Significant progress has been made toward the completion of D.C.’s two forthcoming public transit lines, the Purple Line and the Silver Line.
The Purple Line is a proposed East-West rail line, extending 16 miles from New Carrollton to Bethesda, connecting to the Red, Orange, and Green Lines.
On Sept. 6, the Maryland Transit Administration published the Purple Line’s Final Environmental Impact Statement for a 30-day public comment period. According to this document, construction of the Purple Line would require the demolition of 116 homes and businesses. Public reception to this document will factor into the Federal Transit Administration’s decision on whether to advance the project. The Line is scheduled to be operational in 2020.
In the meantime, the first phase of the Silver Line, which will connect passengers to Dulles International Airport, has been delayed until the end of the year. The Line will extend the Orange Line 23 miles West, from East Falls Church, Va. to Ashburn, Va.
