Engaged Informed Americans (EIA), a Salt Lake City-based non-profit, holds its next meeting which will bring together locals and project stakeholders to discuss how to address the Little Cottonwood Canyon gridlock. The meeting will take place at the Hampton Inn and Suites on 1345 South Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 on May 24 at 7 p.m. and feature representatives from the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Friends of Little Cottonwood Canyons, and Gondola Works.
EIA aims to bring together the public and project stakeholders to discuss the options Utahns have in solving the traffic impacting Little Cottonwood Canyon. The proposed Gondola, Gondola Option B by UDOT, is said to provide the greatest mobility through the canyon during all seasons and reduce emission pollution by removing up to 1,400 vehicles from the road. The gondola is estimated to cost Utah taxpayers 500-600 million dollars. Groups like Friends of Little Cottonwood Canyon object to the gondola and propose a scaled solution to the problem such as eclectic busses, tolling, and tire traction requirements for canyon entry.
“As an avid skier and Salt Lake City native, I have been impacted by the traffic in Little Cottonwood Canyon first-hand,” said Mary Glauser, Founder of EIA. “Getting into the canyon can be difficult and the traffic influences my decision to go or not. I, like many others, want to find a solution to ease canyon access. Positive discussion, engaging the community and looking at all sides of the issue, is the way to reach the best solution.
Since its launch in 2018, EIA has researched local and national issues bringing information to the Salt Lake City community for an objective forum. The meetings are non-partisan, allow questions, and challenge attendees to exercise critical thought by hearing and respecting different points of view. EIA’s recent meetings focused on topics including the U.S. Senate Republican Primary, Parley’s Canyon Quarries, immigration, the 2020 Presidential election, and gun control, among others.
EIA meetings are free and open to the public, with limited seating on a first-come, first-serve basis. The only rule EIA asks of attendees is that they respect the core values of the organization, and if they choose to speak, they center their comments around facts instead of emotions.
For more information visit www.engagedinformedamericans.org.
About EIA
EIA is a non-profit organization founded in 2018 by people and for people who are seeking accurate news sources. In a world saturated with opinion-driven headlines and misinformation it is up to the people to come together and discuss what affects our communities. EIA is a diverse group of Americans, representative of our nation’s demographics. The organization is committed to gathering solid information from multiple sources to educate ourselves and others on critical issues. EIA does not promote any particular agenda. Critical thinking and effective communication skills are the cornerstones of every conversation. EIA believes that engaged citizens benefit America and can affect change, in an informed way.
