Wake Forest, NC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: Older residents faced safety and mobility challenges when walking through town, including missing sidewalk connections and obstacles that made short trips less predictable. These gaps limited independence for older adults and others with physical challenges, especially near housing, schools and shopping areas. The Town of Wake Forest addressed the issue by conducting a series of walk audits in different parts of town, starting downtown. Older volunteers documented barriers and identified specific improvements needed to make walking safer and more continuous. Findings were compiled into a presentation for planning staff and elected officials. One audit revealed a sidewalk that stopped short of connecting affordable housing to nearby shops, forcing residents to walk in traffic. That example helped inform discussions tied to the Age-Friendly Action Plan and future decisions about sidewalk connectivity and pedestrian investment.

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

North Augusta, SC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: Uneven sidewalks and poorly marked crossings made downtown North Augusta difficult to navigate, especially for older adults. A walk audit engaged residents age 50-plus to identify hazards and suggest fixes. The project included two community meetings and immediate upgrades like better lighting and safer crossings. Findings informed updates to the downtown master plan and sparked momentum for long-term improvements. One participant said it felt empowering to voice concerns and later see changes such as traffic-calming features, making trips to meet friends or run errands more confident and enjoyable.

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

Dover-Foxcroft, ME

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: Central Hall Commons set out to address unsafe walking conditions downtown, where broken sidewalks, missing handrails and unreliable crossing signals pushed pedestrians into traffic. This made routine trips risky for older adults and people with limited mobility. Walk audits of Monument Square and Union Square documented steep sidewalk slopes, gaps at private properties, a crosswalk near an accident-prone intersection and signals that failed or were missing. One walker said confusion at crossings led them to "jump out ahead of vehicles," showing how failures shaped dangerous behavior. The project produced a formal audit with fixes, from repairing signals and closing sidewalk gaps to adding benches and traffic-calming treatments. The work elevated pedestrian safety in public decision-making. It is intended to influence near-term fixes and the scope of future improvements that better support older adults and other residents.

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