Plano's Legacy West Project Aims For More Pedestrian-Friendly Outcome
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PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) - Traffic around Plano's Legacy West development could be a headache for commuters for the next few days thanks to crosswalk construction on Legacy Drive leading to the entrance to the project.
But that's nothing compared to the even bigger undertaking of how to get people to walk over the Dallas North Tollway to create one connected district.
It's a mess for a few days, but many of the store managers at the neighboring Shops at Legacy say so far the crosswalk construction in front of Legacy West hasn't put much of a dent in holiday shopping.
"Not perfect timing for holidays, but we'll work with it," said Brylea Cunniff who manages the Elaine Turner store.
In fact walking is something existing businesses in the area want to encourage once Legacy West opens next year and attracts a whole new wave of shoppers.
"I think that was our big concern that we're kind of the original Shops At Legacy, what's going to happen to us when the new West opens? Will it affect our traffic, our customers, our clientele?" Cunniff said.
Plano doesn't want the Dallas North Tollway to stop shoppers from going back and forth between the two sides of Legacy. That's why the city's special projects director says Plano will spend a million dollars to have the NTTA build a new u-turn lane north of the old one and turn the old one into a large pedestrian walkway.
"I think it's important for its long term sustainability to actually be connected, and this is a very important part of making that connection," Plano's Director of Special Projects Peter Braster said.
"I actually was hoping something like that would happen to bridge the gap and just create community and a sense of oneness," Cunniff said.
The city says the new u-turn lane is planned for early 2018, and they're still working on a timeline and budget for the pedestrian walkway.