WASHINGTON — Safety and maintenance problems on Metro have become a talking point for opponents of the Purple Line who are suing to stop the light-rail project from moving forward.
The Washington Post reports the plaintiffs, who filed their suit in 2014, have begun citing Metro’s drop in ridership. They say it shows the region does not necessarily need another rail line.
The plaintiffs also claim Maryland cannot afford another rail line when Metro needs millions of dollars in repairs, The Post reports.
John Fitzgerald, one of the lawyers who filed the suit, said the Purple Line “is such an expensive project and Metro is in such dire need that it makes common sense to stop and take a second look.”
Listed as defendants in the case are a number of federal agencies, along with the Maryland Transit Administration. Attorneys for the defendants told The Post that Metro’s problems “do not involve the Purple Line.”
Oral arguments in the suit are expected to begin this summer.
