​​ By David E. Hawkins, Laura Lucas Palekar, and Michael Ernst Maryland's Purple Line light rail is one step closer to becoming reality after a recent approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The FTA's decision, which is expected to be published shortly in the Federal Register, effectively finalizes the Purple Line's route and finds that federal environmental requirements have been met. The Purple Line route runs 16.2 miles east to west from Bethesda to New Car