AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
AARP Chapter 4668 Central Birmingham (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Walkability
└ Walkability
Older adults in Birmingham faced unsafe sidewalks and limited pedestrian access because walkability data was outdated. The chapter organized walk audits, teaching residents how to spot hazards and share findings with city officials. Participants discovered broken sidewalks and accessibility gaps, creating a report expected to guide funding for completing upgrades. The effort will continue as an annual outreach activity, ensuring neighborhoods advocate for safer walking conditions. "Seeing broken sidewalks while using a walker is a humbling experience," one participant noted, underscoring the need for change.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Victor, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: The project responded to concerns that older adults and other residents could not safely reach village shops or nearby trails due to heavy traffic and limited pedestrian infrastructure. Walk audits along key access roads and well-used paths documented barriers such as difficult crossings and missing amenities that made walking less comfortable. Volunteers gathered data that highlighted where improvements were needed, and findings were presented to local leaders. The effort prompted early planning for walkability, including exploring grants and identifying priorities like benches, bike lanes and safer sidewalks. One volunteer said the project offered "a productive way to be part of positive change."
Glen Rock, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: Glen Rock faced growing concerns about pedestrian safety downtown, where older adults struggled with uneven sidewalks and drivers ignoring signals. To address this, the borough led three walk audits with 39 volunteers, most age 50-plus, who documented hazards and learned how to advocate for improvements. Their findings were compiled into a detailed report for municipal and regional agencies, prompting plans for repairs, signage and enforcement. The effort also created a trained network ready to conduct future audits. One participant noted how important this was given noticable walkability issues in this and other communities.
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: Older adults in Baltimore faced isolation and mobility challenges after the pandemic, compounded by unsafe walking conditions near community spaces. To address this, the organization hosted three walk audits and a health expo focused for older adults, reducing transportation barriers and drawing nearly 100 participants. Feedback revealed hazards like uneven curbs and poor drainage, while the project introduced a toolkit that empowered attendees to spot safety issues. These efforts informed proposals for traffic calming and accessibility upgrades and set the stage for ongoing wellness symposiums that keep older adults engaged and connected.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Birmingham, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Bikeability
Description: For years, Birmingham's busy Titusville neighborhood did not have a strong north/south connector for pedestrians and bicyclists. To address this, the Freshwater Land Trust installed a buffered bike lane -- the Titusville Connector -- along First Street South for five blocks to create a safe and equitable alternative transportation and recreation route for residents living in and around the community. The bike lane, which is located next to an elementary school and links to the multi-modal Neighborway path, allows residents to reach local amenities and the local bus rapid transit route. The Connector's brightly painted lane runs between the sidewalk and parallel parking spaces, making it the first, separated in-street trail in Birmingham.
Birmingham, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: REV Birmingham worked to improve a portion of 1st Avenue South in the Woodlawn neighborhood and commercial district. Along that stretch, speeding vehicles often posed a danger to pedestrians and cyclists. REV chose two blocks for a three-week test of a Compete Street design, reducing the street from four lanes in each direction to two. Reclaiming the space from the removed lanes, they added bike lanes, prominent crosswalks and parallel parking for cars. The organization used the experiment to gather data to substantiate the value of Complete Street conversions. In 2020, REV began working with city officials on several other projects to reclaim streets for pedestrian use.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Alabama State Office
400 South Union St.
Suite 100
Montgomery, AL 36104
United States