Wheat Ridge, CO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety

Description: Localworks has been working for years to improve Wheat Ridge's 38th Avenue corridor and create a main street destination for the city. Its Activate 38 program aims to promote safe walking, biking and wheelchair rolling along 38th Avenue west of Kipling Street. To support this goal, Localworks staged the Roll, Stroll and Strut Fest at a local park. Local partners included the city parks and recreation department and Bicycle Colorado. As part of the event, Localworks obtained a permit to take over a street near the park to showcase planters, bollards and other devices that can calm traffic, making streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users. Localworks continues to promote healthy mobility along 38th Avenue and hosted an all-abilities bike cruising event in the neighborhood in 2021.

Athens, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety

Description: Dangerous corridors like Baxter Street put older adults and other vulnerable road users at risk, yet traditional crash screenings rarely include local insight. Georgia Bikes piloted a new approach combining data analysis with community input, hosting public sessions and a safety workshop at a nearby center. The project produced an Enhanced Crash Screening Toolkit and a report of community-backed solutions shared with the state transportation department. These efforts aim to prompt safer infrastructure statewide and equip residents with practical strategies to navigate high-risk areas.

Milwaukee, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety

Description: Reckless driving left many residents, especially older adults, feeling unsafe and isolated. To address this, the city launched a traffic calming lending library stocked with cones, looper tubes and other materials. In addition, it partnered with Wisconsin Bike Fed to host workshops and street demonstrations. Residents tested options like traffic circles and curb extensions and learned about permanent solutions. The hands-on approach gave older adults a voice in street design and sparked plans to expand the program, update guidelines and make neighborhoods safer for walking.