A project dogged by controversy and opposition took another blow this week, this time from a federal judge. The ongoing safety and operations issue of the Metrorail system played a role in the ruling.
The Associated Press reports that a federal judge is requiring the state of Maryland to re-do its study of anticipated ridership for the Purple Line, a 16.2-mile line planned for the Metrorail system.
In a separate article, Kristi King explains the reasing behind the decision "U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon said Maryland must do another study projecting anticipated Purple Line ridership [pdf] that takes into account the potential impact of declining Metrorail ridership and safety issues."
Construction on the Purple Line was scheduled to begin in 2016, but the court ruling, and the study process, could set that target back by six months. The court ruling follows years of local opposition, but last Planetizen heard from the project, in April 2016, there was positive news about a contract to build and operate the line.
Read the full story: Federal judge orders further study of Purple Line, delays start
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