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DC Office of Planning (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Public or private transit access
└ Public or private transit access
While Washington, D.C. has a robust public transit system, rider amenities are not consistent throughout the city and the Pennsylvania Avenue East Corridor is particularly underserved. The city's Office of Planning hoped to use creative placemaking techniques to make waiting for the bus safer and more comfortable. Project organizers worked with local artists to design and build an Imagination Bench, which they placed on a well-used bus route. The bench has solar-powered illumination and a QR code on its side directs viewers to information about the bench and local planning efforts. Originally installed near Fort Dupont Park, planning staff intend to feature the brightly colored bench at the city's farmers markets, pop-up shops and other community events.
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See More Projects Like This One
Chino Valley, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: Yavapai Regional Transit installed an ADA-compliant bus stop shelter in Chino Valley. Although the transit provider had purchased a steel bus shelter, it lacked enough funding to install it properly. This project laid a concrete pad for the shelter, as well as an accessible walkway and bollards to protect it from traffic. On the day of its installation, a frequent rider asked if she could sit on the bench just to try it out. She told project organizers she was looking forward to having shelter from the sun and rain. Yavapai Regional transit chose Chino Valley for the shelter because many residents there don't drive or lack financial resources for other forms of transportation.
Milton, DE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: Many older adults lacked reliable transportation to medical appointments, creating delays in care and added stress for people who could not drive. The project formed a nursing-transportation partnership that offered an on-demand ride option managed through a virtual platform and supported by a phone line for scheduling. Volunteers trained as care coordinators helped residents request rides, and vouchers were set aside for medical and dental trips. The effort raised awareness about gaps in transportation and prompted plans to build a sustainable model that expands travel training and partnerships. One resident said, "It's comforting to know there are people out there who can be called upon in times of need," reflecting how the service eased concerns about accessing care.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Louisville, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: To provide a safe, comfortable space for older residents who are waiting for transportation, ElderServe set out to install a bus stop shelter near a popular Senior Center. Work involved pouring a new concrete slab for the shelter to level out the site.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: Many older adults with limited mobility struggle to reach affordable food, health services and social activities without reliable transportation. Seabury Resources for Aging expanded shuttle service focused on food access, offering regular group trips to community food markets and affordable grocery stores. The predictable rides allowed older adults to shop for foods they prefer while traveling with peers. Partner sites described the shuttle as essential, noting that these outings are the only way some older adults are able to leave their homes. By restoring routes and strengthening partnerships, the project reduced isolation and laid groundwork for sustained, older-adult-focused transportation that supports independence over time.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: This project will engage volunteers and neighbors in DC Wards 5, 7 and 8 to improve walkability and accessibility. The initiative aims to reduce fall risks and strengthen community connections, especially for older adults.
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