Maryland says possible CSX strike could impact MARC commuter rail service starting September 16

CSX Transportation has informed the Maryland Transit Administration that a potential labor strike by CSX railroad employees could impact MARC commuter rail service beginning this Friday, September 16, 2022. The MTA says a strike would impact the Brunswick and Camden lines, which are operated by CSX personnel. Penn Line service, operated by Amtrak employees, would not be affected. Many residents of towns like Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Silver Spring and Kensington rely on MARC service.

The MTA is recommending that Brunswick and Camden line commuters begin making alternate travel plans for Friday morning, and plan to possibly continue using those alternatives until any potential labor action ends. A list of alternative commuting options is posted on the MTA website to assist riders in planning an alternative itinerary, if needed. A freight railroad worker strike would have far-reaching impacts to communities across the country, including supply lines and store inventories. This could cause inflation in prices, just as inflation pressures appeared to be slightly easing in many sectors.

New Ride On Route 27 to begin July 17

A new Ride On bus route, Route 27, will begin on July 17, 2022. It will connect the Hillandale Transit Center with the Tech Road Park and Ride lot. The primary stop along the way will be the Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center at 11980 Healing Way in Silver Spring. Don't forget that on August 1, 2022, you'll have to again pay to use Ride On. The Montgomery County Council has set the fare at $1.

New Purple Line contractor selected

Maryland transportation agencies, along with the Purple Line Transit Partners entity, have finally selected a new contractor to replace the one that quit before completing the light rail project. Maryland Transit Solutions (MTS) - a partnership between Dragados USA, Inc. and OHL USA, Inc. - won the bidding war, Purple Line Transit Partners announced today. 

The announcement states that the final financial agreement should be signed by February 2022. Construction would then resume next spring. Jane Garvey, chair of PLTP's board, praised the fact that the search for a new partner took less than the 18 months typically needed to complete the bidding process on a project of this complexity. Only two bidders were ultimately in the running. The collapse of the construction process left a large swath of incomplete infrastructure and shuttered public amenities across Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Long Branch and Prince George's County.

Kensington residents riled by new traffic circle at Newport Mill & Denfeld

A new traffic circle installed at the intersection of Newport Mill Road, Denfeld Avenue, Wexford Drive and Anderson Road is causing consternation among Kensington residents and school bus drivers alike. Some drivers are unfamiliar with how to safely proceed around the narrow, single-lane circle. School bus drivers have it even worse, with some getting stuck for extended periods trying to navigate the tight circle.

The center island features a "truck apron" that is designed to allow large trucks like buses to travel around the circle, but Montgomery County apparently has not informed school bus drivers of that. At the same time, the apron is an acknowledgement that the traffic circle lane itself is not wide enough for buses to navigate. 

Traffic circles are often installed to slow travel speeds, and discourage cut-through traffic in residential neighborhoods. This intersection is an unusual one, where more than two streets intersect. 

Some residents of Rock Creek Palisades say the circle is a hazard for buses and emergency vehicles trying to respond to calls quickly. One resident posting on a local listserv wrote that a school bus driver had to disembark from his bus, and seek counsel from nearby pedestrians to help him make it around the circle. Other residents who grew up in countries where roundabouts are commonplace suggested that the circle will be an improvement over the prior conditions, once drivers get the hang of the new rules.

Image via Montgomery County Department of Transportation

Montgomery County residents in parks, grocery stores more than before the pandemic, data shows

Residents still not going back to the

office, transit, or general shopping 

in great numbers

Montgomery County residents are shopping inside grocery and drug stores in larger numbers than they were before the pandemic, the latest Google Mobility data show. They're making even greater use of parks than before Covid-19 officially arrived last spring. Other travel hasn't bounced back as strongly, such as going into the office, or commuting there by transit. And in-person retail shopping for items other than groceries and medicine remains sluggish, in relative comparison.

Using a baseline of mobility data Google collected from Montgomery County residents' devices between January 3 and February 6, 2020, behavioral changes are evident. The latest Google data covers the period between Monday, July 19, 2021, and Monday, August 30, 2021.

Hillwood Manor Park in Takoma Park

Over the last half of this summer, County residents were using parks 28% more than they were at the start of 2020. One caveat to that: the new data covers a warm, summer period, while the baseline was taken during the height of winter.

