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Purple Line Benefits

Here are just a few of the ways that the Purple Line will benefit our community.

Shorter Commutes

Traveling at up to 55 miles per hour, the Purple Line will enable commuters to bypass the most congested section of the Beltway. Travel time between Bethesda and Silver Spring will be only 8½ minutes.

The trains will stop at the three largest employment centers in suburban Maryland - Bethesda, Silver Spring, and the University of Maryland. Connections to the Green Line, the Orange Line, and both arms of the Red Line will make the Purple Line usable by those who don't live nearby.

Less Pollution

Foul air threatens the health of everyone in the Washington area. Over-dependence on the automobile is the major source of our air pollution, and more transit is the solution.

Stronger Communities

Light rail brings people to vibrant mixed-use centers without overwhelming them with cars and parking lots. Every stop on the Purple Line will be accessible on foot.

The pedestrian-friendly downtowns of Bethesda and Silver Spring will continue to flourish. Langley Park, College Park and New Carrollton will be able to emulate their vitality and walkability. Smaller-scale neighborhood centers will emerge at Chevy Chase Lake, Long Branch, and Riverdale Park.

More Jobs

Money spent to build and operate the Purple Line will stay close to home and pay wages to Marylanders, instead of going overseas to pay for imported oil.

3500 well-paid construction jobs and thousands of additional support and manufacturing jobs will be created while the light rail line is built. Once running, it will create skilled blue-collar jobs for operators and maintenance personnel. Local residents will be trained for these jobs.

Beyond that, the Purple Line supports Maryland's technology-based economic development strategy by linking the University of Maryland to the economic engines of Bethesda and Silver Spring. Residents near the Purple Line stops will have access to all these key job centers and their many thousands of jobs.

Higher Property Values

All the significant studies of the economic impact of light rail projects on property values show that property owners and communities view the light rail as an amenity. Light rail's contribution is demonstrated through increased property values for both the commercial and residential property in close proximity to the rail project.

Better Trails

Silver Spring and Bethesda are isolated from each other for thousands of rollers, runners and bikers. The most direct route crosses eight major roadways. Three of these roadways are six-lane state highways. In addition, there are another seven lesser roadway crossings with stop signs. Plans for the Purple Line include a trail. The trail that comes with the Purple Line will eliminate seven trail crossings of major roadways. It will create a direct 4.4 mile path linking the Silver Spring Transit Center to Bethesda and connecting at each end to trails into D.C. Those on foot would have only one road crossing, at a three way stop sign across a two lane residential street (Talbot Avenue). At Wisconsin Avenue, cyclists would have a choice between crossing at a traffic light and walking through a tunnel. Six traffic lights and six stop signs along the trail would be gone.

The trail will never get completed without the Purple Line. Bikers, runners and rollers will still be forced into a losing fight against traffic. Our communities will remain disconnected. There will be no alternative to the roads.