Marshall: The Magazine

The Purple Line: Are They Even Trying?

By: Cate Harris

      The jokes never get old, but hopefully the class of the 2030 is the last to have to endure the reality of them. The last piece of rail has been laid on the Purple Line, the project now 90% complete and in its testing phase, so one could assume that the projected Winter 2027 projected opening is as accurate as can be. However, almost a decade of pushing back the opening of the Purple Line has left many antsy and distrustful, wondering why the Purple Line has taken so long? The answer: democracy.

        No public works project is completed very quickly, especially one as monumental as a new rail line. There’s planning and studies, community outreach, budgeting, contracting, and putting all that together to finally complete the project. This can mean confusion for the general public when a project is announced and then there’s crickets for years after, but the long timeline means our system is working the way it should and letting everyone’s voices be heard. Multiple studies, bi-yearly Community Advisory Team meetings, and constant construction notices from DOTS show that this is exactly what happened with the Purple Line.

        On a local level, Montgomery and Prince George’s County, and their residents, had significant input in the conception of the light rail. The concept of the “Purple Line” has been around since the 1990s, ever since CSX transportation retired a rail line in Montgomery County, with the western portion of the track bought by Montgomery County and MDOT receiving jurisdiction over the eastern portion (Peck, 2020). Throughout the early 2000s, various governors and county executives were in favor of various plans including the current Purple Line being built today, along with alternate stations along the current route (including a route driving right in front of South Dining hall); a route running along the Outer Loop, expanding upon the “heavy rail” Metro lines; and several bus rapid transit routes that required less investment overall (MTA 2008). This decision about which plan to choose was complicated by Montgomery County’s have consistent skepticism about the purple line; in a 2008 memo, the Capital Planning Commission called the major study that argued for the Inner Loop plan “seriously flawed” and claimed it posed major problems to the areas impacted, primarily citing Walter Reed closures in DC and continued growth at Bethesda Medical Center and NIH in MoCo, as well as traffic issues that could be caused by rapid bus transit or light rail (National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, 2008). 

       The actual building of the rail was complicated by changing administration at the state level. Governor O’Malley (2007-2015) began approvals and investments in the Purple Line, but his successor, Anthony Brown, was defeated by Larry Hogan, who was much more skeptical of the project, specifically the fiscal impact of it. Hogan takes some time to review the plans before continuing with them, beginning in August 2017 with a planned opening of spring 2022; updates include pushing back opening to fall/winter 2022 for PG County and full service with MoCo by spring 2023 (Peck, 2020).

        Even once the building began the timeline and path of the Purple Line was still being affected by local advocates and judges’ rulings. Legal challenges came from the “Friends of Capital Crescent Trail,” who sued the Purple Line three times over the course of development and construction. A contractor dispute in 2020, in which a judge ruled the original contractors could suspend their partnership with Maryland due to the state not providing additional funding for the project, halted building until a decision came forward and after when the state had to hire new contractors. Columbia Country Club in Bethesda and several towns along the rail line also extended serious lobbying efforts to prevent or change the path of the Purple Line, usually citing concerns around construction disruptions (Abamu, 2026). 

        The era of construction and testing will soon be over and the tradition of freshmen getting confused when Google Maps tells them to walk to class on a route that doesn’t exist will end, but then we will have to figure out if all the noise, traffic, and blocked sidewalks were worth it. Will the Purple Line raise rents? Will traffic on Campus Drive get better or worse? Are these changes going to outweigh an easier trip to Bethesda or New Carrollton? We will find out in Winter 2027 (hopefully).

References

Abamu, J. (2026, September 7). Some Maryland environmental activists want to shake their NIMBY reputation | WAMU. WAMU. https://wamu.org/story/26/09/07/maryland-environmental-activists-nimby-reputation/

Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). (2008, September). Chapter 1: Purpose and need. https://purplelinemd.com/media/oktllh4o/06_chapter1.pdf

MTA. (2008, September). Chapter 2 Alternatives considered. In Chapter 2 Alternatives Considered (pp. 2–1). https://purplelinemd.com/media/o12dlkfo/07_chapter2.pdf 

Peck, L. (2020, September 16). Tracking the ups and downs of the Purple Line’s roller coaster history. Bethesda Magazine. https://bethesdamagazine.com/2020/09/16/tracking-the-ups-and-downs-of-the-purple-lines-roller-coaster-history/

MDOT. (2019). Project Overview. Purple Line. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from https://purplelinemd.com/about-the-project/overview

MDOT. (2019, Sept). Purple Line: Overview. Wayback Machine. Retrieved Sept, 2026, from https://web.archive.org/web/20190917101543/https://purplelinemd.com/about-the-project/overview

National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board. (2008). Review of Comments Received and Recommended Responses on Project Submissions for Inclusion in the Air Quality Conformity Assessment for the 2008 CLRP and FY 2009-2014 TIP. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p1EMmSgjmD_z6GVAAy_EXDn3r3uJnpk-/view

Flock Cameras Catching Flak?

By: Teemo Taiwo

    If you’ve been paying close attention to changes on the road you may have noticed them: little camera poles perched on street corners, quietly sipping on the data of every car that passes by. Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), better known as Flock Cameras, are on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Though the technology was first developed in 1976 by the Police Scientific Development Branch in the United Kingdom (Grogan, 2025), the recent addition of AI to the system is now a point of contention for many Americans. 

