I’m all for mass transit. I really am. I believe in investing in public infrastructure, reducing car dependence, and building systems that make life better for more people.

But if I have to drive down Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring one more time and dodge a maze of construction barrels, uneven pavement, and mystery fencing, I might lose it.

The Purple Line construction is officially out of control.

This road has been torn up for years—and I mean years. At first, it was a mild inconvenience. Now? It feels like a permanent condition. Detours change constantly. Lanes disappear overnight. Sidewalks are suddenly gone, then reappear months later like nothing happened. The timeline keeps shifting, and somehow we still have years to go until this thing is done.

I get it—big projects take time. But at some point, the question becomes: How long is too long to disrupt the daily lives of residents and local businesses? Because what’s happening here doesn’t feel like temporary inconvenience anymore. It feels like negligence.

People live here. People walk their kids to school here. People run small businesses here. And they’ve been dealing with construction dust, lost parking, noise, and ever-changing traffic patterns for what feels like forever. Meanwhile, updates are vague at best, and communication with the community is inconsistent.

So yes, I want the Purple Line. I’ll be one of the people using it when it opens. But I also want accountability. I want transparency. I want someone to acknowledge that it’s not okay to leave a major thoroughfare looking like a war zone for half a decade.

Infrastructure matters—but so does the infrastructure we already have.

If you’re in the area and feeling the same frustration, you’re not alone. I see you. I’m swerving around the same cones. Let’s hope someday we’re laughing about this on a quiet, smooth Purple Line train—but for now, this is the reality. And it’s a mess.