The Purple Line Light Rail System

There has been a longstanding debate in my home county of Montgomery, MD, regarding whether or not to build a light-rail system called the purple line. It would connect my home town of Bethesda to other bustling inner-suburbs of D.C., such as College Park and New Carrolton in Prince George’s County. The light-rail system would form an arc around the northern end of Washington, D.C., connecting to four branches of the D.C. metro system, two Amtrak lines, and dozens of bus routes.

In addition to alleviating parking and traffic nightmares that are only becoming worse, this project would ironically benefit the environment. According to Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, an active member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Transportation Subcommittee, “Moving forward on a light rail Purple Line is good news for thousands of Marylanders currently wasting time, money and gas in gridlock, not to mention for the environment.”

Though many residents are hesitant to support the project because of its potential environmental implications, I believe that a light-rail would actually do more good than harm. It would take an estimated 20,000 cars off congested roadways, serving to reduce pollution; it would promote walkable communities oriented along mass transit lines, and concentrate business districts around the light rail system to counter urban sprawl; and, finally, it would preserve the region’s green space.

An environmental impact statement has already been prepared. It states that the purple line would “follow existing roadway or railroad rights-of-way. As a result, the environmental and community impacts are relatively minor in type and degree for projects of this nature. The roadways along which the alignment would run typically have high volumes of automobile, truck, and bus traffic operating along them.” In essence, the area on which this light-rail system would be built is already largely developed. Concerned environmentalists should not be worried. I strongly believe that federal funding for this project should be granted, as the purple line would not only reduce regional congestion but also improve local environmental quality.