July 19, 2017

For Immediate Release

Statement of Prince George’s County Councilman Mel Franklin on the Decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to Allow the Purple Line to Proceed

Reinstatement of Environmental Approval Allows Project to Seek $900 Million in Federal Funds

Contact: Mel@melfranklin.net

Upper Marlboro, MD – Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reinstated the federal environmental approval for the Purple Line Light Rail Project in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, putting on hold a lower court ruling by Federal District Court Judge Richard Leon in Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail et al. v. Federal Transit Administration et al.  The Court of Appeals ruling allows the project to pursue a full funding agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation for $900 million in federal funds that was previously allocated for the project.  Today, County Councilman Mel Franklin (D-District 9) issued the following statement:

“The D.C. Circuit has delivered a common-sense decision for jobs and opportunity in our region.  The Purple Line project will alleviate traffic, improve our environment, and create new opportunities for high quality development.  The unnecessary delay caused by this litigation has placed this critical project in jeopardy for far too long.  I strongly urge our federal and state partners to move without delay towards a full funding agreement for the Purple Line so that we can put shovels in the ground and start this long overdue $2 billion project for the working families of our region.”

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