Safeway in Damascus

A more apples-to-apples comparison is in grocery and pharmacy shopping; the latter surges during winter months. But during late summer 2021, County residents were going into grocery stores and drugstores 7% more than they were during the height of cold and flu season in early 2020. There has been an increasing strain on grocery supply lines again in recent weeks, as evidenced by Costco reinstating limits on the number of some items that may be purchased, such as paper towels and toilet paper. Business Insider reports that shortages are the result of panic buying over the Delta variant, and of labor shortages affecting the ability to produce, ship and restock merchandise.

CVS Pharmacy

Residents aren't shopping in other types of retail stores, or traveling for non-park recreational activities as much, though. "Retail and recreation" travel was down 12% in late summer this year, compared to early 2020. One would expect recreation to be higher in summer than in midwinter, so that is a notable decline.

Metro Red Line train in Rockville

Travel to workplaces looks better than it was during the lockdowns and peaks of the pandemic, but still follows the national trend of those working from home continuing to do so where possible. Workplace travel was 44% lower in late summer 2021 in Montgomery County than it was in January-February 2020. Those traveling for any reason are often still wary of using public transit. Bus and rail commuting was down 42% in recent weeks, compared to early 2020.

One thing many residents are doing is continuing to stay home. Despite warm weather, County residents stayed at home 11% more over the last six weeks than they did in frigid January-February 2020.

Montgomery County to break ground on Smart Energy bus depot in Lyttonsville

Montgomery County has announced it will break ground on a new Smart Energy bus depot at 8710 Brookville Road in Lyttonsville on September 9, 2021. The depot will charge and service 44 new electric Ride On buses. Delivery of the new depot is anticipated for mid-2022. All 44 electric Ride On buses are expected to enter service by 2023.

North High Street extension proposed in Olney

Montgomery County's Department of Transportation is proposing an extension of North High Street to Morningwood Drive in Olney. The street travels west from Georgia Avenue just south of the main commercial intersection of Olney at Georgia and Olney-Sandy Spring Road. North High Street is currently residential on the north side where it nears Morningwood, and commercial on the south side there.

MCDOT is proposing to extend the road, and add pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements. Two alternatives are being proposed. Alternative 1 consists of an 11-foot travel lane in both directions, 8-foot wide pocket parking spaces on the south side of the roadway, and a 6-foot sidewalk along south side of North High Street with a minimum of 6-foot grass buffer.

Alternative 2 would provide an 11-foot travel lane in both directions, 8-foot wide pocket parking spaces on both side of the road, an 8-foot sidewalk on the south side of the road with a minimum of 6-foot grass buffer, and a 10-foot sidepath on the north side of the road with a minimum of 6-foot grass buffer.

The agency will hold a public virtual meeting on the proposal tomorrow night, Wednesday, September 30, 2020, at 6:30 PM.

Fact check: Is Montgomery County Ride On bus service being cut by Larry Hogan?

A remarkable column about Montgomery County transit appeared in Friday's Washington Post. It was remarkable for two reasons. First, Post columnists have been silent on transit cuts made by the Montgomery County Council over the last decade, including their elimination of the Park and Ride route for Frederick commuters entering Montgomery, and their slashing of weekend bus service in Damascus. And remarkable because it was...false.

Columnist Petula Dvorak was apparently attempting to write a critical piece about service cuts proposed by the Maryland Transit Administration to MTA bus routes and MARC rail service. But a lengthy introduction, and let's-give-the-Council-free-press quotes from councilmembers, suggest that Montgomery County and its Ride On bus service will be the victims of the MTA cuts.

Ride On Route 55 is specifically cited by Dvorak, and later she says the MTA cuts will make the Route 55 buses even more crowded like "sardine cans." She adds that low-income residents in Montgomery County will be "among those devastated by reductions in bus routes." The article paints Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) as the villain who is behind the cuts.

Just one problem - Ride On is not run by the MTA. Ride On is funded by Montgomery County taxpayers, and is run by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. There are no Hogan cuts to Ride On because Hogan has no authority over or involvement with Ride On. There are no MTA cuts to Ride On routes proposed. If any Ride On cuts are made, they will be made by the Montgomery County Council deciding not to fund those routes.

The column wound up literally being fake news. At best, Capitol Hill resident Dvorak did not realize the MTA doesn't run all bus service in the state of Maryland.

