Location
Washington DC, Suburban Maryland Line
Status
Completed 2015
Client
Maryland Transit Administration
Consultants to Parsons Brinkerhoff
The Purple Line is a proposed 16-mile rapid transit line extending from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George’s County. It will provide a direct connection to the Metrorail at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton. The Purple Line will also connect to MARC AMTRAK, and local bus services. There are currently 22 stations along the line of which 35% will be part of Transit Oriented Developments. The Purple Line is a critical link for the Washington DC region connecting the existing radial system with the first circumferential transit.
KGP’s integration of the station designs and alignments into the existing fabric is critical to the overall impact of the transit. Many studies were conducted to ensure the transit is compatible with existing neighborhoods and communities. The creation of plazas at Woodmont, Silver Spring Library, University of Maryland, Riverdale and New Carrollton create public space and gathering places where none existed before. By treating light-rail as catalos for the pedestrian environment, public space can be greatly enhanced which in turn adds more ridership to the system. The design allows the required barriers to be part of the street furniture such as benches, fountains and planters, which helps the overall environment and produces new places for people in the car oriented suburbs