The Town of Chevy Chase Purple Line Mitigation Advisory Group is drafting a letter addressing their concerns of the proposed light rail system. The group, which met earlier this week, also plans to include potential solutions. The group hopes to submit the letter to the town council for approval to be passed on to the Maryland Transit Administration, who leads the project.

The proposed Purple Line would extend from the Bethesda to New Carrollton. It would provide connections to Metrorail Red, Green and Orange Lines, as well as MARC, AMTRAK, and local bus services. The Maryland Transit Administration's website on the Purple Line says construction on the system could begin in 2013 or 2014, if funding is available. The Maryland Transit Administration predicts construction would take three to five years. 

While a new transit system would increase mobility in the area it also carries some added baggage: concerns about noise, safety, aesthetics and what it could mean for the trails that run adjacent to the proposed line.

Mary Anne Hoffman serves as the chairperson of the mitigation group. She said, "We have begun to look at the things to focus on if the light rail is to happen."

Details of specific environmental and engineering information and design are still in the works, but the group narrowed their concerns to three categories: safety, noise abatement and visual impact. The 9-member group would like to see some of their concerns addressed by tall walls, depressed tracks and safe crossings.

Michael Madden is the Purple Line project manager for the Maryland Transit Administration. He's attended some of the group's meetings, and the group plans on inviting him to their next meeting to update them on the progress on the Purple Line and address some of their concerns.

Madden said he plans to continue to work with the group, but added "there's a lot of stakeholders [of the Purple Line and the trail] and they are one of many [that] have the right to weigh in."

He says the administration is planning small group work sessions for residents and other stakeholders to voice their concerns and ideas on design and engineering issues. The groups are organized into station areas and other meeting areas and topics, like Georgetown Branch/Capital Crescent Trail and bike and pedestrian facilities. Interested parties can sign up online to participate in these groups.

"They will start sometime this winter," said Madden, but he's not sure if they'll begin at the end of this year or the beginning of 2011. 

Members of the mitigation group also plan on participating in the work sessions.