Monday, April 26, 2010

Purple Nurple: Dark Days Ahead?

Ok, I don't usually (ever) give any credit to hearsay or rumors but I have a juicy one. As you may have read there has been an increase of activity on the Georgetown Branch Trail above Bethesda. Last week I stopped to talk to someone who was working on the trail and ask what gives. I asked if all this new activity was for the Purple Nurple and he said that was indeed. He went on to say that is was preliminary work and that the Project was years away. I wasn't sure is he was referring to the beginning of the project or the end of it.

Here's where it gets interesting. I explained my stance on the PurpNurp and how it was needed but unfortunate. I then made a comment about how at least we'll still have a path and he winced a little. He went on to say that it's a shame we can't have both but with the insurance costs of having cyclist and pedestrians that close to a light rail blah blah blah... that's when I got a little dizzy.

Isn't it confirmed that there will be a path along with the light rail system on the Purple Nurple?


According to their website it's a fact.
A proposed 16-mile east-west Light Rail Transit (LRT) line extending inside the Capital Beltway from New Carrollton in Prince George's County to Bethesda in Montgomery County. The Purple Line would:
  • Include a hiker/biker trail along the Georgetown Branch and CSX/Metrorail corridors between Bethesda and Silver Spring.
So was this worker simply uninformed or is there some really bad news coming our way? Does anyone have more info (or rumors)?



On a side note I'm pretty happy the MTA started seeing things my way and adjusted their marketing campaign thusly.

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3 comments:

  1. silverspringtrailsApril 27, 2010 at 1:15 AM

    The guy who gave you this "information" is full of balony.

    Your blog points out that the the official Purple Line website says clearly the CCT will be alongside the Purple Line. The same website has engineering drawings and renderings showing how that will be done. The website also links to the AA/DEIS document that consistently and repeatedly shows the trail will be alongside the rail - in fact it is shown to be paved, with bridges and underpasses at all major highway crossings, and completed into downtown Silver Spring. This will make it a more complete and more usable trail than it is today, which is much of the reason why WABA has endorsed the project and CCCT has chosen to remain neutral and not support the "Save the Trail" group based in Chevy Chase.

    And now the Mont. Co. Planning Board has just approved the Purple Line Master Plan which follows that plan closely.

    The Rails to Trails Conservancy reports on their website that there are 140 trails along active rails in U.S. today, and more are being built. The RTC studies show the safety record of these trails is very good.

    Your source was wrong on all counts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cycle JerkApril 27, 2010 at 3:14 AM

    I had read that as well. Three cheers for the uninformed workforce.

    ReplyDelete
  3. gwadzillaMay 10, 2010 at 6:46 PM

    we can not lose trails... we need to gain trails

    take the center lane down East West Highway for the LIGHT RAIL

    that is the logical thing to do

    narrow the road so that cars move the pace that the law requests

    ReplyDelete