The Purple Line in Washington, D.C., is closer to getting back on track, after a significant ruling Wednesday by a federal appeals court.
A three-judge panel in the D.C. Circuit blocked a lower court’s ruling that effectively kept the Purple Line from moving forward. The emergency stay will remain in place until the appeals court can hear a full appeal.
The stay means that a district court’s decision over the last year which tossed out federal findings that the Maryland light rail line is worth building are no longer in effect. However, the appeals court declined to dismiss the lawsuit by neighbors opposed to the rail line.
The Purple Line is completely separate from the Metro system, but will have stops at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park and New Carrollton where riders can transfer from one to the other.
The stay could allow Maryland to move forward with the project. After the district court decision had blocked $900 million in federal funding for the rail line, the state had said the line may need to be canceled.
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Source: WTOP (Washington, D.C.)
