Appendix B

Summary of Public Comments as of December 18, 2008

The following table presents a summary of public comments received by the

Montgomery County Planning Department Chairman’s Office via e-mail and/or letter through
December 18, 2008. These comments are primarily carbon copies of public testimony provided
to the Maryland Transit Administration.

A total of 232 e-mails and/or letters have been received. Where applicable, staff has
categorized public comment by Purple Line mode and alignment. On the question of the
preferred mode for the Purple Line, about one-sixth of the comments expressed a preference for
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and fewer supported either Light Rail Transit (LRT) or Metrorail. The
remaining e-mails and/or letters did not express a preference on mode. On the question of
alignment, about two-thirds of those commenting want the Purple Line on an alignment that does
not involve the Capital Crescent / Georgetown Branch Trail.

Comments received by the Chairman’s Office through January 2, 2009 will be compiled
in a separate table and posted prior to the Planning Board’s January 8 public hearing.
 Appendix B
Mode Alignment Concerned for
Name/Group Metrorail LRT BRT MP JBR Other Tunnel Trail More
November 10-16, 2008
Mark Pirone 1 Exercise & transportation Underground
November 17-23, 2008
Monir Lashgari 1 Family use trail
No transit on trail; prefer Purple Line
Pam Browning 1 Trail & trees Loop
November 24-30, 2008

Choose option efficient in terms of

travel times, least expensive in fares,
Chevy Chase West Neighborhood Association 1 1 Trail most environmentally sensitive

Kristin Schneeman 1 Trail no guarantee trail will be preserved.

December 1-7, 2008
Med. LRT Investment; attached
City of Takoma Park 1 resolution

David Salzman LRT & BRT air quality errors in DEIS

Jean Cavanaugh 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Joe Cholka 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Carol Leventhal 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Works long range for HHMI; want

Howard Hughes Medical Institute 1 1 Employees use trail trail to be completed

Carol Jones 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne;
David Stinson 1 no station at Dale

Jonathan Jay 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Tom Armstrong 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Jigar Shah 1 1 Trail
Christine Arnold-Lourie 1 1 Tunnel Wayne
Kevin Keating 1 Commute on trail
John Marcus 1 Trail, kids commute on trail Consider BRAC

Improve existing bus service J1 & J4.

Grace Palladina & Brad Piepmeier 1 One person in house doesn't drive.
Henry & Julie Malouf 1 1 Trail 9 bullets
Elizabeth Morrison 1 1 Trail 9 bullets
Kent Holland 1 Live 50 yard from trail No Purple Line
Cora Shaw 1 1 Trail 9 bullets
Phil Stewart 1 Trail Doesn't want development
Juan Claudio Devincenti 1 1 68 & 74 yrs old bike on trail for errands 9 bullets
Joe Frankl 1 Trail
9 bullets & support Red Line Loop on
Joe Dura 1 Trail Beltway
Louis Christopher 1 1 Kids use trail to commute 9 bullets
Adam Race 1 1 Trail /Training for runs 9 bullets
Jim Roy 1 Trail
LRT = Light Rail Transit; BRT = Bus Rapid Transit; MP = Master Plan Alignment; JBR = Jones Bridge Road; Other = Any place but the trail; Tunnel = Wayne Avenue
 Appendix B
Mode Alignment Concerned for
Name/Group Metrorail LRT BRT MP JBR Other Tunnel Trail More
Suzanne Richman 1 Trail
Malcolm Burke 1 1 Trail
Mark Mazo 1 Commute on trail
Howard Kaplan 1 Trail use buses until soln. Found
Tracey Pyles 1 Trail & recreation
Bill McCloskey 1 1
Peter Beckerman 1 Trail P. Line go to White Oak
Roger Coleman 1 Trail
Nancy Petrisko 1 Kids use trail to commute
Timothy Boucher 1 1 Commute on trail Live close to JBR; 9 bullets
Mary Ann Huntington 1 1 Family use trail 9 bullets
Ramon Daubon 1 1 Trail 9 bullets
E-W transit by monorail on MD 410
Rich McManus 1 Commute on trail to NIH or better bus service
Amy Young 1 Kids use trail to commute
Andrew Hill 1 1 Trail
Monique Shimm 1 Trail
Lisa Woods 1 Trail
December 8-14, 2008
Kevin Iaquinto 1 Trail
Molly Sweeney 1 Trail
Ian Kelly 1 1 Trail 9 bullets
Lisa Drazin 1 1 Trail for fitness 9 bullets
Ja Hayes 1 Trail for fitness
Paula O'Brien 1 1 Trail 9 bullets
Amy Wooden 1 1 Commute on trail Outside beltway subway
Stacey Colino 1 Trail & health of users Health journalist
Aron Friedman 1 1 Commute on trail 9 bullets
Purple Line NOW!
Samuel H. Dean 1 Complete Purple Line
Terry Banks 1 1 Trail
Suzanne & Jason Matthews 1 1 Trail live by trail
Julie Stanish 1 1 Trail Bus & metro commuter
Matt Kulpers 1 Trail recreation
No better location, time savings,
Mike Baker 1 1 User of trail improve bike crossings
Michael McLean & Family 1 1 Home by trail & use trail 9 bullets
Support BRT, but suspend advocacy
for BRT on Purple Line pending
Action Committee for Transit 1 experiment results
Robert Friedman 1 Trail
Howard & Tricia Sachs 1 1 Trail
Elena Gavidia 1 1 Trail recreation 9 bullets
subway underground or LRT to
Barry Boden 1 1 Trail recreation NIH/NNMC
Oliver Harris Support Purple Line
Opposed to Purple Line unless
Joan Sterrett 1 1 Trail recreation subway
Steve Cimino 1 dig tunnel
Martha Beshers 1 1 Trail 9 bullets
Support Purple Line; railroads and
Ralph Wooden 1 hikers were there originally
David Greenstein 1 1 Trail 9 bullets
Reid Lewis 1 1 Trail 9 bullets

