Maryland transit authorities are seeking an additional $425 million to fund construction of the Purple Line, putting the long-delayed project more than $4 billion over budget.
The request from the Maryland Transit Administration, issued Friday, is the second-largest single request for additional funding to date for the Purple Line. The only bigger request came in 2022, when the MTA asked for $3.4 billion after the pandemic had caused rising material costs, supply chain issues, labor shortages and more expensive insurance. The state’s Board of Public Works approved this request in 2022. It will vote on the $425 million package next week.
The MTA says the funds are needed to extend a contract with Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP), the private manager of the Purple Line, to run the line until the end of 2057 amid project delays caused in part by the departure of a construction contractor in 2020. The project also faced a rocky start in 2016 when a lawsuit from opponents of the line prompted a federal judge to suspend a key environmental approval.
The latest funding request comes as transit systems across the country struggle to recover from plunging ridership following the pandemic. A November report from Metro, which is not involved with the Purple Line project, shows Metrorail ridership and parking usage have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Former governor Larry Hogan (R) launched the Purple Line project during his first term while scrapping Baltimore’s Red Line. State and local officials said they hoped the Purple Line would transform car-dependent regions of Maryland, particularly in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, into public transit havens and spur development of apartments, stores and restaurants.
Had everything stayed on schedule, the Purple Line, which started construction in 2017, would have begun carrying passengers throughout the Washington suburbs by now. But by the end of Hogan’s second term last year, the project was 4.5 years behind schedule and the budget had ballooned from $5.6 billion to $9.28 billion. Now it is anticipated to open in late 2027 — more than five years late — barring any further delays.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D), who has long been critical of the project, said Monday that the Purple Line is a “colossally mismanaged” project that is no longer worth its price tag. He would have rather spent the funds on a bus rapid transit system, which operates in dedicated lanes and which he said would cost a fraction of the Purple Line’s budget. Elrich recently proposed a separate $580 million, 28-mile expansion of BRT in the county.
Kathryn Lamb, an MTA spokeswoman, responded by highlighting several benefits of the Purple Line, including zero-emissions electric vehicles, noise-reducing technology and low floors allowing for easy boarding.
Maryland state Sen. Malcolm Augustine (D-Prince George’s) said the years-long construction delays have hurt his neighbors along University Boulevard. “They’ve had to live with roads that are basically impassable for years,” he said, adding, “It’s cost a lot of people a lot of money and convenience.”
But he’s still optimistic about the project’s ability to address traffic congestion. “For Marylanders who do not want to be in a car, you have to be able to get from one point to another,” he said. The Purple Line “remains critical for any sort of growth that can occur in this corridor of Prince George’s County.”
Angela D. Alsobrooks (D), the Prince George’s executive, shares Augustine’s optimism. “Construction challenges and adjustments that have caused delays and added costs to the Purple Line are concerning, but we remain committed to and excited about delivering a reliable solution for Prince Georgians,” she said in an emailed statement. “Our transit-oriented development plans around the Purple Line will bring new amenities, homes and jobs to Prince George’s County.”
Still, with all the delays and cost overruns, Augustine isn’t sure what to tell his constituents about the Purple Line. “There’s only so many times you can go back to the well and tell them something is coming up,” he said.
