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Montgomery County Planning Board Appoints Resident Group to Advise on Purple Line Study

SILVER SPRING, MD – Following a wide call for
applicants, the Montgomery County Planning Board yesterday appointed a
committee of 28 area residents who will help its transportation planners
analyze the potential impacts of the proposed Purple Line, a transit corridor
that will link Bethesda with New Carrollton by light rail or a rapid bus line.

While the Maryland Department of
Transportation (MDOT) is leading the planning for the Purple Line, Montgomery
County planners have begun an effort that will highlight the Planning
Department’s recommendations for the type of transit, route and station
locations in Montgomery County. Once the study, called a functional master
plan, is complete, it also will amend the county’s existing master plans
through which the new route will travel.

Staff expects the plan to provide a framework
for the Planning Board to react quickly to the MTA’s Purple Line recommendations,
which may emerge next summer.

More than 80 applicants responded to the
department’s call for committee members. While the size of the committee
approved today is larger than typical, planners recommended that the board
include members from throughout the Purple Line area, including Bethesda/Chevy
Chase, Silver Spring and Takoma Park.

Planning staff recommended individuals who
offer background in transportation, landscape architecture, mass transit and public
service as well as those with a history of working with Purple Line issues. Planners
also sought committee members who might be able to spread the word among broad
constituencies, particularly those who may not typically involve themselves in
civic outreach.

The committee meetings, expected to begin in
October with a briefing from MTA on the alternatives under review, will be open
to the public and advertised at www.mcparkandplanning.org/transportation/projects/bicounty.shtm.
Everyone who expressed an interest in the committee will receive invitations to
the meetings.

Members include:
Bethesda/Chevy Chase
Edward Asher
Pat Baptiste
Veda Charrow
Marcy Fisher
Sue Knapp
Anne Martin
Judy Tso
Mier Wolf

Silver Spring
Karen FitzGerald
Tony Hausner
Jonathan Jay
Caleb Kriesberg
William Mellema
Edward “Ted” Power
Chris Richardson
Karen Roper
Rob Rosenberg
Harry Sanders

Takoma Park
Eric DeVaris
Clay Harris
Byrne Kelly
Laurie Kelly
José Rodriguez
Fred Shultz
Todd Solomon

Countywide
Phil Alperson
Georgette Godwin
Peter Gray



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