Landmark Drive snakes around the roundabouts in western Kimball Junction before diving down the hill between Whole Foods and the AC Hotel.
That slope means poor sightlines for cars on a small side road, Landmark Loop, Summit County transportation planner Carl Miller told KPCW.
“Left turning or through traffic from Landmark Loop that either goes into Walmart or takes a left, southbound, on Landmark Drive is really dangerous,” Miller said in an interview.
Because not many cars make that left turn onto Landmark Drive, he said there isn’t a substantial crash history there. But Miller has seen near-misses himself.
The proposed fix is simple enough: signage that only allows right turns off Landmark Loop. There would be no more driving across the street into Walmart or making a left.
“We're working with our engineering team right now. I don't know exactly their timeline. If we get feedback that there is some additional reason for keeping this, I'd be happy to hear it,” Miller said. “Although safety oftentimes outweighs convenience, especially for an issue like this, where it's a collision — it's a crash waiting to happen.”
Pedestrian and motorist safety on Landmark Drive is taking on new importance since hundreds of housing units are coming to that side of Kimball Junction in the coming years.
Miller said the county is seeking grant funding to study all of Landmark as the development known as Dakota Pacific gets underway.
He also recommended various changes to Landmark Drive to the Summit County Council during a discussion about redeveloping the nearby outlet mall last month.
The area has seen incremental safety improvements over the years.
That includes flashing pedestrian beacons between Walmart and the transit center, as proposed by a local high school student. The Dakota Pacific development will include a new pedestrian bridge across state Route 224.
Summit County is a financial supporter of KPCW.
