Steve Burns
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — (WMAL) It was the ruling Purple Line advocates have been demanding for months, but it didn’t go their way.

Judge Richard Leon on Monday ruled additional study is needed on the affect Metro’s dwindling ridership will have on the Purple Line’s expected ridership.

“…I find that defendants have failed to take the requisite “hard look” at the potential impact WMATA’s ridership and safety issues could have on the Purple Line Project and conclude for the following reasons that a (Supplemental Environmental Impact Study) that addresses these issues is in fact required,” Leon said in his ruling.

A further delay could put its state and federal funding in jeopardy, thus putting the entire project in danger.

Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner said the case will be appealed as soon as possible.

“My expectation is (lawyers) will be pointing out the flaws in this decision, and there are serious flaws in this decision,” Berliner told WMAL. “I think it is a flawed and reversible decision on (Leon’s) part.”

Ridership analysis on the Purple Line has centered around the peak year of 2040, by when Berliner said it is “beyond the pale” to think Metro will not be fully fixed. Plus, he said, one scenario analyzed by the federal government found the Purple Line would still be worth it even if zero of its riders came from Metro.

“If Metro did not exist, the Purple Line is still a good project, according to the federal government,” he said.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan released the following statement:

“Today’s partial ruling by Judge Leon is incredibly disappointing, but not entirely surprising. The fact that it took a federal judge this long to reach the conclusion that more study is needed is completely baffling and, if allowed to stand, will cause irreparable harm to this vital project and cost the state hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars.

“Moreover, the judge’s concerns were thoroughly addressed by federal transit officials by studies already completed and in public testimony more than five months ago. Ultimately, this ruling completely ignores both federal and state transportation experts, as well as environmental advocates, who are strong proponents of the Purple Line.

“This is not a political issue, it’s an important transportation and transit priority for Maryland and the region that has strong bipartisan support. The state will continue to pursue any and all legal action to ensure that the Purple Line will move forward.”

Ajay Bhatt of the Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail hailed the decision, calling it a “victory of substantive analysis over agency arrogance.”

The Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail was the original plaintiff in the case.

“It’s just common sense to take a new look at Metro’s ridership considering that at least a quarter of the riders were going to be coming from Metro,” Bhatt said. “You had the costs that were underestimated, and you had the ridership benefits that were overestimated.”

The light rail line, set to run from Bethesda across to New Carrollton, is planned to connect to Metro in Silver Spring and College Park in addition to its termini.

Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (photo: Maryland Transit Administration- rendering of the Purple Line)