Raleigh, NC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Bike Audits

Description: Older adults in Raleigh faced unsafe biking conditions and missing sidewalks, limiting mobility and access to transit. Oaks and Spokes launched bike audits on key corridors, engaging older residents and students to document hazards. Findings prompted City Council to adopt protected bike lanes on Brookside Drive and plan sidewalk improvements. A second audit on Garner Road highlighted urgent safety gaps and drew council attention during a live stream. These efforts accelerated infrastructure changes and built advocacy momentum for safer, age-friendly streets.

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

Rutland, VT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Bike Audits

Description: Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports addressed barriers that limited older adults and adaptive riders from using wooded trail systems where path width and design often made three wheel bikes difficult to navigate. In a state with a large older adult population, trail managers lacked clear assessments of whether existing routes could safely support these riders. The project conducted adaptive bike assessments across three trail systems, supported by GPS photos shared with land managers. The work increased awareness of how trail design affects access for older adults and adaptive riders. Some trail systems began making upgrades based on the findings. A project lead said the effort reinforced that everyone deserves the opportunity to recreate outdoors.

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

Wake Forest, NC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Bike Audits

Description: The Town of Wake Forest examined why older adults and other residents interested in biking often avoid local streets due to disconnected and unsafe infrastructure. Through a series of bike audits involving volunteers from the Senior Center, participants documented where bike lanes end abruptly, crossings felt unsafe and routes failed to connect neighborhoods to greenways. The audits produced clear, location-specific findings and recommendations prepared for planning staff and elected officials. Volunteers noted that riders often gather downtown and then leave town to stay safe, highlighting missed opportunities for local travel. The results are positioned to inform age-friendly planning and support future investments such as safer crossings, clearer signage and expanded bike facilities.

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