Bill would give nearby Purple Line residents limited free rides and advertising to help businesses and ease construction harms

House Bill 527, introduced by Delegate Laurie Cullari, would give people who live within a quarter-mile of the Purple Line three months of free Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) ridership and provide free advertising space to businesses within the same radius. Cullari described the measure as a modest recognition of the prolonged construction harms experienced along the corridor and said she expects to amend the bill after discussions with state transportation officials.

Cullari, the bill sponsor, told the House Environment and Transportation Committee she has long supported the Purple Line but said construction management failures turned what "would have been a couple of years of inconvenience" into more than a decade of disruption. "I am a big supporter of and have been for years of the Purple Line," she said, adding that…