Purple Line Moves to Next Level

The Purple Line is one step closer to becoming a reality, it was announced today.

The conceptual planning phase for the light rail, which will stop in College Park, will transition into the engineering phase immediately, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) confirmed.

The Federal Transit Administration to enter the preliminary engineering phase, during which conceptual ideas will become much more concrete, said Henry Kay, the MTA’s executive director for transit development and delivery.

The l running from New Carrollton to Bethesda, connecting Prince George's and Montgomery counties. It will meet with four existing Metro rail systems, including in College Park.

The line is set to cut through campus at the University of Maryland, .

“We’ve always wanted the Purple Line to come across campus. It was just a question of where,” Frank Brewer, the university’s vice president for administrative affairs, told The Washington Post.

UMd. eventually agreed to support a route along Campus Drive.

The line is forecasted to carry 60,000 riders a day by 2030, 10 years after it opens.

The project is expected to generate more than 27,000 new jobs a year and almost $10 billion in additional federal, state and local revenues, Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a prepared statement.

Kay said the preliminary engineering phase will cost $46 million, paid by the state. Maryland will be eligible for reimbursement from federal funds, he said.

Construction is estimated at $1.9 billion, and MTA is proposing to split the cost evenly between state and federal funding, Kay said.

The preliminary engineering phase will take two years, followed by a final design phase, which will require another FTA approval.

"It’s [FTA’s] way of making sure you are designing the best possible project," Kay said. "[To] make sure they’re only funding the best project."

Kay said the FTA has granted the Purple Line project a "medium high" rating. The FTA considers a range of factors for the rating, such as the level of greenhouse gas emissions and the ability of the state to complete the project.

"Medium high is a very good rating. It’s an excellent rating for the project," Kay said.

The public can attend four open forums in November to learn more about the project and to share their thoughts. The first in in College Park:

• University of Maryland

Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011

Adele H. Stamp Student Union

Prince George’s Room

College Park, Md. 20740

• National 4H Youth Conference Center

Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011

7100 Connecticut Avenue

Chevy Chase, MD 20815

• Silver Spring Civic Center

Monday, Nov. 7, 2011

One Veterans Place

Silver Spring, Md. 20190

• Beacon Heights Elementary School

Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011

6929 Fruman Parkway

Riverdale, Md. 20737