SMTA Weighs in Again on Purple Line Debate
March 6, 2015 |
Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance (SMTA) Vice Chair, Richard Parsons, spoke out strongly in favor of the Purple Line at a recent debate at the AFI Theater in Silver Spring, organized by the Maryland Public Policy Institute. Parsons squared off against noted transit critic, Randall O’Toole of the Cato Foundation.
Parsons made the case that both the economic development the Purple Line would bring — tens of thousands of new jobs every year in addition to thousands of short-term construction jobs — and the transportation benefits from creating a regional transportation network by linking existing metro lines together into a more robust system — would be well worth the $2.5 billion investment.
The debate was featured in several articles including this one in the Gazette.
SMTA is urging our members to contact Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to support construction of the Purple Line as soon as possible.
