The Action Committee for Transit issued the following press release:
Transit supporters hailed today's unanimous endorsement of the Purple Line by the Montgomery County Council. In a landmark 9-0 vote that overcomes 20 years of division, the Council endorsed building the new transit line as a light rail line running generally above ground from Bethesda to New Carrollton.
The Council also broke new ground by going on record for building the Corridor Cities Transitway, which would run from Clarksburg to Shady Grove, as light rail rather than a busway. The resolution further endorsed providing more assured funding for Metro, and identified the three transit items as the county's highest transportation priority.
The Purple Line has previously won the unanimous support of the Prince George's Council, and Governor-Elect Martin O'Malley repeated his support for it at yesterday's Committee for Montgomery breakfast. "Consensus has been achieved at long last," commented Action Committee for Transit President Ben Ross. "Now let's get on with the job and get it built."
The unanimous County Council support for the Purple Line reflects the results of the November election, in which Purple Line supporter Roger Berliner defeated the County Council's last remaining project opponent. Each of the last three council elections has increased the number of Purple Line supporters; from a shaky 5-4 majority in the council elected in 1994, to 6-3 support in 1998 and a 7-2 majority after the 2002 election.
