AARP Eye Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
City of Allen (2019) Print
2019 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Micromobility enhancements/management
└ Micromobility enhancements/management
To encourage older residents to become more active and use the local trail system, the City of Allen purchased six adult electric tricycles for the Allen Senior Recreation Center. Center members can check out the trikes to use when weather permits. The tricycles provide supplementary electric power to assist with peddling when needed, enabling users with varying mobility levels to ride them. To get the lending program started, City built a storage facility for the tricycles and offered a skills class for riders. Additionally, they provided helmets, orange safety flags and bike locks. Although motorized vehicles typically aren't typically allowed on Allen's nearby Cottonwood Creek Hike/Bike trail, the City has made an exception for the trikes.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Powhatan County, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Micromobility enhancements/management
Description: The Powhatan County Department of Social Services hoped to give local older adults a unique way to get around town. The Department's Ride Assist Services purchased four easy-to-ride adult tricycles. To help allow residents to try them out, they also purchased a covered trailer. This allows them to transport the trikes to community events, including Powhatan's annual Earth Day celebration. Interested riders can borrow the trikes, after signing a waiver and donning a helmet. To further encourage people to explore town by foot or bike, the County also installed decorative benches downtown. In the future, the County hopes to launch a share or rental program to allow on-demand access to the tricycles.
Newport, RI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Micromobility enhancements/management
Description: This project will support Cycling Without Age, a program that will provide older people and disabled veterans with trishaw rides, piloted by trained volunteers.
Shawnee Mission, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Micromobility enhancements/management
Description: To expand access to cycling, this project expanded the BikeWalkKC bikeshare program. Parks and Recreation Foundation of Johnson County set out to install bikeshare stations in four parks, including a new park located near a residential area with a senior living community. The stations serve four municipalities -- Olathe, Prairie Village, Lenexa, Shawnee and Overland Park. To measure the bikeshare program's popularity, each station uses smart technology to track each bike's location, how frequently it is checked out, the length of each checkout and who used it. Organizers plan to specifically market the service to older adults, who represent a growing share of Johnson County's population.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Richardson, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: To test solutions for managing traffic and making streets safer for pedestrians and residents with mobility challenges, the City of Richardson conducted a demonstration project in the business district surrounding the Arapaho Center light rail and bus station. Dubbed a road diet, they temporarily removed two motor vehicle lanes, replacing them with bike lanes. They added an artistic pedestrian crosswalk with a blue and red pattern reflecting the City's new Innovation District branding. In addition, they removed curbs, constructed fencing, installed wayfinding signs and added landscaping. Throughout the demonstration the City collected data on traffic levels and speeds, as well as pedestrian and bike trips. They also collected resident feedback and found 78 percent supported keeping the bike lanes and 82 percent were in favor of the new crosswalk. In 2020, the City obtained a 100,000 grant to permanently install bike lanes along the route.
Lewisville, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: The city will host a design competition to encourage construction of accessory dwelling units and increase age-friendly and affordable housing options. The project will include outreach efforts in English and Spanish, as well as Hakha Chin for migrants from Myanmar.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Texas State Office
1905 Aldrich St
Suite 210
Austin, TX 78723
United States