LRT = Light Rail Transit; BRT = Bus Rapid Transit; MP = Master Plan Alignment; JBR = Jones Bridge Road; Other = Any place but the trail; Tunnel = Wayne Avenue
 Appendix B
Mode Alignment Concerned for
Name/Group Metrorail LRT BRT MP JBR Other Tunnel Trail More
Katherine Bennett 1 1 Commute on trail 9 bullets

Richard White 1 Trail recreation Purple Line down East West Highway
Jeff Rule 1 1 Commute on trail 9 bullets
Rima Schulkind 1 Noise
Med. LRT Investment; like stops in
Silver Spring Urban District Advisory Committee 1 CBD
Patricia Herbert 1 Trail

Need to address BRAC; account

objections by Sam Schwartz;
considers LRT on Jones Bridge;
gentrification impacts; wisely invest
Judy Tso in best mode and alignment
Michael Ridgway 1 1 Trail recreation
Flora Tsui 1 Trail, trees, and recreation homes, traffic congestion
Joe Sedransk 1 Recreation traffic
Betsy Heidenberger 1 Nature lives near trail
Betty Pomarede 1 Trail and Recreation live near trail
David Steeds 1 Trail, trees, and recreation DEIS inadequate
Lynda Maudlin 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
concerned about limited parking
Niren Nagda 1 space; Supporter of Purple Line
Ed Brown 1 Recreation
Ernesto Solana 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Christopher Duke 1 noise, traffic

Greenspace, Loss of Forest, future bike lane,

Melinda Miller 1 community, trail access, safety, homes
Eric Hirschhorn 1 trail, cost
Edith Levine 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Dr. Fred Solomon 1 Trees
Lee Eiden 1 Trail
Larry Fisher 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Mike Kershow 1 Nature
Greenspace, Loss of Forest, future bike lane,
Jules Lichtenstein 1 community, trail access, safety, homes
Tom Blassey 1 Trail, trees, and recreation BRAC
Environmental Defense fund
removed from supporters; DEIS not
Kristin Schneeman 1 objective, fair or complete
Michelle Koidin Jaffee 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Jack Mackey 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
John Savage 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Edward Platia 1 Medical Center, noise, traffic
Marty Saggese 1 Trail, trees, and recreation MTA flawed analysis, BRAC
Leonard Epstein 1 Trail, recreation traffic

George Baker 1 Green space traffic, cost, FTA funding, green space
Nadir Jusufbegovic Trail, trees, and recreation

