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Indianapolis, IN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Indianapolis has several dangerous intersections where 120 pedestrians have died or been injured over the past ten years. The Martin Luther King Multi-Service Center worked with local teenagers to paint the words 120 Is Enough on the pavement at these locations. Organizers say the message is meant to calm traffic and encourage drivers to be more mindful of pedestrians, cyclists and runners. Installation involved working with the city's Department of Public Works to negotiate local rules governing crosswalk designs. Since completing the crosswalks, project organizers say other local advocates have reach out for guidance to successfully create their own artistic crosswalks.

West Hartford, CT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: The Town of West Hartford enhanced safety for pedestrians at two major intersections by installing warning light systems. Designed to increase drivers' awareness of people in the crosswalk, the solar-powered lights flash once pedestrians hit a button, indicating they are about to cross. The intersections -- one near a senior center and the other near an elementary school -- do not have traffic lights. Ahead of their installation, town staff distributed flyers and held trainings to educate the public about the crosswalks. Project organizers say the upgrades are popular with the community and the Town has received requests for similar crossing signals at other intersections.

Wayne, ME

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: The downtown area of Wayne, Maine, appears suddenly to drivers traveling along Route 133, a busy state highway. Because of curves in the road and a hill, pedestrians crossing Main Street often aren't visible to drivers until the last second. Logging trucks and other large trucks race through town, barely slowing down as they do, said Stan Davis, chair of the community's aging-at-home committee. To make pedestrians more noticeable, Aging at Home installed flashing Reduce Speed at either end of Wayne's downtown area. The town also purchased portable pedestrian crossing signs. Spurred by the success of the improvements, they plan to continue advocating for sidewalks in central Wayne to make walking even safer.

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Louisville, KY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project made a series of placemaking improvements to the Woodlawn Avenue business district, located in the Beechmont neighborhood. First, the Center for Neighborhoods added pedestrian-level lighting along the street to improve safety. They also converted three parking spaces into an outdoor cafe space. Originally meant to be temporary, the picnic area's popularity spurred project organizers to create Louisville's first permanent parklet in the spot, which includes a deck, seating, a green wall and planter boxes. Beautification efforts also included activating a nearby alleyway. That included painting a mural for the space, which community members named Beechmont Alley. New, accessible parking spaces helped make the corridor more welcoming to people of all ability levels.

Louisville, KY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing

Description: After the City of Louisville updated its zoning code to allow accessory dwelling units, Planning Design Services set out to inform homeowners about their options. ADUs -- or smaller, second homes constructed on preexisting residential lots -- offer an accessible and affordable housing option. Working with a consultant, PDS collected stories about ADUs from residents, including homeowners building ADUs. They also held listening sessions with community leaders, advocates and influences. A community-wide survey helped City staff understand local attitudes about ADUs, including perceived barriers to constructing them. Based on this research, PDS created a public service announcement commercial, as well as a social media ad campaign. Additionally, they created a how-to guide and list of resources to guide homeowners through the process of constructing an ADU. Planners hope the effort leads to more ADU permitting, which will help fill the community's need for missing middle housing.

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