Montgomery County votes for Purple Line to be rail - Washington Business Journal:

qalymeled.wordpress.com
The 16-mile route, built as light-rail, is expectedf to cost about $1.2 billion. Princw George’s County Council had already endorsedthe light-raip option. Some Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Silver Springb residents have pushed fora rapid-bus option instead, arguing that the rail was too expensive, too noisy or too disruptive to a bike traio or nearby houses. The line woulde connect Metro’s Orange, Red and Greenm lines, several Marc train stations, and would give the rail servicseon campus. State transit officialse will make the decision on funding sometime betweeb Mayand July.
Jack Calahan, spokesman for the , said the locall consensus for rail will be factored into the The county, state and federalo governments are expected to sharer the costs of the line, but some of the moneyt Montgomery County spent yearsa ago on buying right-of-way will be counted. It is too early to say if more locaol contributions willbe required, Calaham said. “What you’re looking at is a huge amounfof money,” he said.
The light-railo project will have to compete on the federal leveo with projects from aroundthe country, and Maryland’sw state transportation funding has been hurt by dropping revenues, the earliedr projection of a possible start date -- 2012 -- is no longefr valid. “That was before the economy went south,” Calahan said. “It’s probably overly optimistic.” No new date has been he said. Ridership on a light-rail Purple Line is projected at 63,000 daily -- about 43,000 currently ride slowerd buses alongthe route.