U.S. DOT Brings Maryland Purple Line Back From the Dead

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the state of Maryland are expected to sign a funding agreement next week for the Purple Line between Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

1 minute read

August 23, 2017, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Purple Line Extension

Maryland Transit Administration / Purple Line route map.

Robert McCartney and Faiz Siddiqui report: "Maryland’s Purple Line will receive a $900 million federal full funding agreement from the Trump administration, officials said Monday, a critical step forward for the oft-delayed project."

"Construction of the 16-mile light-rail line linking Montgomery and Prince George’s counties will begin within weeks after the deal is formalized," add McCartney and Siddiqui.

The decision to fund the project comes only a few months after a court decision seemed to have doomed the project to the dustbin of history, but the "announcement put to rest worries in Maryland that the Purple Line might fall victim to desires in the Trump administration and the Republican Party to trim federal transit spending."

As noted in the article, however, if the Trump Administration gets its way, this transit project could be the last to have a happy ending, because the "White House budget released in the spring proposed eliminating new federal grants for transit construction, and the GOP party platform urged phasing out all federal transit spending."

Monday, August 21, 2017 in The Washington Post

Black and white Rideshare Pick-Up Zone sign

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing

From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

June 1, 2023 - Human Transit

Urban sidewalk shaded by large mature trees

Cool Walkability Planning

Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.

June 1, 2023 - Todd Litman

Interstate 55 with cars and green freeway signs in Chicago, Illinois

Illinois Legislators Pass Controversial I-55 Road Expansion Legislation

Legislation to enable the addition of express toll lanes on Interstate 55 in the Southwest Side of Chicago, opposed by environmental justice advocates, cleared the Illinois General Assembly last month.

June 7, 2023 - Chicago Tribune

Dallas Freeways

Federal Infrastructure Dollars Funding Road Expansions

Far from kickstarting a transformative change in transportation policy, the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law continues to fund traditional road-building projects.

June 9 - Climatewire

An aerial view of a park and the streets and high-rises of Downtown Omaha.

Downtown Omaha Planning for its Post-One-Way-Streets Era

The Omaha City Council has decided to reverse the transportation model adopted in the city in the 1950s, for the benefit of traffic safety and local retail activity.

June 9 - KETV

A red sun appears on the horizon, as obscured by haze from wildfire smoke.

Planning for Proximity, for the Climate’s Sake

A new global platform will help the world identify and encourage opportunities for more proximity in the built environment—development patterns that can help reduce sources of greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution if built well.

June 9 - C40 Cities

Assistant/Associate Planner

Bossier City - Parish MPC

Principal Planner – Advanced Plans

Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department

Planning Officer

City of Bangor

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.