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City of Hood River (2018) Print
2018 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
To demonstrate ways to make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, the City of Hood River created Streets Alive. They held the pop-up event on two busy streets, adding enhanced crosswalk markings, curb bump-outs and a protected bike lane, which kept cyclists separated from cars during the week of the event. More than 1,000 people gathered to walk, bike and engage with their neighbors. The event featured activities such as yoga and dance classes.Following the tactical urbanism project, the City worked to implement many traffic calming and safety concepts permanently.
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Anchorage, AK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: In Anchorage's Fairview neighborhood, older adults faced hazardous winter walks as snow buried sidewalks and bus stops, forcing them into traffic. A pilot project organized five Snowfighters who cleared sidewalks after three major storms, installed snow markers and delivered flyers to 50 homes. Their work restored safe routes to nearby housing and transit stops, allowing older adults to walk without risking icy streets. Residents praised the effort for improving safety and community connection and plans are underway to expand the volunteer program to other blocks for lasting winter mobility solutions.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Helena, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: This pop-up demonstration set out to gather input from residents about ways to increase mobility in Helena. Organizers planned to create a demonstration kit, comprised of a trailer equipped with supplies to stage pop-up projects. They then set out to create temporary protected bike lanes and make improvements to crosswalks along the Centennial Trial -- all with the goal of making the community more walkable and bikeable.
Bozeman, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: The City of Bozeman partnered with the Western Transportation Institute to create a pop-up trailer, which they lend to community groups who want to test out street concepts and advocate for permanent changes. The toolkit contains materials for temporary demonstrations, such as straw wattles, planter boxes, pavement paint and tires. These are useful for creating curb extensions and pedestrian islands -- features that calm traffic by narrowing lanes and increasing the visibility of cyclists and pedestrians. The City deployed the kit at the intersection of Tamarack and North Tracy, where residents often complain about speeding. Located near a park, senior center and the county fairgrounds, the intersection is popular with pedestrians and cyclists. When the City polled passersby about the interventions, two-thirds of the feedback they heard was positive. The City also set up radar speed detection equipment, which showed slower vehicle speeds during pop-up project.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Mosier, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Following a 2016 oil train derailment and fire that shook their small town, Mosier residents transformed loss into renewal by creating a new community center with a commercial kitchen at its core. The City purchased and installed key equipment to prepare meals for older adults, run a food pantry and help entrepreneurs develop local food products. Volunteers, including older adults and retired chefs, guided the design to meet community needs. A former mayor described the kitchen as "the heart and soul of the new Mosier Center," a place that will bring people together over shared meals while strengthening local health and opportunity.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Glenwood, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: Glenwood faced rising wildfire threats that left many older adults unsure how to evacuate or prepare their homes, a serious concern in a rural area with limited resources. Mt. Adams Resource Stewards held a "Wildfire Town Hall" where residents signed up for emergency alerts, learned home hardening steps and asked questions of the fire chief. They also created a durable preparedness brochure featuring an evacuation map, a kit checklist and local support links, placing it in high-traffic spots for ongoing access. The brochure's wide distribution and the Town Hall conversations are expected to prompt more residents to take practical steps that strengthen local readiness, and the group plans follow-up events to sustain momentum.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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