Fort Wayne, IN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: To encourage walking, cycling and other forms of active transportation, Active Living Indiana worked with Team Better Block to install a temporary traffic-calming plaza on Columbia Avenue. Located near Fort Wayne's greenway, the site featured blue-and-white crosswalk striping, public art installations, foliage and a temporary, bright purple bike path offset from traffic by cones. In order to show residents how changes to the streetscape can make walking safer, the organizations also hosted an event promoting active communities. There, attendees could take in live music, enjoy local food vendors, play street games and experience the traffic calming interventions in-person. Project organizers say they hope the pop-up demonstration will be a springboard for more permanent street redesigns in the future.

Louisville, KY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: At a width of 150 feet, Louisville's Ninth Street had the feel of a thoroughfare. To improve the street's safety and aesthetics, Louisville Metro Government upgraded sidewalks, painted bars to make crosswalks more visible to drivers and changed signals to give pedestrians more crossing time. To give people a space to rest, they added benches to an underused green space in the median, the site of an existing sculpture. Doing so created a public space for residents declared that a place to sit and rest in the area was one of their preferred amenities. Organizes say the project has sparked conversations about how to continue improving the pedestrian experience on Ninth Street. Louisville is now exploring adding bike lanes, as well as bump-outs to make crossing distances smaller. "We want to redesign this corridor with people in mind and not just cars, Gretchen Millikin," director of advanced planning, said.

Grove, OK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Crossing busy highways in downtown Grove was risky for older adults, discouraging visits to shops and events. The city installed two pedestrian-activated lighted crosswalk signals, an advance warning signal and LED lights to improve safety and complement earlier ADA upgrades. These changes make it easier for residents to walk downtown and join festivals and shopping. One resident said, "Before the lighted crosswalk signals were installed... I stayed away from the downtown area and missed out on a lot of festivals and events. With the added crosswalk signals my friends and I enjoy visiting downtown Grove."

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