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City of La Marque (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Bike Audits
└ Bike Audits
Older cyclists faced safety risks on local paths due to missing sidewalks and bike lanes. To address this, the city conducted bike audits that identified hazards and prioritized improvements. Volunteers age 50-plus contributed over 60 hours gathering input from residents and recommending changes such as bike lanes, sidewalks and better signage. The audits informed plans for new infrastructure on critical streets and raised awareness of pedestrian safety, strengthening the case for policy and funding support to advance long-term improvements.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Newburyport, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Newburyport Livable Streets focused on safety challenges faced by older adults traveling along busy corridors connecting schools, recreation areas, shopping and health care services. Traffic speed, nighttime visibility and roadway design raised concerns for people walking and biking. The project conducted daytime bike audits and nighttime audits at key intersections, engaging many participants age 50 and over to document conditions. Observations captured issues such as lighting, crosswalk visibility and interactions with vehicles. The resulting reports are being prepared for city officials and advisory committees. The work positioned older adult safety needs within upcoming planning discussions and created a foundation for future roadway improvements.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Unsafe street conditions made walking and biking difficult in Mount Clare, especially for older adults navigating fast traffic and limited cycling infrastructure. Mount Clare Community Council organized a volunteer-led bike audit to document these risks and bring resident experiences into local planning. Volunteers completed intersection traffic counts, ride-along audits and walk audits that captured how speeding and driver behavior affect daily travel. New virtual meeting equipment also expanded access, drawing more older adults and retirees into neighborhood discussions. The findings helped advance a planned cycle track on Pratt Street and informed a broader neighborhood plan with additional cycling improvements. One participant age 50-plus said the audit encouraged him to start biking and speak out about the need for traffic calming after seeing the dangers firsthand.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Brunswick, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Brunswick lacked safe bike routes linking downtown to schools and jobs, leaving residents, many reliant on walking or biking, facing hazards along a key corridor. The group led a two-part audit of 1.3 miles on MLK Jr. Blvd./Altama Ave., documenting obstacles and safety concerns to guide future trail planning. The effort raised visibility and prompted local officials to begin early planning for a multi-use path. One auditor said the process revealed "how the little things add up" for cyclists and pedestrians navigating the area.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Houston, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Many residents of Houston's Gulfton neighborhood do not own cars, making walking, cycling and public transit use common in the area -- one of the most diverse in the city. But street infrastructure didn't exist to protect cyclists from street traffic. To demonstrate the value of streetscape improvements, the City set up a pop-up bike lane on Westward Street near a local elementary school. First, the City developed a pop-up toolkit, consisting of chalk, paint, stencils and traffic cones. They then used these to create bike lanes on both sides of the street, with plans to conduct more low-cost, temporary pop-ups in the future. During the Westward Street demonstration, the City conducted a survey of residents. Following the success of the temporary bike lanes, the City broke ground on a permanent street redesign project nearby. Planners expect permanent protected bike lanes to be installed along the stretch where the demonstration took place.
Houston, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
Description: The City of Houston allows construction of accessory dwelling units, which consist of a small housing unit built on the property of a preexisting single-family home. The Planning Department hoped to encourage more residents to build ADUs, so it launched an awareness campaign. To educate residents, the City hosted a series of virtual workshops on ADU construction. They also held a design competition, which gave the City content for a how-to design guide, a website and a set of plan documents for an ADU. The City published the plans online so residents can access them for free, allowing them to avoid an estimated 250 in permitting fees. The City is now exploring ways to support low- and moderate-income homeowners who are interested in constructing an ADU, allowing them to rent out the space for extra income.
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