Depicting Montgomery County Council members as heroes fighting to save Ride On bus service in the County doesn't even pass the laugh test, much less a fact check. If they are working so hard to save transit, why have they still not restored weekend service on Route 90 in Damascus, a 2010 Ride On cut that left car-free residents stranded in town on weekends?

Is Montgomery County Ride On bus service being cut by Larry Hogan? Nope. It has been cut in the past by the Montgomery County Council, though.

Fact check score: FOUR PINOCCHIOS 

U.S. 29 Flash update from Burtonsville (Photos)

Dateline: Burtonsville, March 17, 2020

Montgomery County Department of Transportation contractors raised the steel framework for the U.S. 29 Flash Burtonsville station's marker, at the Burtonsville Park & Ride lot. This is the first station marker to be installed on the future bus rapid transit route, the first to operate in Montgomery County.

Photos via MCDOT

Virginia studying another Metro extension - why isn't Montgomery County?

The Silver Line isn't even finished yet, and booming Northern Virginia is already looking at another ambitious subway extension to Prince William County. Meanwhile, Montgomery County elected officials are looking at a ten-day February vacation, and even sleepier, moribund economic times ahead. What they should be studying are Metro extensions to the Upcounty and East County, studies that should have begun over a decade ago.

Clarksburg is about 12 miles from the Shady Grove Metro station. Burtonsville is around 10 miles from the Silver Spring Metro station. Virginia's $2 million Blue Line study is examining a 15-mile extension to Prince William via Fort Belvoir, Lorton, Potomac Mills and Quantico, modestly bigger than either potential Montgomery County extension.

Rail transit is far more advantageous for economic development than bus rapid transit. Unlike BRT, companies and developers can be assured the new transit isn't going to be suddenly cut off or rerouted. Ridership of rail would be far higher than that of buses or BRT (the County's future "Flash" B"Rapid"T will take a sluggish 87 minutes to travel from Clarksburg to Bethesda - longer than a car in traffic!).

In contrast, Montgomery County couldn't even get the Corridor Cities Transitway bus line built. Instead of high-speed rail technology fomenting a modern economic hub of the future, Montgomery's "Science City" ended up as Sleepy City. Just more stack-and-pack residential development, and thousands more cars vying for space on over-capacity I-270 and MD 355 every rush hour. Promised anchor biotech tenant Johns Hopkins Medicine just exited stage left as a result.

Meanwhile, what jobs we had in the 270 corridor continued to migrate to Northern Virginia and Frederick County. Montgomery County was at rock bottom in the D.C. region for job growth over the last decade. What we need are boardrooms, not more bedrooms.

There are also large properties planned for redevelopment north of Shady Grove, such as Lakeforest Mall, COMSAT and the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. These developments will not be "smart growth" without a Metro extension, or other rail service, and will not have the job component we need to also reduce the number and length of car trips in the corridor. The same goes for White Oak and Burtonsville.

A coordinated plan to address our moribund economy and failing, incomplete transportation system is needed. No such plan has come out of our current County Council.

Here's what we should be prioritizing today:

• Study extending the Red Line to Clarksburg, including options for at-grade, elevated and cut-and-cover underground segments
• Metro should connect to Lakeforest and COMSAT
• Study of Metro extension from Silver Spring Metro to Burtonsville
• Addition of third track to MARC Brunswick Line
• Making Ride On bus service free
• More business-friendly tax policy and regulations
• More competitive state tax policies
• Fully privatizing the County liquor monopoly, and allowing beer and wine sales at all grocery, drug and convenience stores
• Coordinate timing of new business policies with zoning/sector plan updates that incentivize and favor commercial/corporate development (a.k.a. high-wage jobs) over residential housing
• Planning and construction of long-delayed Midcounty Highway Extended (M-83 Highway Master Plan Alignment), with potential use for median/cut-and-cover simultaneous construction of rail line from Shady Grove Metro on relevant segments
• Construction of equally-long-delayed new Potomac River crossing to Dulles Airport with trackbed for future Red Line extension to Silver Line in median, as a toll facility built by a private company
• A concerted, focused effort on attracting aerospace, defense and tech corporate headquarters, and related research and manufacturing facilities (i.e. satellite and rocket assembly)

The Montgomery County Council isn't doing any of this. In fact, they're in the middle of a 10-day vacation. In February. 

