by: Jeff Cronin, CHNA in-house Purple Line Lead
Coming soon: The Purple Line
Carole Highlands enjoys easy access to the Takoma, Fort Totten, and West Hyattsville Metro stations thanks to RideOn and MetroBus. But exciting changes are arriving on our doorstep. As the Purple Line nears completion, Carole Highlands is transitioning into one of the most transit-connected neighborhoods in the region. This 16-mile east-west line will link Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, providing our community with unprecedented access to jobs, shopping, and entertainment from Bethesda to New Carrollton–all with less need for a car. And, it is expected that in the long-term, more walkable transit-oriented development will be attracted to the commercial parcels that surround Purple Line stations.
Carole Highlands is uniquely positioned between two Purple Line stations, the Takoma-Langley station and the Riggs Road station, both on University Boulevard. Walking to these new transit stations does present challenges, in part because of the existing traffic conditions on Erskine, and because of a lack of more direct pedestrian routes to the stations.
Carole Highlands Safe Mobility Study
To prepare for the Purple Line, the Carole Highlands Neighborhood Association asked the Prince George’s Planning Department to conduct the Carole Highlands Safe Mobility Study. The findings highlight our community’s commitment to ensuring that our streets remain walkable and safe.
The study proposes five key infrastructure projects totaling approximately $2.28 million to enhance pedestrian safety and improve Purple Line station access. Core recommendations focus on building a sidewalk on the South side of Erskine Street; installing three ADA-compliant, well lit, paved shared-use paths through our neighborhood; and potentially constructing a mini-roundabout at the Erskine/Drexel/18th Avenue intersection.
The CHNA has circulated a memo to our state legislative delegation prioritizing the Erskine sidewalk for safety reasons, but in a way that preserves as much of the existing tree canopy as possible, and to seek funding for the construction of the report’s recommendations. We welcome your involvement with the association as we prepare for the arrival of the Purple Line.
Prime Location
Carole Highlands is located in Prince George’s County. Fortunately, our neighborhood is conveniently located close to the Washington, DC, close to 2 Metro Stations, commercial and retail locations, within 5 miles of the University of Maryland and within 5 miles to Interstate 495 (the Beltway).
Entering from New Hampshire Avenue, the Carole Highlands neighborhood begins at 15th Avenue and includes all cross streets off of Erskine (and Drexel), and extends to 17th Avenue.
On the Montgomery County side, part of Erskine, 13th Avenue, 13th Place and 14th Avenue are part of the Hillandale community and closer to Riggs Road, homes (and condo’s) on 18th Avenue are part of the Lewisdale neighborhood.
Both the school and the church are located in Carole Highlands.
Did you know that our neighborhood has multiple zip codes, and both Takoma Park and Hyattsville addresses?
Here’s why:
Homes in the Carole Highlands neighborhood can have either a Takoma Park or Hyattsville mailing address because postal boundaries do not match city or county boundaries. Carole Highlands sits in Prince George’s County, but it lies directly on the border with Montgomery County and near the incorporated City of Takoma Park. The U.S. Postal Service assigns ZIP codes based on mail-routing efficiency—not on municipal or county lines—so our neighborhood ends up split between two different postal designations.
Regardless of the street, regardless of the zip code, as residents we enjoy the natural beauty of the neighborhood, the nearby amenities, the beauty of Sligo Creek Park with bike and nature trails, and our opportunities to support a vibrant neighborhood atmosphere.