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Sioux Falls, SD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Bikeability

Description: A community health assessment showed Sioux Falls residents wanted better bike amenities to help them keep physically active. To support bikeability, the City installed benches and bike maintenance stations along a popular bike route. Additionally, the City installed two electric wheelchair charging stations at public library branches that sit along the bike path, allowing people of all ages and abilities to use it. "If individuals have more opportunities to get on a bike and know there are amenities on the trail to make their ride more comfortable, they will likely increase their regular activity levels using a bike for recreation and for commuting," project leader Mary Michaels said. Organizers say the project also raised awareness about safety on the trail, as well as the community's accessibility needs.

Santa Fe, NM

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Bikeability

Description: To demonstrate the safety benefits of bike-friendly infrastructure, the Santa Fe Metropolitan Planning Organization developed a reusable pop-up toolkit and deployed it in two neighborhoods. The toolkit allows the MPO to create temporary bike lanes in neighborhoods throughout Santa Fe and collect feedback from residents. Materials consist of candlestick delineators to offset cyclists from road traffic, as well as signage to alert drivers to the bike lanes. Based on data gathered during the pop-ups the MPO published a report advocating for more active transportation options for the traditionally car-centric city. Project organizers say they hope ongoing pop-ups help residents envision the value of protected cycling infrastructure, especially in neighborhoods where older adults, lower-income families and people of color live -- all populations that are disproportionately injured or killed when walking or biking.

New Orleans, LA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Bikeability

Description: Kabel Drive, a three-block corridor of with businesses led by people age 50-plus, faced pandemic setbacks and rising crime while lacking bike infrastructure. Riders locked bikes at storefronts, limiting access for older adults and people with mobility challenges. The project added bike racks, a fix-it station, decorative lighting and a welcome sign to make the area safer and more inviting. A business mixer built trust and led to a Kabel Drive owner joining AEDF's board. "We've built invaluable trust that will lead to better service of this area going forward," said AEDF. These changes sparked plans for holiday events and a Shop Local campaign, and the bike amenities are expected to draw new customers and boost sales.

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

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Atlanta, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Resources about housing options, safety and services

Description: Rising property taxes along the BeltLine threatened to displace longtime homeowners with low or fixed incomes. The partnership hired resource coordinators to conduct door-to-door outreach and attend community events, explaining the Legacy Resident Retention Program and helping residents start applications. The effort led to 63 new pre-registrations and a 53% increase in approved participants. One resident said she was "ecstatic" to learn about the program and wanted to apply immediately, showing how personal outreach can prevent displacement and build trust.

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

Atlanta, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Using donated recycled and salvaged lumber, the Lifecycle Building Center built 14 Little Free Pantries and 10 garden beds. The Center used the fabrication work to demonstrate how the construction industry can help strengthen communities by prioritizing the reuse of materials. Mounted at chest height for easy access and placed in public areas, the pantries allow community members experiencing food insecurity to collect items as needed. Local nonprofit Friends of Refugees stocked the pantries with 1,000 pounds of food. The raised-bed planters went to the homes of refugee gardeners.

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