Working hard, or hardly working?

In contrast, the Council-equivalents of our biggest competitors - Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties - are all meeting this week. It would be interesting if all local media - print, online, TV, radio - would join me in exposing the lazy work schedule of our self-proclaimed "full-time" slacker County Council.

Anyone who thinks we can dig ourselves out of this economic hole with a small-ball agenda by running empty BRT buses up and down, giving government contracts to small businesses, believing residential housing that generates more costs than revenue is the definition of "economic development," and patting ourselves on the back by adding the same STEM components to our schools that all of our competitors' school systems are also adding - or that it can be done under the leadership of our current County Council - is fooling themselves. 

Virginia has plenty of housing. But they also have plenty of jobs. Plenty of revenue, as a result. And they are making the big ticket investments to keep cleaning our clock for decades to come. Meanwhile, we're scaring every company away, have a structural budget deficit as far out as the projections go, are paying record high taxes, have massive debt, and steadily declining revenue even with a 9% tax hike several years ago. 

We can't go on like this.

MVA expanding appointments to include vehicle titling

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R)

The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration announced this morning that the appointment process it has used to address a backlog of Real ID verifications will now be expanded to include vehicle titling services. MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer said that the appointments have been so successful and favorably-received by customers that the department decided to try expanding their use.

Customers who schedule a vehicle title-related appointment are guaranteed to be seen within 15 minutes of the appointment time, the MVA promised. In Montgomery County, the new titling appointments will be available at the Metropolitan Grove Gaithersburg and White Oak MVA branches. Appointments can now be made online.

MoCo selecting vendor for Route 29 BRT digital information kiosks

Smart City Media digital kiosk
at Kansas City, Missouri
Streetcar station

Montgomery County is nearing a contract with a New York "internet of things" firm in the bidding for who will provide "digital information kiosks" for the future Route 29 Bus Rapid Transit stations. According to County documents, the potential winning bid is from Smart City Media, LLC.

If chosen, SCM will provide an Interactive Digital Information Kiosk at each station along the U.S. 29 "Flash" BRT stations. Under the contract offer, Montgomery County would receive 25% of the net revenues from advertising and information shown by the kiosks. It would be a 5-year contract, with two options for additional 5-year extensions, if approved by SCM and the County Council.

SCM says it has around 30 similar contracts with cities, towns and transit agencies across the country, including Kansas City, Missouri; Harrisburg; Dallas' DART system; and Memphis. In Kansas City, for example, kiosks feature large screens with touchscreen capability. Montgomery County is set to make a decision on the contract after the close of business on February 10, 2020.

Photo courtesy Smart City Media, LLC

Hogan express lanes compromise may be a bust for Beltway drivers

Gov. Larry Hogan's compromise agreement on his Express Lanes proposal, which earned a needed second vote from Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot to move the project forward, may still provide traffic relief along I-270. But it could wind up being a bust for drivers on the Capital Beltway.

The compromise essentially puts the Express Lanes plan back to where it was hung up a few months ago. Hogan had agreed to postpone the Express Lanes on the Beltway, and focus on I-270 first. There would be no improvement for Beltway drivers under that scenario.

Then Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam stepped forward with a proposal to assist in expansion of the over-capacity American Legion Bridge in exchange for allowing Virginia's Express Lanes to cross the bridge and run into Maryland. Recognizing that this would only work if the Beltway Express Lanes continued around the interstate, and the reality that the project was more feasible if companies could bid on Beltway Express Lanes that went at least to I-95, Hogan then revived the Beltway portion of the project.

Franchot, under pressure from his constituents and preparing to launch a gubernatorial campaign, immediately withdrew his support again. Hogan then capitulated on the Beltway portion beyond the I-270 spur to regain Franchot's vote. But that compromise is a Beltway backfire, and Hogan appeared to realize he will be long out of office by the time that is apparent.

The reality is, unless voters "get dangerous" as former Gov. Bob Ehrlich exhorted them to years ago, there may not be a single vote for Express Lanes on the Beltway on the Board of Public Works. There very well could be a Democratic governor, a Democratic comptroller, and there certainly will be a Democratic treasurer.

So, Beltway Express Lanes past the I-270 interchange are almost certainly dead.

But the compromise plan will likely make traffic on the Beltway even worse, not better.

