Steve Burns
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON – (WMAL) The long legal battle over the Purple Line entered a new chapter Wednesday, as an earlier ruling halting construction was temporarily voided. Maryland officials say the ruling from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court will allow planning for the light rail to restart, and possibly allow for construction to begin.

Atop the to-do list now for planners is securing federal funding from the Federal Transit Administration. It is not clear where the FTA stands on the certainty of the project. It can be put on hold again once a final decision on Maryland’s appeal is made.

“Is it enough to totally eliminate the cloud over the project? There’s still some mist in the air,” Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner told WMAL. “I don’t know the appetite of the federal government in this moment to sign off, but it is technically eligible.”

The case stems from a 2014 lawsuit from the Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail, claiming the state did not adequately take into account Metro’s current ridership troubles in its forecast for how many people would ride the Purple Line. The Purple Line would not be run by WMATA, but would connect to the Metro system at four of its stations – Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton.

Judge Richard Leon, after hearing from both sides on the need for a new study, agreed with the plaintiffs, and ordered an end to planning pending a new Environmental Impact Study. With funding set to expire, advocates saw it as a death sentence for the line unless there was other immediate legal relief. It appears to have come Wednesday.

“The Court of Appeals issued a stunning rebuke to Judge Leon,” Berliner said. “It is certainly possible that we could get the full funding agreement.”

In a tweet, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh applauded the news.

“We are very pleased with the DC Circuit Court’s order on the Purple Line,” Frosh tweeted.

The order will allow construction to commence and we will continue to do everything we possibly can to keep the Purple Line moving forward.

— Brian Frosh (@BrianFrosh) July 19, 2017

Spokespeople for both Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan expressed optimism that the project will move forward. Calls to plaintiffs in the case were not returned.

Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: Maryland Transit Administration)