Community Corner
$280M Pledged for Purple Line Construction, Private Dollars Still Needed
Lt. Gov. Brown: Government funding probably won't cover the $2 billion-plus price tag.
Transit advocates got a mixed bag of news Thursday about the Purple Line, a proposed light rail system that would connect Montgomery and Prince George's Counties.
Gov. Martin O'Malley pledged $280 million from the state's gas tax hike for the project, but over the weekend Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said the transit project would probably need private dollars going forward, WTOP.com reported.
The $2.15 billion Purple Line would operate rail stations between Bethesda and New Carrolton, with connections to existing stations on the Metro rail system.
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Brown, who announced that he will run for governor in 2014, told the news station that he's been looking for companies to help pay for the project.
State officials originally proposed a 50/50 split between state and federal funds. If properly funded, construction could begin as early as 2015 with the line opening in 2020.
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O'Malley also announced $100 million for the Corridors Cities Transitway and $125 million for the Interstate 270/Watkins Mill Road interchange in Montgomery County and $100 million for an interchange at MD 210 at Kerby Hill Road/Lingston Road in Prince George's County.
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