First, Northam ingeniously made his problem our problem. Extending Express Lanes over the bridge means that he moves the current choke point where drivers enter and exit those lanes onto the Maryland side of the river. His problem is now solved, and we got played like a violin.

Second, Beltway Express Lanes will now terminate in the vicinity of the existing logjam between River Road and I-270 on the Beltway. This jam is caused not only by lack of capacity, but also by the drivers trying to change lanes to either access I-270 or to continue east on the Beltway. There's also a third factor, which is drivers entering from River Road who then need to merge into the far left lanes to access I-270.

So now you will have cars that want to stay on the Beltway pouring out of the Express Lanes exit in that area - and with the lanes in the center, they will have to merge across several lanes to do so.

Apparently no one bothered to study the reality of the situation on the ground there before making this decision. And the local media was too busy filing some of the most embarrassingly-biased praise reports about the Maryland General Assembly ever published to notice what a just-plain-dumb Express Lanes package was put through by the Board of Public Works.

Northam won. Upcounty drivers may benefit if the lanes really go to Frederick - and especially if they are continuing to Virginia southbound - and that's a very good thing. But Beltway drivers are likely to find this Express Lanes compromise a bust. And we still need a new Potomac River crossing.

There will be no real traffic relief until voters start playing hardball at the ballot box, and elect new leaders who will play hardball in Rockville and Annapolis.

Montgomery County stagnant or getting worse in all key areas, residents say

Montgomery County's elected officials haven't improved any major area of concern or crisis, residents say in a new County-operated survey. Vast majorities countywide say there has been no progress or improvement in the moribund County economy, Montgomery County Public Schools, traffic congestion, crime and public safety, quality of life or the environment in the last two years.

86% of residents say there has been no improvement in availability of affordable housing. 76% feel there has been no improvement in crime prevention and public safety. A whopping 87% found no improvement in traffic congestion over the last two years. In fact, it's getting worse.

63% of residents say there has been no improvement in MCPS, which has declined steadily over this decade, as test scores and graduation rates plummeted and an achievement gap worsened. Yep, that's getting worse, too. But rather than improve failing schools, the corrupt MoCo cartel is trying to ready a forced busing strategy that failed nationwide decades ago, and is preemptively calling those who favor neighborhood schools "racists" and "white supremacists" - terms regularly deployed as the nuclear option when one has lost a debate on the facts.

Montgomery County's stagnant economy reached rock bottom in the region this decade, and residents' opinions squarely reflect that reality. A powerful 69% of residents say there has been no improvement in job growth. 61% report no improvement in business growth. Montgomery County ranked at the bottom in the region on both measurements this decade.

Progressive and green Montgomery County is leading the nation in environmental policy, our elected officials assure us weekly. Mmm...not so much, counter Montgomery County residents. 68% of residents say the environment hasn't improved, or has gotten worse, since 2017. 66% responded that quality of life opportunities in the county - the arts, culture, recreation and libraries - have either not improved or have gotten worse.

Route 29 BRT platforms taking shape (Photos)

Bus Rapid Transit station platforms are beginning to appear along the route of the future Route 29 BRT line. Concrete platforms have been poured for four of the stations so far, including Burtonsville, Briggs Chaney and Tech Road. Asphalt has also been poured for a shared-use path at the Castle Boulevard station.

An earlier stage of concrete pouring at
the Burtonsville Park & Ride station site

Photos courtesy Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Engineering 

Bus stop changes at Silver Spring Transit Center postponed until January

A set of temporary bus stop relocations around the Silver Spring Transit Center planned for this month have been postponed until January. The stops were to be moved for Purple Line construction work at the site. Montgomery County spokesperson Neil Greenberger says the County Department of Transportation will release detailed information on the temporary stop sites ahead of the January relocations.

Despite the delay, for which no explanation was given, equipment continues to arrive and preparations be made at the transit center site, including erection of what appear to be the supports for the elevated light rail track. Here's a look around the property.

MD, VA agree on Capital Beltway Accord, American Legion Bridge widening

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced a historic Capital Beltway Accord at a joint appearance at the Capital Region Transportation Forum in Washington, D.C. yesterday. The bi-state agreement, which does not yet specify a timetable for completion, would widen the failing American Legion Bridge between the two states by adding tolled Express Lanes on and near the bridge. The states would split the cost, with the heaviest burden being picked up by Maryland, and both states expecting tolls will cover the entire $1 billion projected expense.

