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City of Sioux Falls Health Department (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
The City of Sioux Falls hoped to encourage residents to consider active transportation -- walking and biking -- as a way to get around. To do this, the City created a quick-build infrastructure kit, which it used to install a temporary protected bike lane at one location and a curb bump-out at another. The bump out -- a safe extension of the sidewalk into the street -- makes pedestrians more visible to drivers and shortens the distance needed to cross the street. City planners gathered feedback from cyclists in the community, who suggested possible future locations for protected bike lanes. Because the infrastructure kit is mobile, the City hopes to deploy it elsewhere in the future.
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Saint Paul, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Territorial Road in St. Paul is a busy arterial, with dozens of heavy trucks passing through every hour. High vehicle speeds pose a hazard for residents, many of whom are older adults and people with disabilities. This project set out to improve safety and beautify two intersections near the local light rail station. To do this, the St. Anthony Community Council installed artistic benches with planters, as well as a wall mural depicting an owl. Additionally, a local artist painted a Dakota-inspired design on a crosswalk, making it more visible to passing drivers.
Philadelphia, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Asociacion Puertorriquenos en Marcha completed streetscaping along an important corridor of Germantown Avenue in North Philadelphia. Small-scale, low-cost -- but high-impact -- improvements began with street cleaning. Volunteers then worked to add elements to offset pedestrians from traffic and slow down passing vehicles. They installed decorative fences, signs at pedestrian crossings, flexible bollards, sidewalk art and temporary island installations. The project was part of a larger effort to revive what was once a vibrant, central commercial corridor and residents reacted positively. One said, "It makes it look like people actually live here, like they do." Another added, "This makes it easier for children to know where they can safely cross." Organizers are seeking to make the island installations permanent. Additionally, the City committed to restriping the street and continue cleanup efforts, while community members plan to replicate beautification elements on nearby vacant lots.
Chicago, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Chicago's Clark Street commercial district is a busy area for commuters and shoppers. To increase safety, decrease crime and beautify the neighborhood, the Rogers Park Business Alliance created its Cross the Street: Art on Clark project. Organizers painted murals on the pavement at intersections near the local commuter train station, as well as on side streets leading to the Clark Street shopping district. The permanent art installations are meant to encourage drivers to slow down as they approach. Also meant to be a placemaking intervention, the pavement art also encourages pedestrians to engage with local businesses. Since installation, project organizers say Art on Clark has improved economic vitality and public safety in the neighborhood.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Sioux Falls, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: This demonstration project had the goal of calming traffic and improving the streetscape for pedestrians. Downtown Sioux Falls used paint to create temporary bumpouts -- or curb extensions -- at a local crosswalk, which shortened the distance pedestrians spent in the street. They also used large planters to create a physical barrier between pedestrians and cars and added reflective delineators to make crosswalks more visible at night. A camera installed onsite helped capture data about traffic and pedestrian behavior during the pop-up project. The result: Drivers actually slowed down said Joe Batcheller, the organization's president. The project helped reduce speeds by 20 percent on average. Project organizers say the demonstration sparked a cultural shift around pedestrian safety. Since the pop-up, the City has painted curb bumpouts in other locations.
Sioux Falls, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Reconnecting Communities
Description: Fast, wide streets made downtown unsafe and unwelcoming for pedestrians, especially older adults who needed safer crossings and social connections. The initiative installed traffic delineators and painted bump-outs to calm traffic and improve walkability. Volunteers, including many age 50-plus, helped implement changes and joined ribbon-cutting events while cameras tracked use for future planning. The project boosted safety and social interaction and influenced plans for permanent traffic-calming measures. "It was not just about painting bump-outs... it was about connecting people to their community," organizers said after volunteers completed four days of work.
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