Three years ago, Lt. Governor Brown and I announced our statewide vision for transportation – a vision which isn’t solely focused on roads, rail, on transit, or on growth and sustainability. But instead, it’s based on the balance that incorporates all of those things, with a strategy for economic development as well.
Yesterday, I was proud to join local officials, environmental advocates, economic development professionals, and citizens from across our One Maryland to announce the next steps for the long-awaited Red Line and Purple Line. The locally preferred alternatives we announced yesterday for each project will now be submitted for federal approval so we can begin the next phase of our planning process.
The Red Line, a 14-mile, east-west light rail line connecting the existing Baltimore Light Rail system with MARC stations, the Baltimore Metro subway and local bus routes will create a comprehensive regional transit network that is unprecedented in the Baltimore area. And the 16-mile Purple Line, which connects Bethesda to New Carrollton, will connect major employment and activity centers in Montgomery and Pri