Purple Line aid for businesses sits while state tries to figure out fiscal challenges

A tunnel space request for a recreational trail on the Purple Line has been denied.

If the coronavirus is not bad enough, businesses in Maryland have had to deal with a Purple Line virus. Many of them located along the construction corridor, which is now infected with more delays, have suffered financially. Officials are now calling for the Maryland Department of Commerce to release $2 million in state aid set aside for businesses which have been affected by Purple Line construction.

Maryland lawmakers recently said the money needed to be used for grants to businesses currently struggling around the Purple Line corridor as of July 1. However, the aid still has not been delivered.

Businesses that surround the 16-mile line between Bethesda and New Carrollton, Md., are saying they are hurting because streets have been narrowed or are being blocked due to the construction. Utility services also have been disrupted and parking spaces are now at a premium.

Michael Ricci, a spokesperson for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, said the state is currently trying to figure out the extent of its fiscal challenges. State lawmakers also did not provide a mechanism for distributing the funding, according to Ricci, and the state continues to work with community and local businesses to minimize any impacts.

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