Updated 5:17 p.m. 

Maryland transportation officials met with the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday, assuring local leaders that work on the Purple Line project would continue.

The meeting comes after a state judge ruled last week that private companies working on the project could quit over cost disputes with the state. If Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP), the group of companies managing the project, does quit, the state would have to find its own contractors to complete the rail line.

Executive Director for Transit Development and Delivery at Maryland Transit Administration and Purple Line project manager Matt Pollack said during the meeting that the state is “taking actions” — like focusing on design completion and manufacturing equipment — to keep the project moving forward.

Pollack also said the state is coordinating with the existing subcontractors — in hopes of continuing their work with the private-public partnership — and identifying back-up subcontractors should they back out.

“We have some clarity on our options to move the path forward, but there are still paths we have to evaluate,” Pollack said during the meeting. “I am confident that the state has the right team in place that will help us get there.”

Councilmembers unanimously expressed the need for the project to forge ahead and urged state officials to continue communications with the county and its residents.

“The Purple Line is essential for the future of this county and it builds the kind of transportation infrastructure that we need,” Councilmember Hans Riemer said during the meeting. “None of that has really changed. We’ve got to get this done.”

The $5.6 billion Purple Line project is one of the nation’s largest public-private partnerships. While the state owns the project, private companies within PLTP oversee the build-out of the light rail that would connect New Carrolton to Bethesda. PLTP planned to leave the project in May over a dispute about whether the companies or the state should shoulder cost overruns and delays, but after a lawsuit by MTA, the groups were required to stay on the job until Sept. 14. 

Montgomery County councilmembers and constituents can expect more clarity on the state’s plans for the next four to six months within 30 days, according to Maryland Department of Transportation administrator Kevin Quinn. The state has the option to appeal the judge’s ruling, but Quinn could not comment on any litigation that could happen in the future.

If the state ends up needing to source out new subcontractors, Quinn said there will be a lot of work ahead, especially as transit agencies attempt to bounce back economically from the pandemic. Earlier this month, MTA announced $43 million in cuts to its operating budget and proposed scaling back MARC rail and Baltimore bus services. 

“My position is that sitting here today, we have to ramp up,” Quinn said. “Sitting here today, we have a limited staff, limited resources. That’s not to say we can’t get there.”

During the meeting, councilmembers also called on Gov. Larry Hogan to publicly commit to upholding the partnership, but MTA and MDOT officials declined to comment on Hogan’s behalf.

“This is already a disaster,” Councilmember Will Jawando said. “Particularly Montgomery County, but none of the counties, should have to pay another dime for this project, and the governor should state that it needs to move forward.”

Riemer pushed back on waiting 30 days and called for swift planning from transportation officials. He also stressed the importance of Hogan’s support for the continuation of the project.

“The governor is not a passenger on this train,” Riemer said. “He’s driving this train, and we need him to drive this train, take control of the situation.”

Hogan’s spokesperson Michael Ricci tells DCist in a statement that the Purple Line is an important project for the region, and that Hogan backs Transportation Secretary Gregory Slater.

“The governor fully supports Secretary Slater’s efforts to get the project done and protect taxpayers while ensuring we have a partner that also has the best interests of Marylanders in mind,” the statement reads.

This post was updated with a statement from a spokesperson for Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.