Purple Line May Be Held Up...By Shrimp!

A NIMBY lawsuit dressed up in environmental clothing (even the likely plaintiffs' expert is only suggesting "more scrutiny" rather than anything concrete) may gum up the Purple Line. It seems likely to fail, but also likely to drag the process out.

This is an blatantly obvious NIMBY nuisance lawsuit. For an amphipod species that has not been observed located within 4 and a half miles of the Purple Line route and where the best their hired expert can do is to have "found seven freshwater springs and seeps and two small wetlands where the creatures could live near the proposed rail line’s path." Could live, not that he found any of the species at those springs or wetlands.

As for the loss of 24 acres of tree, geez, more than that gets cut for one strip shopping mall and parking lot. This lawsuit is very unlikely to stop the Purple Line, but it could delay it by dragging out the final approvals.

Don't the NIMBYs and Environmental Terrorists realize we all pay for this kind of BS as the "Consultants" and the Ambulance Chasers merrily rake it in!!

Ca-Ching!!!!

Only part of the rightwing agenda I agree with, junk lawsuits must go!!!

I never want to see these people drive cars.

Yeah, they'll drive into your backyard. God forbid they drive into their own.

Having formerly lived next to the right of way of the proposed transitway/Purple Line for over 20 years, starting in the late '80's, I've followed its twists and turns since that time. The NIMBYs in Chevy Chase have vehemently opposed the routing through their 'hood from the start, and have extremely deep pockets to fight in court. If they don't get their way, and get the PL moved out of their backyards and their cherished golf course at Chevy Chase Country Club, they will continue to find any excuse to stop and delay the PL. Their fight will go up the court system as slowly and as high as money can buy.

Honestly, it's a shame the state isn't able to get this ejected as frivolous (the demands for "more scrutiny" are a stretch) and sue back for costs. Then again, it's a shame that MD doesn't have a law akin to CA's "We're taking all lawsuits" law.

The Davy Crockett said:

Having formerly lived next to the right of way of the proposed transitway/Purple Line for over 20 years, starting in the late '80's, I've followed its twists and turns since that time. The NIMBYs in Chevy Chase have vehemently opposed the routing through their 'hood from the start, and have extremely deep pockets to fight in court. If they don't get their way, and get the PL moved out of their backyards and their cherished golf course at Chevy Chase Country Club, they will continue to find any excuse to stop and delay the PL. Their fight will go up the court system as slowly and as high as money can buy.

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Maryland reached an agreement with the country club last year on the Purple Line that got them out of the way of the project. Washington Post: Purple Line route changed to spare part of Columbia Country Club golf course. Shifted the planned route of the tracks to minimize the disruption and will add several golf cart underpasses in return for the country club agreeing to drop all opposition to the line. MTA did a good job of handling the threat from the country club.

So the lawsuit is the last real obstacle to the Purple Line putting the contract out for bid and starting construction. Hopefully it will be rejected by the courts in short order.

I posted this elsewhere (In a topic area that had nothing to do w/ the Purple Line , so I'm reposting it here, where it is more relevant)...

afigg, on 01 Aug 2014 - 12:12 AM, said:

The other major news for rail transit in the DC region this week is Maryland released the official bid solicitation for the design-build-operate contract for the Purple Line light rail project on Wednesday with the intent of awarding the contract by Spring 2015. The planned completion date is 2020, although I expect the odds are that the Purple Line start will slip to 2021 or 2022. Lawsuits and construction delays are almost certain to slow it down.

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The Davy Crockett, on 30 Jul 2014 - 01 Aug 2014 - 05:12 AM, said:

That is good news about the Purple Line, though I have a "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude about it as well. I had forgotten about the agreement with the country club, but I seem to recall there have been concerns raised that the agreement could cripple expansion of the Purple Line to being completely double tracked. I know the purchase of the old B&O Georgetown Branch requires a recreational trail, and that could hamper double tracking as well, but without the line being completely double tracked, the concerns focused on capcity, running times, dealing with broken down trains blocking the line, and other operational issues I think are valid concerns. I did a brief web search for more information on this, but came up empty. However, when I lived along the right-of-way of the Purple Line I paid close attention to all matters Purple Line, and I know I saw these issues raised somewhere. I remember thinking that these are very valid concerns which will rear there ugly head only after the line is built and goes into operation. I know it is not feasible under the current political climate, but a heavy rail link that roughly follows the route of the Purple Line would ultimately be the best solution with higher capicity, faster running times, greater reliabilty and which would attract a lot more riders.

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The lawsuit to stop the Purple Line project has been filed. A very dubious and weak case in my opinion, but people are free to waste money on lawyers if they insist. Hopefully the lawsuit won't delay the project.

However, the town of Chevy Chase is staying out of it. Washington Post: Town of Chevy Chase won’t file Purple Line lawsuit, official says.

Washington City paper with links to the lawsuit filing and the letter from US Fish and Wildlife finding that there will be no impact on the amphipod population from the Purple Line: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Says Purple Line Will Not Threaten Endangered Species.

If this is doing what I think it is, west of Silver Spring it is following the route of the B&O Georgetown Branch railroad which was taken out of service in the early to mid 1980's. The Georgetown Branch light rail with parallel bike/hike train was proposed at that time. I walked it as part of the initial study in 1988. There seemed at that time to be more opposition to the hike/bike trail part of it than to the rail part. This was more because people were concerned about the riff raff using the trail wandering into their houses, or in the case of the golf course wandering out onto the links. Now, fast approaching 30 years later, it is still just talk. It is maybe a bigger project, but still no real work.

George Harris said:

If this is doing what I think it is, west of Silver Spring it is following the route of the B&O Georgetown Branch railroad which was taken out of service in the early to mid 1980's. The Georgetown Branch light rail with parallel bike/hike train was proposed at that time. I walked it as part of the initial study in 1988. There seemed at that time to be more opposition to the hike/bike trail part of it than to the rail part. This was more because people were concerned about the riff raff using the trail wandering into their houses, or in the case of the golf course wandering out onto the links. Now, fast approaching 30 years later, it is still just talk. It is maybe a bigger project, but still no real work.

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Yes, the Purple Line will follow the former Georgetown Branch railroad line between Silver Spring and Bethesda which is now a bike trail. The route and details are available on the Purple Line website. Those living along the trail have gotten used to the bike riders, but a few people with money in Chevy Chase now have their panties in a bunch about a 2 track light rail line running on the route. Even though that has been in the plans on and off for 20+ years, before most of them moved to Chevy Chase. I'm sure part of the reason for resistance from a small group of NIMBYs is that they fear that the riff raff will take the light rail to Chevy Chase MD.

After years and years of studies, public meetings, and debate (route, LRT vs BRT vs Metro line, etc), the project has moved beyond the "talk" stage. The FEIS was completed, the project received a Record of Decision earlier this year, the FTA recommended the Purple Line for a New Starts FFGA, MD budgeted $750 million for it, and the Request for Proposals from 4 pre-selected teams to design, build, and operate the line for up to 35 years was issued in July. So all the ducks have all been put in a row for the contract to be awarded next spring with the goal of completing construction in 2020.

The hey, the line might possibly damage the habitat of 2 barely known amphipod species lawsuit is the only remaining legal hurdle, but it should not be a difficult hurdle for the state and counties to overcome.

According to TRAINS News Wire the FTA has given the MTA the 'green signal' to move the Purple Line to the engineering phase of its New Starts grant program, a major step in the quest to secure federal funding for the project and beginning construction in 2015.

...basically confirming afigg's post above.