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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Older adults in Birmingham faced unsafe sidewalks and limited pedestrian access because walkability data was outdated.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.
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Greenwood, MS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: Unsafe sidewalks and speeding traffic made walking hazardous for older adults in Greenwood. The project trained participants to use the MAPS-Mini audit tool, conduct walk audits and join community meetings to push for repairs and safer crossings. These efforts sparked advocacy for walkable neighborhoods and healthier lifestyles. One resident shared that previously she had to walk close to the curb, which created a dangerous path for her. Her story highlighted the need for change.
Highland, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
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Staten Island, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: Transportation Alternatives addressed safety concerns along Staten Island's Richmond Terrace corridor through walk audits that identified hazards like poor lighting and uneven sidewalks. The effort prompted lighting upgrades on six blocks, sinkhole repairs and plans for a bus shelter near Snug Harbor Cultural Center. These improvements have made the area safer and more inviting, with one resident saying better lighting and clear walkways would make her "more inclined to take walks with her family to local parks and facilities."
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Birmingham, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Bikeability
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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.
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