Little Rock, AR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety

Description: When state transportation officials asked Arkansans why they don't bicycle more, the answer was clear: Because they did not feel safe. To address this, the City of Little Rock worked to educate drivers about road safety best practices. The City developed a two-hour training -- the Friendly Driver Certification Program -- modeled after a similar program in Fort Collins, Colorado. "Twenty years ago, we didn't have any bike lanes, pedestrian hybrid beacons or other new types of facilities to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe," program coordinator John Landosky told Little Rock Soiree. "That infrastructure is only useful if drivers know what to do around it." Since its launch, the class has educated more than 500 participants, with nearly six in ten saying it made them more confident in walking or biking. The City says the training also helped lay a foundation for its Complete Streets bike plan.

Little Rock, AR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience

Description: This project will support socially-disadvantaged small farmers aged 50 in a rural area by installing a greenhouse, sharing germinated plants and providing a prep station with equipment to clean and package produce.