However, contrary to the essay, the Purple Line is worth building. It will provide a much-needed east-west rapid-transit option connecting with Metrorail’s Red, Green and Orange lines, MARC, Amtrak, and local and regional bus services. Many thousands of workers need an efficient way to travel to job centers in Silver Spring, Bethesda and the District, and students commuting to the University of Maryland want to get to their classes in College Park without needing a car. Communities inside the Beltway will benefit from an arc of economic opportunity, and we all will benefit from fewer cars on the road and cleaner air that results.
It’s up to the state to resolve the current disagreement so the Purple Line, and all the promise that it holds, can become a reality.
Brian Ditzler, Silver Spring