Team Maryland Urges Support for Red and Purple Line Projects
“The entire Baltimore and Greater Washington area Congressional Delegations have fought hard to ensure that federal funds are available to support the Red and Purple Lines.”
Washington, D.C. (Jan. 15, 2015)—Today, Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski, and Representatives Elijah E. Cummings, Steny H. Hoyer, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Chris Van Hollen, John P. Sarbanes, Donna F. Edwards, and John K. Delaney (all D-MD) joined to send a letter to Governor-elect Larry Hogan expressing their strong support for the planned Red Line and Greater Washington Purple Line transit projects.
“We know that you share our commitment to strengthening Maryland’s economy and ensuring that the people of Maryland have access to infrastructure they need to excel in their lives, and we believe construction of the Red and Purple Lines is central to achieving these priorities,” the Members wrote.
The recently passed Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 (Public Law 113-235) includes the first installment of federal funding for the Red and Purple Lines, $100 million for each project. Maryland could receive up to $900 million for each transit project over the entire construction period if Maryland signs full funding agreements for each project by the end of September as currently planned.
Click here and see below for the full letter.
January 15, 2015
Governor-Elect Larry Hogan
Transition Office
Tawes State Office Building
580 Taylor Ave
Annapolis, MD 21401
Dear Governor-Elect Hogan:
We write today to express our strong support for the Baltimore Red Line and Greater Washington Purple Line planned transit projects. We know you share our commitment to strengthening Maryland’s economy and ensuring that the people of Maryland have access to infrastructure they need to excel in their lives, and we believe construction of the Red and Purple Lines is central to achieving these priorities.
The Red Line is a proposed 14.1-mile light rail system that would link Baltimore’s East and West sides with the heart of downtown. With 19 stations – including at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Woodlawn, the West Baltimore MARC Station, the Inner Harbor and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center – this transit system will significantly improve mobility in Baltimore, and will be a critical catalyst for economic growth and job creation throughout the city.
Like the Red Line, the Purple Line – a 16-mile east-west transit line linking New Carrollton and Bethesda – will also revitalize community development, create employment opportunities, and generate a more rapid and reliable transit system. The project would provide easier access to the Metro lines, commuter rail, and local bus services. Both the Purple Line and the Red Line will help connect people to jobs, major economic centers, and key activity areas in the region – bolstering economic development and creating more efficient transportation systems.
According to a study completed by the Jacob France Institute at the University of Baltimore’s Merrick School of Business, construction of the Red Line would generate more than $2 billion in economic activity during the construction period alone, while creating more than 9,000 construction and related jobs. The Purple Line is expected to create 6,300 regional jobs during the six-year construction period. The State of Maryland and dozens of local agencies and entities have spent years crafting the policies and goals needed to ensure that the projects benefit local communities and directly support Maryland’s most critical economic development goals.
Recognizing the significance of these projects, we secured the first installment of federal funding for both the Red and Purple Lines in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 (Public Law 113-235). If Maryland signs full funding grant agreements for each project with the Federal Transit Administration by the end of this September as currently planned, the Red Line and the Purple Line will each receive $100 million in federal funding this fiscal year, and up to $900 million in federal funding over the entire construction period.
The entire Baltimore and Greater Washington area Congressional delegations have fought hard to ensure that federal funds are available to support the Red and Purple Lines, and we have worked closely with State and local leaders to put in place the many components needed to qualify the projects for federal funding. This is truly an historic opportunity that may never come again, and we look forward to working with you to finalize plans for the Red and Purple Lines in order to ensure that Maryland benefits from the better future these projects will create.
Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski Benjamin L. Cardin
United States Senator United States Senator
Elijah E. Cummings Steny H. Hoyer
Member of Congress Member of Congress
C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger Chris Van Hollen
Member of Congress Member of Congress
John P. Sarbanes Donna F. Edwards
Member of Congress Member of Congress
John K. Delaney
Member of Congress
