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Martin Luther King Multi-Service Center Indianapolis Inc. (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
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.
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Pittsburgh, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: This project will train people how to advocate for their neighborhoods to receive traffic calming improvements to protect cyclists and pedestrians, as well as people with disabilities and older adults.
Birmingham, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: This project developed street murals, which created bulbouts at the crosswalks of two intersections. The artistic bulbouts shorten the distance needed to cross the street -- a pedestrian infrastructure feature designed to boster safety. Additionally, the artwork highlights Brimingham's local culture.
Cedar City, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: The Iron City Tourism Bureau hoped to improve walkability along three blocks of the Cedar City's University Boulevard. To do this, the organization created an artistic crosswalk at a busy intersection, which both beatified the crossing and made it more visible to drivers. The Bureau also commissioned a mural nearby to commemorate the city's connection to Utah's national parks. To encourage people to walk and gather, they installed benches along the boulevard. New signs directed pedestrians to nearby attractions and services. Following the improvements, the Bureau reported slower traffic speeds. More murals and crosswalk art are in the works and the Bureau is advocating for bike lanes in the neighborhood.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Indianapolis, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Staff at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana noticed that many food-insecure older adults had mobility challenges that prevented them from easily transporting their groceries. This forced many food pantry patrons to collect the amount of food they could carry rather than the amount they actually needed. To address this, the food bank purchased 54 shopping carts for agencies participating in its Senior Shopping Day program. To ensure the carts remained in the agencies' possession, Gleaners outfitted each one with a security tag. Project organizers say chronic hunger is particularly damaging for older adults, leaving them susceptible to chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease and depression. The new carts represent one way to customize hunger relief services for this population.
Indianapolis, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: It rains more than one out of three days, on average, in Indianapolis. To give riders of the city's public transit system a more comfortable wait for the bus -- even in wet weather -- IndyGo made outfitted three bus stops with shelters. Additionally, they added sidewalk ramps and seating to make them ADA compliant, allowing people of all ages and abilities to use them.
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