Both parties sued over $800 million in cost overruns from delays due to other lawsuits and changes to the line’s design.

Though Maryland’s Purple Line is a good eight years away from becoming a reality, a catchy little jingle touting the benefits of the transit network should be stuck in our heads until then.

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board voted unanimously today to add the Purple Line to its long-range transportation plan, a key approval in the lengthy process to build the new line. Whether the proposed 16-mile line connecting Bethesda to New Carrollton will be light rail or bus rapid transit is still an open question, but a decision on that could happen as early as the end of the summer, assuming the next step, an…

Today tens of thousands of District children return to school, leaving behind the late-morning starts, extended curfews and breaks at the public swimming pool that summer afforded them. And though the year will proceed as it usually does, they will be part of a school system that has seen drastic changes over the last few months. Now under mayoral control and led by new chancellor Michelle Rhee, the District’s public schools have entered a new…

Spring appears to have, er, sprung, at least temporarily, in most of the Ist-A-Verse, so naturally, we’re all feeling pretty good. (Yes, we know that spring doesn’t officially start till later this month. Just let us enjoy our weather!) And that makes us that much more eager to share all of the nifty things we’re up to… Over at Sampaist, spring has more than sprung: it’s sweltering! But, as everyone knows, museums are an ideal…

With all the bad news surrounding Metro recently, it is sometimes tough to remember how much we rely on it. The D.C area has the third highest transit ridership in the country, behind San Francisco and New York, and more than a third of District residents commute on Metro. Possible fare increases, tragic accidents, late, crowded trains, and other gripes are legitimate, but all transit systems have problems. When it comes down to it, Metro…

Politically, Maryland may be more blue than purple. However, when it comes to transit this election season, our neighbors to the north are turning a lovely shade of lavender. The Washington Post reports today that the Purple Line, the proposed transit link between New Carrollton and Bethesda, has emerged as a key issue in the Maryland gubernatorial race. Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley, the Democratic candidate for governor, described the project as one of his top…

WMATA ignored suggestions made by the National Transportation Safety Board after a 1996 accident that could have prevented injuries in the recent collision on the Red Line. After a train operating by computer collided with an empty train on the Red Line during a snow storm in 1996, the NTSB suggested WMATA reinforce their cars to prevent “telescoping.” The Post is clear in their story that the recommendation on reinforcing the Metro cars was one…

WMATA officials are moving forward with plans for a new, city-wide transit system to complement metrobuses and metrorail after the city approved a preliminary study for a new 2.7-mile transit line along the Anacostia waterfront. Although WMATA is officially considering everything from regular buses to a new rail system, the most likely candidate is light rail transit something akin to the streetcar systems formerly found in most American cities. With approval to move forward with…

The NY Times’ travel section had a letter to the editor encouraging tourists to use public transportation. Try riding a local or express bus, van, ferry, jitney, light rail, monorail, subway or commuter rail line. Many systems provide daily or weekly discounted fun passes geared to out-of-town tourists. In most cases, these transportation systems are financed with your tax dollars. Why not use these investments and reap the benefits? You’ll be supporting a cleaner environment…