The Wasatch Front Regional Council, Salt Lake City, the Utah Department of Transportation, the Utah Transit Authority and the University of Utah are encouraging residents to attend a public open house Thursday to learn about the Foothill Drive Corridor Study.

The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Indian Hills Elementary School, 2496 St. Mary's Drive (1450 South).

The study will recommend transportation improvements along the length of Foothill Drive from the I-80/I-215 interchange near Parleys Way to the intersection of 500 South and 1300 East near Rice-Eccles Stadium. Current and future transportation needs in the area will be identified and analyzed over the course of the study.

The study team will provide specific recommendations for transit and roadway improvements and will look at the potential impacts to transportation demand caused by potential new development along the Foothill Drive corridor.

The open house is an opportunity for people to share their concerns and ideas about the corridor and to weigh in on the study process.

The study team will review the public input received at the open house in developing and evaluating alternatives. Two community workshops have already been held with representatives from community councils, local businesses, bicycle organizations and others who have provided the study team with specific feedback regarding land use, traffic, safety and growth issues.

The study is being conducted by DMJM Harris, a national consulting firm with an office in Salt Lake City. Study results and recommendations, including public feedback, will be presented to the regional council, Salt Lake City, UDOT, UTA and the University of Utah for their use in future transportation and community planning. The study will be completed by fall 2008.

For more information, contact Bethany Matsumori at 364-0088 ext. 109 or visit www.wfrc.org/cms/foothill.