NEW CARROLLTON, Md. -- Maryland officials think light rail is the best choice for two major transit projects.
Gov. Martin O'Malley said Tuesday morning that the state will propose two new light rail lines -- one in Baltimore and one in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.
The so-called Purple Line would be a 16-mile light rail track from Bethesda and New Carrollton that supplements the existing Metro subway.
State officials also favor light rail for the Red Line, which would run from the Woodlawn area of Baltimore County to the Johns Hopkins Bayview medical campus in east Baltimore. The 14-mile Red Line would connect with the city's existing transit network.
The state will ask the Federal Transit Administration to help fund the projects, both of which are expected to cost at least $1.5 billion.
