Delegate Charcutian urges free fares, advertising for businesses and residents near Purple Line construction

Delegate Laurie Charcutian, sponsor of House Bill 527, asked the Environment and Transportation Committee on Feb. 14 to give a favorable report on a bill that would offer short-term free ridership and advertising support to people and businesses located within a quarter mile of the Purple Line light-rail corridor.

Charcutian said the Purple Line has long-term public benefits but that people who live closest to the work have paid disproportionate costs during construction, including lost business revenue, unsafe pedestrian conditions and other disruptions.

“The way that the public–private partnership was set up and a lot of the management… this what would have been a couple of years of inconvenience has now become 12 years of delay,” Charcutian told the committee. “There’s businesses that have actually closed because of Purple Line construction.”

The bill as introduced…