    Maryland now has over 1,000 ALPR and they’ve become almost as controversial as the taste of matcha. Everyone has an opinion, so we hit the streets of College Park to ask students what's brewing in their minds about the newest form of surveillance.

    ALPRs work by scanning the license paint, model, car color, and any other identifying feature of a vehicle and logging it in a national data base. Access to this date base varies amongst states and jurisdictions, so the recipe isn’t the same everywhere. Under Maryland Public Safety Code Section 3-509 only authorized law enforcement can access the database for a legitimate safety concern or criminal investigation (Md.Code,Pub.Safety-3509, 2024). To address public safety concerns about data privacy all data is stored in a system controlled by the Maryland Coordination and Analysis center.

    Shania Stockmans, a sophomore Criminology & Criminal Justice major, expressed her near indifference for flock cameras stating that she empathizes with other discomfort but does not feel that way herself as long as the data is handled by law enforcement. 

    On the other hand nobody came in hotter than Ryan, a junior studying Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Management, who took the conversation from parking lot cameras to clone conspiracy in  thirty seconds flat: “I can't even walk outside without something selling my face,” Ryan shared “ I think everyone here will get copied by flock cameras outside. Now that I'm really thinking about it.”

    To Ryan there is only one clear solution to the issue of mass surveillance in the United States “AI usage needs to be reduced, they must get rid of anthropology and OpenAI, and they have to get rid of flock cameras.”

    Despite varying public opinion one crucial question remains, are ALPRs effective?

    Emily Zangit, a sophomore studying Psychology noted she “ feels like that they're being used for the right stuff, and that's fine. But…based on our history in America… it's a very real possibility they could get abused.” 

    Then there’s MJ, a senior studying Electrical Engineering who was appalled to discover the presence of a flock camera on Baltimore Avenue right by the Taco Bell, an establishment he frequents often. MJ believes flock cameras to be too invasive but he couldn't help but address how flock cameras are “Wonderful technology, if I'm being objective, but I don't like how invasive and I don't like the breaching nature it has.” Even while criticizing the cameras, MJ couldn't help but admire the engineering. It's a classic engineering dilemma, admiring the mechanics of a system while wanting nothing to do with it. Overall MJ believes the tech to be impressive, with a bitter aftertaste.

    It's still up for debate whether ALPRs are actually effective. According to the ACLU less that one percent of cars scanned are connected to  crime compared to the 10% of cars scanned on the road. Supporters of flock cameras often reference the crimes these cameras help solve, while critics point to the instances of misuse and possibility of abusing the system. For now, UMD students are left to decide the tradeoff on their own. Which is of greater concern, safety, privacy, convenience,or consent. Whichever you decide it is clear that ALPRS are a part of the future whether they are here to stay or not.

References 

Grogan, B. (2025, October 15). From patrol cars to poles: How automated license plate readers became a crime-fighting star. Police Chief Online. https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/patrol-cars-poles-alpr/

Maryland Public Safety Code § 3-509 (2024). Use of captured license plate data. https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2024/public-safety/title-3/subtitle-5/section-3-509/

TO BE OR NOT TO BE: AN HOUR AHEAD?

By: Nitya Pokharel

    To most Americans, daylight saving time is just another national tradition—stealing an hour of sleep from us in the spring and returning it back in the fall. However, for something as simple as changing our clocks twice a year, the issue has become unexpectedly contentious on Capitol Hill.

   The Sunshine Protection Act, originally presented to the Senate in 2021 before expiring in 2022 while waiting for House approval, was reintroduced and passed by a House vote of 308-117 in July (Sunshine Protection Act of 2021, 2021; Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, 2025). With the exception of states and territories that do not observe the practice, such as Arizona and Hawaii, the Trump-backed bill would make daylight saving time (DST) permanent across the United States—effectively replacing standard time in many areas (Trump, 2026).

    So—for the average American—how is this relevant?

    The Maryland delegation was especially divided during House deliberation; out of its eight members of Congress, four voted against passage of the legislation and four voted in favor of it (U.S. House of Representatives, 2026). The votes also crossed party lines, with Democrats supporting the bill and Maryland’s only Republican representative, Andy Harris (MD-01) opposing it.

    Rep. Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) was among the four Democrats who voted to pass the Sunshine Protection Act (Lee, 2026). He said that the law would “simplify life for Americans,” as well as “improve public safety, strengthen our economy and reduce the documented health impacts of twice-yearly clock changes.” However, fellow Democrats Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (MD-05), who voted against the bill, both cited student safety as a primary concern.

    H.R.139 now awaits consideration by the Senate and, if approved, will head to the Oval Office, where it would almost certainly be signed into law. 

References

H.R.139 - 119th Congress (2025–2026): Sunshine Protection Act of 2025. (2026, July 15). https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/139/all-actions

Lee, J. (2026, July 16). Maryland’s House members divided on permanent Daylight Saving Time vote. WYPR. https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2026-07-16/marylands-house-members-divided-on-permanent-daylight-saving-time-vote

S.623 - 117th Congress (2021–2022): Sunshine Protection Act of 2021. (2022, March 16). https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/623

Trump, D. J. (2026, August 4). For many years, the vast majority of Americans have asked to make Daylight Saving Time permanent... [Post]. Truth Social. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117039604712486897

U.S. House of Representatives. (2026, October 6). House roll call vote 238. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/votes/house/119-2/238