It may be a few years until the Purple Line arrives in Silver Spring, but this past Saturday the Action Committee for Transit offered a fun preview by dressing up as a light-rail train in the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade.

Photo by Daniel Dancis.

ACT members and supporters marched in the 16th annual parade wearing Purple Line train costumes and blowing train whistles. Barbara Ditzler of Silver Spring designed a six-person Purple Line train costume, complete with Styrofoam plate wheels. And a fifth-grader at Clearspring Elementary School in Damascus made a train costume for her and her family out of painted cardboard boxes.

Dressing up as the Purple Line. Photo by Ralph Bennett.

ACT members and supporters march on Ellsworth Drive. Photo by Ralph Bennett.

The group already has big plans for next year’s parade, including even more train costumes and possibly a dance routine. If you have a costume or song in mind, feel free to visit ACT’s website and get in touch with us. We have only 12 months to prepare for the 2014 parade!

Continue the conversation about urbanism in the Washington region and support GGWash’s news and advocacy when you join the GGWash Neighborhood!

Tagged: maryland, montgomery, montgomery county, purple line, silver spring, transit

Ronit Aviva Dancis is the Employer Outreach and Proffer Manager for the Dulles Area Transportation Association. She works to increase sustainable commuting and mobility in the Dulles area, eagerly awaiting the opening of Silver Line Phase 2 stations.  She previously spent three years as the Tysons Partnership's TMA Director.  A Maryland native, she was President of the Action Committee for Transit 2016-2018, and continues to serve on the ACT board. She lives (sans car ownership) walking distance from the Silver Spring Metro station.