Legacy Drive Project

There’s been a lot of conversation lately about plans to widen Legacy Drive in Frisco, Texas. And, there’s no shortage of opinions on the subject. Here’s a summary of various options and perspectives.

Frisco growth is no accident

Frisco is a growing city with a multitude of benefits for families and businesses of all sizes, from top-rated schools to world-class dining and shopping to an abundance of sports teams and venues. Each year, more families and businesses are calling Frisco home due to the exceptional quality of life, friendly communities, easy access, and strong economy.

The City of Frisco has done an exceptional job over the years planning and preparing for all this growth, from land-use to the planning of natural resources, infrastructure, and mobility. And, attracting world-class development and businesses is just part of the master plan. Take, for example, the $5 billion mile featuring the Dallas Cowboys’ new world corporate headquarters at The Star, and other developments such as The Gate, Frisco Station and Wade Park.

Growing pains are causing traffic

But all this growth comes at a cost. Frisco’s streets are getting crowded, sparking a lot of conversation around town, in neighborhoods, and at City Hall. One of the most talked-about city projects is the widening of Legacy Drive. Major businesses are flocking to Frisco, and to Legacy West just across Sam Rayburn Tollway (SRT), including Toyota, FedEx, Chase and Liberty Mutual. All these new businesses are great for our economy, but hard on our commute times as more and more cars fill up the roads each day.

Legacy Drive project options

Build some or all, build now or later?

Recognizing the need to address the issue head-on, the City of Frisco has been busy analyzing engineering studies and options for its residents. To accommodate continued growth and alleviate traffic congestion on Legacy Road, Frisco has developed three proposals to be considered. These proposals include variations of widening Legacy to 6 lanes and improved intersections and transitions.

Below is a condensed recap of the three options presented for the widening of Legacy Road from SRT to Warren:

1.  Full build – widen Legacy Road to 6 lanes plus improvements to intersections/transitions: The full build plan calls for widening Legacy Road to 6 lanes from Warren to Sam Rayburn Tollway, including revising the intersection at Legacy and Warren, and adding turn lanes southbound Legacy/Warren and southbound Legacy/Stonebriar Village. Cost of Full build- $13.0 million
2. Partial build- improve intersections and transitions only: This plan targets improving the primary ‘problem’ areas first and saving the rest for later. In this plan, Legacy would be widened to 6 lanes between Country Club Drive to SRT, and from Warren to Stonebriar Drive. The plan includes adding a right-turn lane on southbound Legacy at Stonebriar Drive and a left-turn lane on southbound Legacy at Warren. Cost of partial build – $8.0 million
3. No build- wait and see what happens: The option to ‘do nothing’ is also on the table. According to the City of Frisco, other current scheduled intersection and lane improvements could impact traffic patterns on Legacy Drive. Cost – $0 (except for the cost of traffic accidents, commute delays, and potential road rage)

Pros and cons of options

So, what’s the impact of these various options on residents? Well, if you live in the Stonebriar area or use Legacy often, you are already aware of the congestion. You are also probably aware of the road conditions that need repair now, and more to come.

But, does it make sense to tackle the full build and get it over with – or would it be better to focus on intersections and transitions only now and worry about the rest later?

In the first plan, you get the whole thing knocked out with one disruption. In the second plan, only parts of Legacy are included, and there would most likely be another repair project down the road (pardon the pun).

There’s also a $5 million cost difference between the two plans, and likely more bond proposals coming our way to cover the costs.

Besides the cost, the Stonebriar Legacy Association of Neighborhoods (SLAN) proposes additional considerations worth mentioning regarding the full build and widening project. To widen to 6 lanes, the width of lanes will change from 12 ft to 11 ft, and some turn lanes will go from 11 ft to 10 ft. Additionally, SLAN is opposed to the removal of 144 trees required in the full build-out plan for aesthetic and noise reduction purposes, and the potential impact on surrounding neighborhoods.

SLAN also proposed a ‘technology over concrete’ scenario, which targets improved signal controls and integrated synchronization of signals from intersection to intersection.

What do you think?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the City of Frisco proposals. Join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter – #ProgressInMotion, #TopFriscoRealtor, #JudiWrightTeam