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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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Lansing, MI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Faded crosswalks and a worn roundabout near Mt. Hope STEAM school left pedestrians and cyclists vulnerable, especially older adults and children from nearby low-income neighborhoods. To improve safety and encourage active transportation, the city installed six bike racks at two parks and organized a volunteer event to paint crosswalks and refresh the intersection with art. These changes aim to slow traffic, increase driver yielding and boost bike ridership. The project also inspired other neighborhoods to pursue similar improvements and prompted plans for a citywide toolkit to replicate crosswalk painting.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Montgomery, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Montgomery's Old Cloverdale neighborhood is a historic area with beautiful, wide streets and compelling architecture but limited sidewalks and crosswalks. To address this, River Region Trains Inc. engaged in a two-week pop-up placemaking event. Using cones and paint, they set up temporary, protected pedestrian lanes on two major connector streets in the neighborhood. Along with two existing lengths of sidewalk, the lanes formed a 2-mile loop, wide enough to accommodate multiple walkers, bikers, runners and people riding scooters. Organizers say the project demonstrated the power of creating walkable streets and encouraged residents to get involved in how their streets are designed and built.
Charleston, SC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: The West Ashley Greenway in Charleston is an eight-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail, which is popular with walkers, runners and cyclists. However, the greenway crosses several busy streets, leading to accidents between vehicles and pedestrians. To fix this, a team of volunteers created three artistic crosswalk murals, designed to calm traffic. They also installed signage which reminds drivers to look out for people crossing the roadway. "Community members need to be able to get access to places without driving, and to feel safe when they're walking and biking," project director Katie Zimmerman said. "Doing this even in small ways will get more people active and out of their cars."
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AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Addressing community health
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Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Glenwood, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
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Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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