Justifying the Purple Line

by Audrey Hill

"Our goal is to double Mass Transit ridership by the year 2020. Everyday we see the need to do this: In Montgomery County we see 1-270, the worlds longest 12-lane parking lot... In Baltimore County, new lanes are added to the Beltway and congestion gets worse! It seems the more new roads we build, the worse traffic becomes. We have to make Mass Transit more than just an alternative... it has to be the transportation method of choice!"

- Governor Glendening, August 19, 2000.

The proposed Metro Purple Line, circumferential rail around the DC area, seems perfectly logical to many commuters. After all, what could be more sensible than providing riders traveling suburb-to-suburb a route that actually runs suburb-to-suburb? DC commuters would also be supplied with more convenient route options. With Metro ridership currently at an all-time high, this project seems headed for a definite success. And yet, the statistics propose that beltway traffic would be reduced by only about I%.

At first glance that statistic might seem to negate the Purple Line as a sound transportation project. However, the proper perspective and data interpretation reveal a much different picture of Beltway Metro rail. Firstly, the percentage of riders diverted from the Beltway is likely higher than reported. More significantly the percentage of riders leaving the roads to ride Metrorail is not the only important measurement of the Purple Line's worth. The Purple Line is justifiable from a position of both social responsibility and pragmatic concerns.

The Maryland Capital Beltway Corridor Transportation Study underestimates the ridership on the Purple Line. This study states that only about I% of drivers would be diverted from the Beltway on to Metrorail. The travel demand forecasting model utilized in the Purple Line projections is frequently criticized for not accurately representing transit. A newer model, fine-tuned to measure transit ridership, was recently created but not used in this study. The study does not account well for University of Maryland students; yet this massive university represents a key public transportation demographic.

The 1% Beltway traffic reduction figure also does not account for the &crease in local traffic. Many riders who normally travel through local roads would get out of their cars and onto the Purple Line. However, the percentage of transit ridership as a fraction of total trips is still low. Calculating public transportation's merit through the percentage of total commuting trips is not the best measurement.

A better measurement for the importance of transit is through "transit competitive trips". Transit competitive trips are rides for which public transportation can reasonably compare \vith

automobile transportation; as Weyrich and Lind point out in their analysis of transportation, competitive transit must be "available, high quality, and trip purpose specific," Many people traveling around the Beltway at certain night hours, for instance, would not be able to ride the Purple Line because Metro is not open at those hours. The demand for the Purple Line is there, but the supply is not. Trips for which the Purple Line, and other public transportation, can compete reasonably have a high ridership demand.

Travel time saved by existing transit riders is as important as travel time saved by automobile drivers. As Montgomery County transportation activist Harry Sanders notes, we should not solely examine the benefit of new transit projects to vehicle drivers. When examining the Purple Line in terms of new daily transit trips, the figure varies from 34,00064,000 riders. No paltry number. Instead of just examining the number of person trips diverted from automobiles, one should consider the total number of riders on the Purple Line.

In fact, an estimated 160,000 to 200,000 riders would use the Purple Line every day. Thus, the amount of people using the Purple Line is equivalent to 2-3 traffic lanes at capacity. Most of the people who already use transit would benefit from a much quicker trip; that improvement should not be ignored.

We should judge transit options by their ability to attract people, not by their ability to relieve an overloaded road. Upwards of 200,000 people would use the Purple Line. Circumferential rail is the preferred alternative to a gridlocked Beltway- hardly the floundering proposal insinuated by certain business interests. Not only would there be significant ridership, the Purple Line would allow commuters something crucial: a choice. We cannot underestimate the value of providing choice.

The Purple Line needs to be evaluated not from a road perspective but from a commuter perspective. From that viewpoint, the Purple Line is a tremendous investment. Not only would the Purple Line remove tens of thousands of cars daily from the road, this route would save well over 100,000 people time and hassle on their commute each day. Improvement in quality of life is difficult to quantify, but irresponsible to ignore in transportation planning. The Purple Line is socially and environmentally beneficial. Improving the efficiency of public transit will help many people, but will particularly aid those unable to drive vehicles. In the region's quest for more roads, we often sacrifice the needs of low-income people dependent upon mass transit. The Purple Line, in the process of saving commuters'time, would reduce stress, air pollution, and gridlock.

Metrorail in combination with land-use planning can have a powerful effect on communities. The revitalization of the Silver Spring and Ballston area largely hinges upon smart growth initiatives. The Purple Line could aid in the redevelopment of many neighborhoods, particularly those in Prince George's County. While Metro is not the catch-all solution for this region's transportation woes, high quality public transportation will significantly aid Metropolitan DC. The health of our communities and the quality of our lives lays within the details- for our families and our future, please work with us to ensure the success of the Purple Line.

Action: Please inform Governor Glendening that you support the Purple Line! 1-800-811-8336
Write: The Honorable Parris Glendening, Office of the Governor, 100 State Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401.
Email: governor@gov.state.md.us

Sources:
Alan Brick-Turin, Architect
Governor Glendening, MD Association of Counties, August 19, 2000
Maryland Capital Beltway Corridor Transportation Study "Initial Findings: Transit"
Hariy Sanders, co-founder Action Committee for Transit
Paul M. Weyrich and William S. Lind "Does Transit Work? A Conservative Reappraisal"