Duncan (D) has long opposed the light-rail Inner Purple Line endorsed by former Gov. Parris N. Glendening, preferring instead to build heavy-rail running outside the Beltway. But the County Council voted to support the Inner Purple Line in December, and activists on both sides of the issue continue to spar over it.

Hoping to "break the logjam," he said, Duncan brought forth a compromise Purple Line plan last week. The plan would connect the Silver Spring Metro station with the Medical Center station in Bethesda, instead of the downtown Bethesda station as originally conceived. It also replaces the Purple Line's light-rail trolley system with heavy rail and Metro-style trains.

The redesigned Purple Line would bypass Chevy Chase, Columbia Country Club and the Georgetown branch of the Capital Crescent Trail, all of which would be directly impacted by the original Purple Line. Duncan's version would extend northwest from Silver Spring to the north side of the Beltway, and run along suspended rail about as far west as Cedar Lane. It would then run underground to the Medical Center station.

Meir Wolfe, mayor of the Town of Chevy Chase, called Duncan's alternative "an excellent proposal" that would save thousands of trees and preserve the Capital Crescent Trail. It would also, he said, avert the noise and increased traffic that residents of his town have feared the Purple Line would create along Connecticut Avenue.

Wolfe predicted Duncan's plan would better facilitate future expansions of transit as well. "This plan would not only serve people in Silver Spring and Bethesda-Chevy Chase, but the end point, the Medical Center Metro station, is one from which you could go easily across to Virginia in the future," he said. "So you will have a better regional Metro transit system."

But supporters of the former Purple Line plan fear approval of a new design will take too long, jeopardizing necessary federal funding for the project. Congress reauthorizes federal transportation funding only once about every six years, and the next deadline to qualify comes this spring.

"Mr. Duncan has for years fought against the Purple Line, arguing it's not needed," said Sol Gnatt, chairman of the Northern Chevy Chase Citizens Association. "Since he's against it, it's a question of strategy on his part to come up with a new location, and ask for a study. That way he delays the decision longer. As a result he achieves his purpose: that it won't happen ... and he can still say he supported the Inner Purple Line."

Locust Hills resident Eleanor Rice, a member of the Action Committee for Transit, was more blunt. "I think it's a cynical attempt to destroy our opportunity to get funding for this much-needed transit line," she said. "And all because it runs through the Columbia Country Club. Speaking for myself, I am livid. ... He would go to any lengths, even if it deprives of us money, just to protect the country club."

For months, Purple Line advocates have accused opponents of fronting a fight against the project on behalf of the Columbia Country Club, which the original Purple Line would cross. But Pam Browning, who has led a petition drive to save the Capital Crescent Trail from the intrusion of the proposed light rail, said the accusation is unfair.

"I am very tired of hearing that this is all about the Country Club," Browning said. "Over 10,000 trail users signed petitions to save the trail. These folks don't play golf at the country club. This is not about the country club. This is about the voters in lower Montgomery County who want to preserve trails and trees in an increasingly urbanized environment."

Browning complimented Duncan's new design, saying it solves problems with the old one and promises more relief from traffic congestion.

"Duncan's proposal ... saves the Capital Crescent Trail from the devastation of the Inner Purple Line. It takes more cars off the road than the old inner line route. In addition, it puts Metrorail in a position to cross the river alongside the Beltway and to travel to Tyson's Corner -- a very important transit goal."

The plan likewise drew applause from Eric Peek, president of Coquelin Run Citizens Association in Chevy Chase. Situated around the Capital Crescent Trail, Coquelin Run would be directly impacted by Glendening's light-rail plan.

"Doug Duncan has proven he wants to get this resolved," Peek said. "I do not know the exact specifics of the new plan, but it sounds like a nice compromise ... and it seems that both sides are so entrenched on this, nothing is going to happen unless there can be a compromise."

Allen Meyers of Bethesda, president of Maplewood Citizen Association, said since the newly proposed Purple Line will run underground to the Medical Center Metro station, it might offer transit benefits to surrounding communities like Maplewood without adversely impacting them.

But Meyers questioned Duncan's plan for another reason: money. As redesigned, the Bethesda-Silver Spring portion of the Purple Line would cost about $600 million, $200 million more than the original plan.

"It seems to me a very costly proposition," Meyers said. "I think it'll be dead on arrival, based on cost factors alone."

-- Staff writer Theodore Kim contributed to this report.