LRT = Light Rail Transit; BRT = Bus Rapid Transit; MP = Master Plan Alignment; JBR = Jones Bridge Road; Other = Any place but the trail; Tunnel = Wayne Avenue
 Appendix B
Mode Alignment Concerned for
Name/Group Metrorail LRT BRT MP JBR Other Tunnel Trail More
Holly Townsend 1 Trees

tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne;

cites reasons for not using a surface
Seven Oaks/Evanswood Citizens' Association 1 alignment on Wayne
Shihadeh & Vara Sayyad 1 1 Trees
Jimmy Light 1 1 Trees Worked at NIH, Walter Reed
Charles Whitehead 1 Keep trail, trees, green space
Meghan Donahue 1 Keep trail, trees, green space
Stew Remer 1 Keep trail, trees, green space Doesn't want development
Jill Gendelman 1 Keep trail, trees, green space
Michael Gilmore 1 Keep trail Ride into DC
Vali Tschirgi 1 Keep trail Concerned abt. development
Michael Johnson 1 1 Keep trail, trees, green space
Illias Alevizos 1 1 Keep trail, trees, green space
Giovanna Casagrande 1 1 Trail Study metro to connect red line

Support public health and concerned

Amy Kostant 1 Keep trail, trees, green space abt. health if trail is not there.
Charis Keitelman 1 Family use trail
Janie & Brian Druskin 1 Keep trail, trees, green space
Bev Denbo 1 Kids & adults use trail to commute

Dianne Keppler 1 1 Live by trail & commute on trail Study metro to connect red line
Jane Gorbaty
Scott Smith 1 1 Trail and trees
Marjorie Woodman 1 1 Trail recreation Study metro to connect red line
Keylan Qazzaz 1 Family use trail
Gillian Shinkman 1 Trail
Lisa Bell 1 Family use trail
Long term study for underground
Agnese Arnold 1 1 Trail route to connect red line
Wants to keep a soft surface top for
trail users especially the aging
Ben Beach 1 1 Trail population

Amy Holman 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Questions abt. implementation and

maintenance of infrastructure of the
system over the long haul. Who pays
Jonathan Halpern the costs and who is the operator?
Karen Mathura & Family 1 Family use trail
Chin's Family 1 Trail
December 15-18, 2008
Peter Kimm 1 1 Trail recreation
Assya Pascalev 1 1 Trail recreation Bought house near trail
Joel Schwarz 1 1 Commute on trail & use it for recreation
Christine Real de Azua 1 1 Trail underground or enhanced bus
Mary Monti 1 1 Trail & trees
Marcey Zaborski 1 Trail recreation
Carolyn Avery 1 1 Trail for fitness underground

LRT = Light Rail Transit; BRT = Bus Rapid Transit; MP = Master Plan Alignment; JBR = Jones Bridge Road; Other = Any place but the trail; Tunnel = Wayne Avenue
 Appendix B
Mode Alignment Concerned for
Name/Group Metrorail LRT BRT MP JBR Other Tunnel Trail More
Med. LRT; less parks takings; live near
Wayne/Dale & don't want longer
Bruce Altevogt 1 tunnel

James & Sylvana Ehrman 1 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Kenneth Cantor 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Spartaco Cicerchia 1 Trail
Maureen Jais-Mick 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Samuel Turton 1 Trail & trees
Jeanette McHale 1 Trail recreation
House is 50' from trail; concerned
James Whetzel 1 Trail & trees abt. noise/vibration
Naomi Spinrad 1 Trail Trail recreation
Helen C. Epps 1 Trail Trail recreation
Cheryl Kollin 1 Trail, trees, and recreation commute
Arthur Alexander 1 Trail Trail recreation
Mary Fowler 1 Trail, trees, and recreation preserve natural greenspace
Elizabeth Baciigalupo 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Keith Blizzard 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Ann Wild 1 Trail and recreation Navy Medical-Walter Reed, land
Robert B. Karp 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
J. David Hoffman 1 Trail, trees, and recreation Navy Medical-Walter Reed
Stanley H. Way 1 Trail nature
Monique Cicerchia 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Gary Cameron 1 1 1 big supporter of tunnel supporter
Dan and Sara Burnett 1 Trail, trees, and recreation pursue best long-term solution
Don Peterkofsky 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Kathleen Wilks 1 Trail, trees, and recreation Trail recreation

