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Arlington Heights, IL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Bike Audits

Description: Older adults helped audit a multi-use path where safety and accessibility issues limited use. Their input highlighted hazards and informed plans for improvements. The project also built ties with the bike advisory committee, giving older adults a voice in shaping safer routes. Continued engagement, including monthly meetings, ensures their concerns remain central to future upgrades.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Taylor, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Bike Audits

Description: Downtown Taylor lacked safe cycling conditions and adequate bike parking, leaving older cyclists and local businesses concerned about safety and access. Good Life Taylor conducted bike audits to document hazards and found that business owners wanted more foot traffic and safer places to park bikes. The effort informed a plan to install eight secure racks in key downtown areas and provided data to guide next steps with local boards. A volunteer who survived a serious crash shared her story, highlighting the urgency of safer streets and strengthening advocacy for long-term improvements.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Newburyport, MA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Bike Audits

Description: Newburyport Livable Streets focused on safety challenges faced by older adults traveling along busy corridors connecting schools, recreation areas, shopping and health care services. Traffic speed, nighttime visibility and roadway design raised concerns for people walking and biking. The project conducted daytime bike audits and nighttime audits at key intersections, engaging many participants age 50 and over to document conditions. Observations captured issues such as lighting, crosswalk visibility and interactions with vehicles. The resulting reports are being prepared for city officials and advisory committees. The work positioned older adult safety needs within upcoming planning discussions and created a foundation for future roadway improvements.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

San Diego, CA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: A walk audit and Adopt‑a‑Block effort will review safety along a two‑mile commercial corridor. Community meetings will use findings to guide near‑term and long‑term improvements.

San Diego, CA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Many residents who live near San Diego's Park de la Cruz rent apartments, which limits their access to outdoor gathering spaces and gardening opportunities. To address this, organizers created a community garden on an overgrown parcel of land in the park. Many residents in Volunteers installed raised garden beds, designed to be accessible for people of all ages and abilities. Additionally, they added seating, a worktable, shade umbrellas and a gazebo to the space. To beautify the garden, and artist painted a mural onsite. The nonprofit also hosted a community planting day, where volunteers planted fruit trees and pollinator-friendly plans and filled the garden beds with vegetables. Since creating the garden, volunteers continue to care for the space. The garden provides produce for local families, as well as ingredients for a weekly cooking program for older adults.

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