Crystal City East Entrance Earns Envision Silver Verification

The Crystal City East Entrance (CCEE), a new entrance to one of the busiest Metro Rail stations in Arlington County, Virginia, has earned an Envision Silver verification from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). The recognition marks the first Envision award for both the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Arlington County, as well as the first ISI Silver-rated public transportation station project in the Mid-Atlantic.

WMATA and Arlington County are delivering the project in partnership with developer JBG SMITH, Clark Construction, and VHB as lead designer through a collaborative design-build approach. VHB also led the Envision verification effort, helping integrate sustainable and resilient strategies throughout the project and guiding the team through the Envision framework.

"One of the strengths of this project was that many of the practices recognized by Envision were already part of how the team was working," said Lee Dwyer, Senior Planner at VHB. "Our role was to bring those efforts together, document them through the Envision framework, and work closely with the design team and our project partners to demonstrate how those decisions supported a more sustainable and resilient project."

Expected to open in spring 2027, the new entrance will increase station capacity, improve accessibility and safety, and strengthen connections among Metro Rail, Metro Bus, Virginia Railway Express commuter rail, the Crystal City-Potomac Yard Transitway, Arlington Transit, and the nearby Mount Vernon Trail.

"The County and WMATA set a clear sustainability goal for this project through their commitment to Envision, which aligned well with how we approach design at VHB," said Travis Cook, VHB Deputy Design Manager. "We look at sustainability from the start of the project, considering resilience, connectivity, accessibility, and the long-term needs of the community as part of the design, rather than trying to address them later."

The Crystal City East Entrance is part of a larger network of transportation improvements strengthening connections between Metro, VRE commuter rail, local bus transit, bike facilities, the Mount Vernon Trail, and the planned CC2DCA connection.

Located at 18th Street South and Crystal Drive, the new entrance will include an above-ground lobby, new mezzanine, stairs, and elevators connecting passengers to the platforms. It will also provide an additional emergency exit and improved access for first responders.

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