Manhattan, KS

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Manhattan's busiest intersections needed safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists. To address this, the Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning Organization installed curb extensions and pedestrian islands at key locations within the community, including in front of the local elementary school. The enhancements made the crossings more visible, placing priority on people rather than vehicles. Organizers say the project showed residents and government leadership that it's possible to improve walkability and make neighborhoods safer on a modest budget.

Montgomery, AL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Drivers in Montgomery can't help but slow down when they approach the crosswalk on busy Mulberry Street. The crossing features solar-powered, pedestrian-activated crossing signals as well as a pavement mural -- all of which calm passing traffic and improve pedestrian safety. After calling on residents to submit their ideas for the mural, the City's traffic engineers painted the crossing to look like a troll bridge. Connecting a residential neighborhood to the local elementary school, the crosswalk depicts a wooden bridge with a mom, dad and baby troll hanging on its sides. The bridge allows students to safety get to school and also enables pedestrians to traverse Mulberry Street's many small businesses. We had about 30 designs submitted for the crosswalkand all of them were delightful, but the Hardy design made the whole selection committee smile, Lynda Wool, a senior planner for the city of Montgomery, told Design Alabama.

Denver, CO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Denver's Federal Boulevard is one of the city's deadliest routes, with a traffic fatality rate 20 times higher than the average for urban streets in Colorado. To demonstrate simple improvements to make walking and biking safer, WalkDenver held a daylong tactical urbanism event near Regis University. Using pastel-painted tires, traffic cones, flowerpots and hay bales, project organizers set up temporary bike lanes, curb extensions and traffic islands along Federal Boulevard. To determine the efficacy of the street calming interventions, they collected data on vehicle speeds and surveyed pedestrians during the pop-up. Ahead of the event, project organizers hosted a walk with local leaders, allowing them to experience the challenge of walking along Federal Boulevard. The nearby neighborhoods are home to college students who regularly walk and bike, as well as a high concentration of older adults and residents with disabilities.