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City of Stevens Point (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Public or private transit access
└ Public or private transit access
Long waits at transit stops without seating made public transportation difficult for older adults. To improve accessibility, the city installed five benches at key stops, including locations near parks and multi-family housing. It also hosted a planning workshop and integrated transit upgrades into neighborhood meetings. The benches not only offer comfort, but sparked plans for a citywide transit strategy in 2024. One bench near a disability services nonprofit was praised for helping clients meet outdoors, showing how small changes can make transit more inclusive.
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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Winona, MS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: Central Mississippi Inc. tackled the lack of reliable rides that left many older adults in rural areas missing care, struggling with groceries and losing control over daily schedules. The project provided on-demand trips for people age 50-plus, easing financial strain and helping riders reach medical appointments and stores without relying on others. Three community events built social connection, and volunteers spread the word about available services. One participant receiving cancer treatment described feeling supported throughout a full-day outing. The effort spurred resident interest and encouraged officials to explore sustaining shared transportation.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Orange County, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: Many bus stops in rural Orange County lacked shelters or a place to sit. To address this, the Orange County Department on Aging worked with the county's public transportation department to install new seats at 15 bus stops. Designed to maximize space at stops without enough room for a transit shelter, the seats accommodate two people and are attached to the bus stop sign. Project organizers say the seats increase accessibility in rural parts of the county, where no bus stop sign was in place. Following installation of the seats, the public transportation department committed to building permanent bus shelters in high-traffic, rural areas.
Willmar, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: Older adults and people with disabilities in rural Minnesota faced transportation barriers, limiting access to health care and community life. MMDC distributed 2,100 transit tokens and childcare passes, and introduced electric-assist tricycles at facilities to promote independence. These efforts reduced isolation, encouraged transit use and fostered intergenerational interaction. A project organizer noted that one resident has now been able to resume ridership and that she now enjoys a regained sense of independence. Stronger ties with with the community will guide future mobility planning.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Berlin, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: The City of Berlin has eight parks, but only two were well visited. Berlin's Parks and Recreation Department hoped to draw residents to check out the lesser-known locations. To do this, the department held a bench-painting contest. Local Boy Scouts and high school students built six wooden benches and Parks and Recreation Department recruited local artists to paint them. After the benches were completed, the Parks Department placed one in each park. The department then got residents involved, challenging them to hunt for each bench's location and vote on the designs they liked best. After the scavenger hunt, the benches went up for auction. The hunt got residents explore local parks, including ones they might not have previously visited. Inspired by the success of this project, the Parks Department plans to replicate the competition in the future.
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