Purple Line Likely Among O'Malley Announcements Monday

WASHINGTON - Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will make a major transportation announcement in Bethesda on Monday, reporting a big step forward on the Purple Line and announcing funding for several road and rail projects for Montgomery County.

Sources tell WTOP O'Malley will announce that the Federal Transit Administration has issued a "Record of Decision" approving the Purple Line. The ROD is a public document stating that the project meets all the environmental requirements to receive federal funding. Baltimore's Red Line received an ROD in February, putting both projects on the fast track towards getting construction money.

"There are a lot of federal regulations that need to be met, but this announcement would be a huge step for the Purple Line and make it more likely construction will begin in 2015 and be completed by 2020," says Kelly Blynn of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an advocacy group that prefers transit projects over road-widening to improve congestion.
More