Milwaukee, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: The Wisconsin Bike Federation wanted to challenge Milwaukee residents to think differently about their public spaces, especially their streets. To that end, the organization staged a workshop to demonstrate what a safe street looks like and talk with residents about possible improvements in their neighborhood. As part of the event, the Bike Federation conducted a pop-up demonstration showcasing temporary traffic calming interventions outside the United Community Senior Center. Using painted tires and lawn chairs, staff and volunteers created curb extensions, meant to shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians at intersections. They also used chalk paint to add bike sharrows to the street and add color to a crosswalk to make it more visible. Finally, they set up a mini roundabout designed to slow down traffic. The temporary improvements spurred city officials to apply for federal funding to make permanent changes to the street.

Arlington County, VA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: The Arlington Commission on Aging set out to make local intersections safer for pedestrians. After consulting data on pedestrian-involved crashes, the Commission worked with local organizations -- including nonprofits, churches, civic associations and the local fire department -- to identify ten crossings with high vehicle speeds and insufficient pedestrian infrastructure. Then they provided hand-held orange flags at crosswalks, which pedestrians can wave as they cross the street to make themselves more visible to passing drivers. Organizers mounted bins at eye-level on each side of the street to store the flags. In addition to improving safety, the effort also helped educate the community about the importance of traffic calming interventions.

Houston, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Many residents of Houston's Gulfton neighborhood do not own cars, making walking, cycling and public transit use common in the area -- one of the most diverse in the city. But street infrastructure didn't exist to protect cyclists from street traffic. To demonstrate the value of streetscape improvements, the City set up a pop-up bike lane on Westward Street near a local elementary school. First, the City developed a pop-up toolkit, consisting of chalk, paint, stencils and traffic cones. They then used these to create bike lanes on both sides of the street, with plans to conduct more low-cost, temporary pop-ups in the future. During the Westward Street demonstration, the City conducted a survey of residents. Following the success of the temporary bike lanes, the City broke ground on a permanent street redesign project nearby. Planners expect permanent protected bike lanes to be installed along the stretch where the demonstration took place.