A Light-Rail Purple Line Would Be Costly and Destructive

The July 12 editorial "Green-Light the Purple Line" claimed to dispel myths about the planned light-rail line between Bethesda and New Carrollton, but instead it perpetuated many. We write on behalf of all five members of the Chevy Chase Town Council to set the record straight:

-- The editorial acknowledged that a light-rail system would be more expensive than bus rapid transit, but it failed to mention how much more. Light rail would cost twice as much as bus rapid transit -- an additional $1 billion. Even if federal funding is obtained, Maryland must still match that allocation. As The Post recently reported, the state starts the fiscal year with a $700 million budget shortfall -- or 5 percent of the state's $14 billion general fund. A $1 billion shortfall is projected for fiscal 2011, bringing the total for the next two years to nearly $2 billion.

-- The editorial asserted that the Purple Line has one of the highest ridership estimates of any transit project in the country, but this estimate cannot be substantiated until the state reveals how it arrived at those numbers, which it refuses to do despite our repeated pleas.

-- The editorial suggested the Capital Crescent Trail is a haven only for cyclists and joggers. It did not mention that thousands of families use the trail; in fact, it's among the most popular and heavily used trails in the nation. Children walk or bike to school along it; people take their dogs for walks and senior citizens get their exercise on the trail. The editorial said that a light-rail system would preserve some of the trail and much of the surrounding foliage. Yet the state's study noted that no trees would be left along the Bethesda-Chevy Chase portion of the corridor.

-- The editorial did not mention that bus rapid transit is recommended for other important transit projects in our region. The Purple Line as light rail would be isolated as a mode of transit, with high capital and maintenance costs and less interconnectedness. The editorial also did not note that the original plans for transit on the trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring envisioned a single-track line, not a double-track trolley. Current plans call for trains running every three to six minutes at about 40 mph.

-- Finally, the editorial suggested that former Maryland transportation secretary John D. Porcari, a longtime champion of light rail who is now deputy secretary of transportation in the Obama administration, could help the state secure federal funds for two Maryland projects, the Purple Line and Baltimore's Red Line. The 49 other states that have important transportation projects awaiting federal funds might be troubled to hear that.

The Purple Line has serious implications beyond Chevy Chase. Taxpayers everywhere -- but especially in Maryland -- should care about what the governor decides. As one former transit executive said at a recent public meeting we held, based on the state's current numbers, capital costs for the Purple Line will be $139,000 per new transit rider -- a costly and inefficient use of scarce, badly needed transit dollars.

While Chevy Chase has expressed these concerns, thousands of other residents and numerous communities throughout the region have publicly raised problems with light rail on the Capital Crescent Trail. Chevy Chase's elected officials have not decided what to do next. But the town's analysis has brought critical facts about costs and alternatives to the forefront, issues important not only to its residents but also to the region.

Kathy Strom is the mayor of Chevy Chase. Patricia Burda is a Town Council member.