Susan Andrea 1 Trail, trees, and recreation impacts of surface route, rezoning
Ingrid Fernando 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Wilder J. Leavitt 1 Trail, trees, and recreation
Reduce dependence on fossil fuels,
Linda Knutsen 1 Trail & trees but save trail environment
Concern abt. trail narrower and stairs
Christopher Maines 1 1 Trail recreation or rail crossings
Kevin Krug 1 Trail
Leonard Dack 1 Trail recreation
Susan Gartner 1 1 Trail Underground
Clara Witt 1 Commute on trail
Mojgan Logman 1 Kids use trail to commute

Greg Lewis 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Wilfried Busse 1 Trail and trees
Barbara Barinum 1 Trail and trees
Josh Glasser 1 Trail and live by trail
Gabrielle Glasser 1 Trail and live by trail
Joanne Wall 1 Trail recreation
Joel Hirschhorn Trail and live by trail Express bus on existing st.
John Keppler 1 Trail
Thomas Carty 1 Trail
Alan Simon 1 Trail recreation

LRT = Light Rail Transit; BRT = Bus Rapid Transit; MP = Master Plan Alignment; JBR = Jones Bridge Road; Other = Any place but the trail; Tunnel = Wayne Avenue
 Appendix B
Mode Alignment Concerned for
Name/Group Metrorail LRT BRT MP JBR Other Tunnel Trail More
Concern abt. training waiting for
Paul Rothstein 1 Family use trail maintenance
Steve Carrier 1 1 Trail use buses
Emily Hatton 1 Trail recreation
Francesca Kelly 1 Trail Underground; existing road
Joy Hilton 1 Trail

Carol & Ken Rubin 1 Trail recreation

Melissa Urofsky 1 1 Trail recreation vote for tax hike

Lindsay Wilkins 1 Trail recreation

Gardner Peckham 1 Trail

use trail to Bethesda because there
Jean-Michel Pomarede 1 Trail recreation isn’t parking

Anne Sumner 1 Trail

Carol Lite 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Lorraine Klein 1 Trail

Live adjacent to streets for
Kathryn & Shepherdson Abell 1 Trail alternative route.

Fota Ishaq 1 Trail

Richard Ressa 1 Trail recreation

Adam Rocap 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Colyn Cain 1 Family use trail

Roslyn Needle 1 Trail recreation

Tim Covell 1 Trail Concerned abt. development

Debra & Howard Feldman 1 Trail

Kristi Rocap 1 tunnel Silver Spring CBD & Wayne

Colet Mitchell 1 Trail Connect metro with metro

Elaine Akst 1 Trail

Katherine Jahnig 1 Trail and live by trail

Ann Effer 1 Trail

Patricia Clifford 1 Trail

Barbara Brocker 1 Trail Trail recreation

Electric buses worked in Vancouver;

Lee Miller 1 1 Trail business owner in Bethesda
Eve Howard 1 Family use trail

Reluctant supporter of building mass

Daniel Dozier 1 Always wants bike trails separate from traffic transit on Captial Crescent Trail
Denise Taylor Trail recreation Reject Purple Line

LRT = Light Rail Transit; BRT = Bus Rapid Transit; MP = Master Plan Alignment; JBR = Jones Bridge Road; Other = Any place but the trail; Tunnel = Wayne Avenue
 Appendix B
Mode Alignment Concerned for
Name/Group Metrorail LRT BRT MP JBR Other Tunnel Trail More
Bike lanes will not work as a safe
Charles Hampp, Jr Family use trail route
Robert Shaffer Trail Alternative method
Vanessa Dick 1 Trail
Forest and emissions that are
Arlene Bruhn Trail & trees reduced with forest
Hope & Eric Peek 1 1 Trail
Paul Stanton 1 Family use trail metro, tunnel, or bus

TOTAL 10 10 48 6 41 148 19 As of Dec. 18, 2008, staff has received 232 letters.

LRT = Light Rail Transit; BRT = Bus Rapid Transit; MP = Master Plan Alignment; JBR = Jones Bridge Road; Other = Any place but the trail; Tunnel = Wayne Avenue