Save The Trail Coalition

Testimony -- December 10, 2009

before the Montgomery County Planning Board

John Anderson, Edgevale

Dear Mr. Chairman and Planning Board Members,

My house is located at 4110 Edgevale Court in the Edgevale Neighborhood north of East West Highway, along the Capital Crescent Trail.   This house has been in my wife’s family since 1953.  Like many of my neighbors, my fence and yard lies partially within the old B&O Railroad right of way, because many years ago, the B&O Railroad granted a license to the residents along the right of way for use of that land.  Since the B& O Freight trains ran only on a single track, and passed slowly, at 15 mph, just a few times a week, this was never a problem.  Furthermore, the terrain along the Trail is rarely level; our home is shielded by a small berm.

But if the “Purple Line” is built it will have a devastating effect on the quality and value of our property. 

And if the Master Plan is amended to allow two tracks instead of one, it will be even worse.  It will destroy the small berm that provides privacy to my home and my neighbor’s homes.

If the Master Plan is amended to put the trains on the south side of the Trail, it will put the trains to within 20 feet of the back of my house, 20 feet is from this point to that point.  It will also put trains about 25 feet to 30 feet from the back of my other neighbors.  Would you want a train 20 feet from your house? 

The DEIS states that there will be problems with vibrations this close to the trains. This is in effect a taking of our property.

Trains will be passing every three minutes in both directions. 

In addition to the noise and vibration, the speed and frequency of the trains coming from both directions raise serious safety concerns.  We all have concerns regarding the safety of our children and pets.  We know that history shows that fences cannot keep them off of the tracks.  How long will it be before a child climbs a fence to retrieve a ball, or to get to school on time.  Will you take responsibility when a child dies?

I urge you not to amend the Master Plan to allow for double tracking trains in this narrow right of way; and I urge you not to  amend the Master Plan to put trains on the south side of the Trail, endangering all of the children in our neighborhood who use the Trail to get to B-CC High School, Bethesda or to friend’s houses.

Our neighborhood children use the Trail to get to BCC High School , to Bethesda and to the East Bethesda neighborhood.  Putting trains on the south side of the tracks will cut off their access to the Trail.  They will be very tempted to climb the fences, to cross the tracks to get to the Trail. 

Just a few months ago, two teen age boys were killed by the Baltimore Light Rail when they were walking along the tracks

The safety of county residents should be a primary consideration before anything is done in this rush to build a Mass Transit Train Line so close to our homes and the Trail. 

This Mass Transit Plan destroys our community’s quality of life, safety and cohesion.  Whose welfare is being considered here?  Certainly not ours.  Do not allow these amendments to the Master Plan.

I do not understand the rush to build a Bethesda Silver Spring segment when there are no definite studies of the ridership, including studies of the different ridership segments.  The numbers used by the State of Maryland are based on projections to the year 2025, not 2012.  In all the years that I passed through the Bethesda Metro Bus Bay, I could count the number of people boarding the J1, J2 or J3 Silver Spring bus on two hands.  Where are these tens of thousands of people suddenly going to come from to ride the train to and from Silver Spring?

I have had to listen to County Council members say to me “get over it, get on with your lives, this is a done deal” before any vote was taken.  I have had to listen to County Council members state that they were elected to build the “Purple Line”.  At no time have I heard an honest discussion of the entire concept.  Who has been pushing this concept for 25 years now?  Who will be the major benefactor from this train line that will run through a major development at Connecticut Avenue?  

Who hired the public relations firm to coin the term “Purple Line” in order to dupe the public into believing that this was a part of the Metro System, when actually it has nothing to do with the Metro System and does not connect with the Metro System.  Why has the County Council been so determined that only a rail line can be built and it must be built now.  Far more people would benefit from other transportation projects such as the Corridor Cities Transitway, instead of this questionable project that benefits only developers.

Transportation links already exist to Silver Spring, College Park and to New Carrolton.  We do not need a duplication of the existing transportation links.  If the “Purple Line” is constructed will the “J” Bus Lines be discontinued and County taxpayer supported Ride-On buses be put into service for those who will be cut off from the Purple Line along East West Highway?

With the enormous budget deficits, why is the County Council determined to build the “Purple Line” at the expense of all the citizens of the county by cutting vital services in order to reduce the deficit rather than choosing less expensive alternatives and using those funds to reduce budget deficits. 

The “Purple Line” benefits the developers and not the citizens of the county.

By: John S. Anderson, December 10, 2009

Return to List of  Planning Board Testimony