-related issues, including funding, operations, station location and access, economic development issues and implementation.

 

High res Purple Line LRV

About Purple Rail

The Purple Line is a proposed, 16-mile east-west Light Rail Transit (LRT) line extending inside the Capital Beltway from New Carrollton in Prince George’s County to Bethesda in Montgomery County.  The Purple Line would connect the major central business districts and activity centers of:

  • New Carrolton
  • College Park/University of Maryland
  • Takoma/Langley Park
  • Silver Spring
  • Bethesda

In addition, it will provide direct connections to Metrorail at New Carrollton, College Park, Silver Spring and Bethesda; linking the two branches of the Red, Green, and Orange lines.  The Purple Line will connect to all three MARC lines, Amtrak, and local bus routes; improving east-west mobility and reducing travel times for thousands of area residents on a daily basis.  Trains would run every 6 minutes during peak hours, and 10-12 minutes off peak; all at 21 conveniently located stations.

 

Benefits of the Purple Line

The addition of the Purple Line to the Washington metro area will encourage economic development throughout the region in the following ways:

  • 7,000 regional jobs for construction of the Purple Line
  • 400 jobs estimated for Purple Line operations
  • According to the American Public Transportation Association, every dollar spent on public transit projects generates an average of six dollars in local economic activity.
  • Every $10 million in capital investment in public transportation can return up to $30 million in business sales alone. (Source: American Public Transportation Association)
  • Between 3,140 and 5,700 jobs are generally created for every $100 million invested n public transit. (Source: Cambridge Systematics, Inc.)
  • Supporting revitalization areas are complementing the over $400 million in renovations and new construction that is being invested in the Silver Spring Transit Center.

In addition to the economic benefits, the Purple Rail will provide a more efficient transportation to the region by:

  • Creating reliable east to west transportation between Montgomery and Prince George’s County
  • Provide increased access to the DC Metrorail, linking the Red, Orange, and Green lines.
  • Permit an interaction with Federal agencies across this Federal enclave by connecting areas with a large concentration of Federal employees.