The accord also puts the backburnered Hogan plan for Express Lanes on the Beltway between the Legion Bridge and I-95 back on the table. No details on the staging of the that project in relation to the bridge widening were put forward Tuesday. The bridge changes would almost certainly fail to solve congestion if the new Express Lanes end at River Road instead of I-95, as they would only create another choke point there.

Adding Express Lanes to the Beltway and I-270 won't take the place of a new Potomac River crossing, which would take about 25% of rush hour traffic off of the Legion Bridge, according to a Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments study earlier this decade. They won't provide the direct access to Dulles International Airport from Montgomery County that international businesspeople have made clear they require to consider locating their headquarters here.

In fact, without a new Potomac River bridge north of the Legion Bridge - and major changes to County and Maryland tax and regulation schemes, Tuesday's accord would simply be another victory for Virginia and the crafty Northam from an economic development standpoint. Improved travel times for non-Dulles-related traffic on the Beltway would certainly help all of us, and are absolutely worthy of public support. But without direct Dulles access and a competitive business climate, the Beltway accord will simply reinforce our position as the bedroom community for the booming job centers in Northern Virginia.

The accord is a win for Hogan, however, as he considers a surprisingly-strong bid for the U.S. Senate. If he stands his ground on the Potomac-to-I-95 Beltway Express Lanes this time, Hogan will have delivered a start on major traffic relief on both failing interstates in Montgomery County in time for the 2022 election. Hogan was also the governor to finally get the new Nice Bridge project moving after decades of delay; that structure is scheduled to be well under-construction by the time he would take on Van Hollen.

Hogan hasn't even been grandstanding to the extent he could on transportation. He has quietly delivered new improvements on I-270 - such as new feeder lanes that allow entering vehicles from some ramps to proceed on the freeway without having to merge - over the last year. Surprisingly, he hasn't called a press conference to crow about these small but significant traffic flow upgrades.

Considering Van Hollen's weak legislative record, scandalous history of conspiring to reduce African-American turnout in his 2016 primary run against Congresswoman Donna Edwards (earning a rebuke from Hillary Clinton herself in the process), and Hogan's bipartisan support, this could be a top-tier contest. Neither man excites the core base of his party. But if these transportation projects move forward, Hogan will have done something Van Hollen hasn't in over a decade - deliver actual change for his constituents.

Purple Line trainset reveal backfires

Promotional video appears

to show cramped,

claustrophobic railcar interiors

A video released by the state of Maryland to increase excitement about the future Purple Line light rail Tuesday appears to have had the opposite effect. It shows for the first time the interiors of the actual trainsets that will travel the route between Bethesda and New Carrollton. In the video, the interior of the cars appears narrow and cramped.

Massive bulkheads between seating sections create individual cells within each car, increasing the claustrophobic effect. The cars are clearly narrower than subway or commuter rail cars, and even appear more cramped than other light rail and streetcar vehicles in use across the country and the world. Perhaps it was the type of camera lens used, but the PR impact was not a positive one.

Was shrinking the size of the cars one of the cost-cutting measures employed by the state and its partners? These cars do not resemble the ones shown in previous promotional materials.

Tuesday's backfire was reminiscent of another bait-and-switch PR stunt pulled by Montgomery County elected officials. After showing futuristic Bus Rapid Transit vehicles that looked more like subways for years, the County displayed an actual BRT vehicle at the County Fair that instead looked like existing diesel Metrobuses.

The County continues to use the deceptive BRT images in promotional materials to this day - and no wonder, after fairgoers were shocked to find the $10 billion BRT would look nothing like what County officials had promised.

Maybe they can wrap the Purple Line trains in Chicken of the Sea advertisements to bring in some extra revenue, to justify the tuna-can-cramped ride on what they've promised will be crowded trains.

Purple Line construction ramps up at Silver Spring Metro station (Video+Photos)

Construction operations for the future Purple Line light rail are ramping up by the Silver Spring Transit Center. Heavy equipment is already in place on the plaza that, like the transit center, was once set aside for the unbuilt North-Central Freeway through downtown Silver Spring.

Crews will be working on the plaza adjacent to the transit center seven nights a week during the month of September. Work hours are 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM.