Posted for Brian Ditzler, Sierra Club Transportation Chair
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has said repeatedly that the existing price tag for building the Purple Line and Red Line “is not acceptable.” He reportedly believes the positive economic effects and high ridership projections for the Purple Line in Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties and the Red Line in Baltimore are overstated, and that state dollars would be better spent on roads and bridges.
While aides say he has not made a final decision yet (and likely won’t until sometime in June), it’s not looking good for these light rail projects.
In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Gov. Hogan described his interactions with the Maryland General Assembly by saying, “It’s challenging to change the mind-sets of folks that believe very strongly in what they’re talking about. They think what they’ve been doing is right and they don’t want to change.”
Will the Governor take his own words to heart? We hope so, and will keep trying to convince the Governor of the wisdom in building the two light rail lines until he makes his decision.
The business community has strongly expressed its support for the Purple Line and Red Line because they both would be a modern, efficient way to connect people to employment opportunities, encourage community development, and stimulate economic growth and job creation.
Both light rail lines would connect to MARC, Amtrak and their region’s Metro subway system, would lessen road congestion and gridlock, would create more than 10,000 local jobs during the construction period, and generate more than 27,000 new permanent jobs.
The state has already spent more than $420 million on the two projects, and the Federal government has committed $900 million to each of the light rail lines. Those federal funds will be sent to other states if the Red and Purple Lines are delayed or cancelled.
Ridership on light rail projects around the country has greatly exceeded projections.
In Phoenix, ridership projections were exceeded by 80%, in St. Louis by 58%, Charlotte by 53%, Salt Lake City by 35%, Denver by 29% and in Dallas by 20%.
The Sierra Club has long favored light and heavy rail as well as buses, bicycling and walking to reduce motor vehicle use, fuel consumption, and the air and water pollution they cause. Increasing transportation alternatives also provides better access to jobs, shopping, services and recreation, reduces congestion on our roads, strengthens local communities, towns and urban centers, promotes equal opportunity, and minimizes the need to drive long distances which encourages better land use and discourages sprawl.
Maryland needs to make the right investments in transportation to move our people and our economy forward safely and reliably. Write the Governor today and strongly urge him to support the Red and Purple Lines. Rarely does a single policy choice mean so much to so many of us.