Crystal City to Reagan National Airport Multimodal Connection (CC2DCA)

This project explores the possibility of providing a context-sensitive multimodal connection between Crystal City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) for use by people walking, biking, and using micromobility devices. The study includes environmental reviews required by the federal NEPA review process.

The CC2DCA connection could provide residents, visitors, and business travelers of all ages and abilities with a safe and convenient way to reach the airport from Crystal City. Not only could the project provide pedestrian and bicycle access to a national air travel hub, it could also potentially create and enhance multimodal connections among the airport, the relocated Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter rail station, and the multi-use Mount Vernon Trail.

Location

In May 2023, the Arlington County Board endorsed the location of the Preferred Alternative for the CC2DCA Multimodal Connection.The Preferred Alternative would connect to the east side of the south entrance of the future VRE Crystal City Station located at 2011 Crystal Dr. and span the rail corridor perpendicularly before crossing the George Washington Memorial Parkway at a slight angle. A specific alignment across DCA property is yet to be defined.

Status

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) efforts for the CC2DCA connection began in spring 2022. Initial activities included data collection, agency coordination and public outreach which aided in the development of the Purpose and Need statement for the study. Currently, the study is in the process of evaluating a range of alternatives for a potential connection. 

Map of study area(JPG, 1MB) (full size)

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What to expect during the environmental review process

CC2DCA would use federal funds and could impact federal lands. Therefore, it is subject to NEPA and the County must develop alternatives and conduct an environmental analysis before identifying a preferred design concept. We anticipate this process will take approximately three years to complete.

This work will be done in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and other regional, state and federal agency partners. The potential environmental impacts of the alternatives will be evaluated in a NEPA document. This document is now anticipated to be an Environmental Assessment (EA) which would be published in late summer or early fall 2023. The study also will advance the production of required documentation and approvals by appropriate federal agencies.

A preferred alternative, including a specific type of facility and alignment, will be identified in the EA, which will also list environmental commitments to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse impacts on the environment from the project. After the NEPA process is complete, all necessary federal permits and authorizations will be obtained.

Arlington County will further advance the design of the selected connection in preparation for the next phase of the project (final design and construction). This work will be completed under a different contract and is not part of the study. 

Public Process

Public involvement is pivotal to the NEPA process; opportunities to engage with the study will be provided throughout its development. The County has developed a comprehensive public participation plan in accordance with NEPA requirements and consistent with the County’s Six Step Public Engagement Guide for Capital Projects.

Engagement Opportunities

About the Project

In 2010, Arlington County adopted the Crystal City Multimodal Transportation Study. The study made transportation improvement recommendations for the Crystal City area including the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle connection to the airport.

The Crystal City Business Improvement District (now known as the National Landing BID) initiated a feasibility assessment in 2017 that looked at how to connect Crystal City and its myriad transportation options to the airport. The study evaluated various alignment and facility types to serve existing development and planned growth in Crystal City.

During development of its FY 2019-2028 Capital Improvement Plan, the County created a new project in the Crystal City, Pentagon City, Potomac Yard Streets Program to continue alternatives analysis and preliminary planning for a connection between Crystal City and DCA. The project had limited funding due to budget constraints.

In late 2018, with the announcement of an agreement to bring Amazon’s HQ2 to Crystal City, the Commonwealth of Virginia identified a CC2DCA connection as one of five transportation projects to be fully or partially funded by the Commonwealth.

VDOT added the project to its Six-Year Improvement Program in 2019. This included an allocation of $9.5 million in federal funding for project planning, NEPA documentation and preliminary engineering.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is the lead agency for the environmental review on this project, while VDOT is the joint lead agency for the purposes of preparing the NEPA document. Concurring, cooperating, and participating agencies will be identified and formally invited in these roles after the NEPA process kicks off. To date, the National Park Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the US Environmental Protection Agency have agreed to participate in the study as potential concurring and cooperating agencies.

At its December 2019 meeting, the County Board approved an agreement with VDOT to allow the County to administer the project’s planning, environmental review and preliminary engineering phases.

On June 30, 2020, the County advertised a request for proposals to select a consultant to complete the project’s environmental documentation and conceptual design. The County Board approved a professional services contract at its March 20, 2021, meeting.