Governor Hogan has scheduled a press conference for 2:30 pm this afternoon to make an announcement about “transportation infrastructure.” While aides would not confirm, many speculate that the announcement will be his decision on whether to move forward with the building of the Washington suburbs Purple Line project.

As reported by the Baltimore Sun,

The fate of that light rail line is regarded by many as intertwined with that of the $2.9 billion Baltimore Red Line project. The governor expressed doubts during last year’s campaign whether Maryland can afford either project.

Since taking office, Hogan has asked Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn to scrutinize the two projects to see whether they can be built for less money and to recommend whether to move forward with construction. Both lines have undergone extensive planning and engineering and have been found eligible for federal funding of roughly $900 million each. The state would have to contribute most of the rest.

From the Washington Post,

Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported that Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn had recommended to Hogan that he approve building the Purple Line, at a cost that is lower than current estimates.

Rahn suggested reducing the $2.45 billion price tag by $300 million, and asking Montgomery and Prince George’s counties to pay a greater share of the costs.