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Borough of Dunellen (2019) Print
2019 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Trails
└ Trails
To make the half-mile trail in Columbia Park more accessible, the Borough of Dunellen installed 12 ADA-compliant benches. Volunteers added mulch around each bench and planted trees, shrubs and pollinator-friendly vegetation, with plaques identifying each plant. They also painted a footbridge connecting the part to a residential neighborhood. The project engaged Dunellen's mayor and Borough Council, along with the Dunellen Shade Tree Commission, the parks and recreation and public works departments, the Dunellen Arts and Culture Commission, the Dunellen Senior Club, the local football team and the Dunellen Municipal Alliance. Since installation, the Borough has seen a 44 percent uptick in trails users, as well as a 50 percent increase in older adults visiting the trail.
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See More Projects Like This One
Cascade, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Trails
Description: Older residents wanted more places to rest along the Strand Trail, a two-mile route central to Cascade's age-friendly plan. Without benches, many avoided longer walks, limiting exercise and social connection. The city installed five durable benches on recycled asphalt bases, creating safe, year-round resting spots. Volunteers helped with installation and outreach to promote use. The benches encourage older adults to walk farther and enjoy birdwatching and conversations along the river corridor. One regular user said the benches mean she can walk farther because "there are now places to rest along the way."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Cascade, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Trails
Description: A half-mile section of Cascade's popular Strand Trail was muddy, icy or snowy much of the year. To make it accessible year-round, the City of Cascade leveled and paved the trail's surface. Project organizers also added three new benches and wayfinding signage. The improved trail segment connects two branches of the Strand Trail, which meanders for two miles along the Payette River and offers visitors stunning views of nearby mountains and bird watching and fishing opportunities. Additionally, it extends access to a visitor's center and to Kelly's Whitewater Park, a nonprofit facility serving whitewater rafters, kayakers and paddle boarders. The City is planning to pave another trail section in the future.
Blue Hill, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Trails
Description: This project set out to create age-friendly trails in Blue Hill. Efforts included constructing an accessible walking path and installing benches along it to give older adults and people with mobility challenges a place to rest. Part of the town's larger Connectivity Plan, organizers hoped the trails would encourage intergenerational activities and give residents opportunities for physical activity. The route runs through Blue Hill's downtown, allowing people to walk to local amenities and shops.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Berkeley Heights, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Improved wayfinding
Description: Officials with the Berkeley Heights Township have long worked to encourage residents to walk. To that end, an award-winning master plan focuses on making the community more pedestrian-friendly. To better inform people about local walking trails, the Township created the Trailblazer project. The wayfinding initiative installed sign kiosks at four locations, including the municipal complex, two parks and the community YMCA. Each displays maps of the township and its trails and provides paper copies for passersby to take with them.
Metuchen, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Businesses in Metuchen's downtown struggled during pandemic-related shutdowns in 2020. To help with their recovery and resilience, the Metuchen Downtown Alliance made investments in public outdoor spaces, turning a block of New Street into a pedestrian-oriented New Streetery. After the Borough Council voted to ease zoning requirements, the Alliance converted street parking spaces into parklets. This created outdoor space for businesses -- including restaurants, shops and fitness studios -- to operate safely. To accommodate diners, the Downtown Alliance purchased over 100 tables with chairs, as well as infrared heaters and lighting. In the summer months, New Street closed to vehicle traffic on weekends, with partial street closures continuing into the winter. Project organizers say that although COVID-19 has since waned, walkability and outdoor dining remain part of Metuchen's downtown culture.
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