Release Date: Jul 17, 2017

Crystal City Pursues New Pedestrian Link to Airport

Request for Proposals for Feasibility Study Released

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 17, 2017
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Crystal City (Arlington, VA) – The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID), in collaboration with area stakeholders, issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to study the feasibility of a new direct pedestrian connection between Crystal City and Washington National Airport (DCA).

“Crystal City is the area’s most accessible neighborhood – with METRO, VRE, connections to every major area highway, bike paths, and an airport you can literally walk to,” said Angela Fox, Crystal City BID President/CEO. “A new pedestrian connection will bring the airport even closer, from a 15-minute walk to a 4-minute walk and transform the area into a unique multimodal transportation hub serving as a major economic development catalyst for Crystal City, Arlington County and the Commonwealth.”

The concept of a new pedestrian connection leverages the investments of other transportation infrastructure projects already underway including a new commuter terminal at DCA, Governor Terry McAuliffe’s rail infrastructure upgrade known as the Atlantic Gateway Project, a proposed new entrance to the Crystal City Metro station along Crystal Drive, and the Virginia Railway Express Crystal City Station improvements. A new pedestrian connection would combine each of these investments to create an even more wholistic multimodal transportation system and position the neighborhood for future investments in interregional commuter rail, AMTRAK regional and High-Speed Service.

The published RFP seeks qualified consultant teams to evaluate and detail the feasibility of a pedestrian connection and will study optimal alignments, real estate considerations (both private and public/federal), regulatory requirements, costs and financing mechanisms, as well as a comprehensive assessment of a pathway to implementation, including the necessary agency and stakeholder approvals that would be required.

Proposals are due August 4th, 2017. For more information and to review the full RFP, please visit www.crystalcity.org/DCAStudy.