Getting federal funds for the Purple Line project is a top priority for the state of Maryland. Council members in Montgomery County believe they are taking steps to help.
County executive Isiah Leggett's proposed construction budget did not include funding for the project, but the council committee reversed that decision on Mondaying, voting to fund a second entrance to the Bethesda Metrorail station.
The station would be the western end of the proposed Purple Line. Council president Roger Berliner believes the move shows how committed the county is to getting the Purple Line built, and can only help in the quest for federal money.
At the very least adds Berliner, a second entrance would alleviate a problem riders currently face at the Bethesda station: "As everyone in this community knows, those escalators break a lot. They are literally dangerous to public health."
The escalators at the Bethesda station are among the steepest in the Metrorail system. The full council must still okay the decision to fund the second entrance.
Copyright WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio. All Rights Reserved.
