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Bike Pittsburgh (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Residents wanted safer streets but lacked tools to advocate for change. Bike Pittsburgh addressed this by hosting five workshops that trained older adults and others to design and launch street safety campaigns. The project also installed a community-designed mural near a library to slow traffic and create a welcoming space. The mural now improves access for older adults and youth, and graduates are pursuing additional projects. One participant said the training "helped me prioritize and structure all my advocacy projects... more strategically and efficiently."
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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Hartford, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: To draw more visitors to Colt Park, organizers with the Green and Blue Foundation hoped to make the area around the green space safer for pedestrians. Hartford's professional soccer team, the Hartford Athletic, hosts games at the park's stadium, the green space is otherwise underused. The Foundation joined with local partners and community leaders to host a walk audit to identify safety and aesthetic improvements that would make Colt Park more attractive to visitors. This project improved crosswalks near the park and installed traffic calming device, including speed bumps. Additionally, the Foundation beautified parking barriers, planted flower beds and added ADA-compliant benches.
Missoula, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Missoula County officials hoped to demonstrate options for improved pedestrian access to East Missoula's downtown. Staff and volunteers put out straw bales, planters and trees to calm traffic, as well as create a temporary bike and walking path near a popular store and service station. They also set up a pop-up park. They also set up an area with picnic tables, canopies and umbrellas. Food trucks and a banner helped attract visitors to the event, along with sidewalk games, face painting and mural making. Attendees could see how possible future safety improvements would work and were invited to provide feedback. Project organizers report the demonstration helped secure buy-in from nearby business owners, who had previously expressed skepticism about changes to the streetscape. Since the event, the County has working to permanently implement the interventions envisioned during the event, including forming long-term plans to reconstruct a major highway corridor.
Wayne, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: The downtown area of Wayne, Maine, appears suddenly to drivers traveling along Route 133, a busy state highway. Because of curves in the road and a hill, pedestrians crossing Main Street often aren't visible to drivers until the last second. "Logging trucks and other large trucks race through town, barely slowing down as they do," said Stan Davis, chair of the community's aging-at-home committee. To make pedestrians more noticeable, Aging at Home installed flashing Reduce Speed at either end of Wayne's downtown area. The town also purchased portable pedestrian crossing signs. Spurred by the success of the improvements, they plan to continue advocating for sidewalks in central Wayne to make walking even safer.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Pittsburgh, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Micromobility enhancements/management
Description: Pittsburgh's bikeshare lacked options for older adults and riders with disabilities, limiting access to cycling. To close that gap, Bike Share Pittsburgh launched Adaptive POGOH, introducing seven specialized bikes including tricycles, tandem and recumbent models. A secure storage hub was installed at a trailhead, staff were trained to customize bikes and promotional materials were provided to centers for older adults. A kickoff event drew more than 250 attendees. Early rentals and strong interest signaled demand, positioning the program for expansion and creating new opportunities for inclusive mobility and outdoor recreation.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Pittsburgh, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Developing projects based on residents' priorities
Description: As Lawrenceville rapidly changed, the stories of older residents who built the neighborhood risked being lost. The project honored six women with a mural on a prominent facade and hosted a block party to unveil it. Volunteers collected 29 oral histories and published a zine celebrating nominees, creating intergenerational connections. "This event... was the celebration of her life that she would have wanted," said one daughter about the tribute giving her closure after losing her mother. The effort preserved community history and renewed engagement in age-friendly programs.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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