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Missoula County (2017) Print
2017 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Missoula County officials hoped to demonstrate options for improved pedestrian access to East Missoula's downtown. Staff and volunteers put out straw bales, planters and trees to calm traffic, as well as create a temporary bike and walking path near a popular store and service station. They also set up a pop-up park. They also set up an area with picnic tables, canopies and umbrellas. Food trucks and a banner helped attract visitors to the event, along with sidewalk games, face painting and mural making. Attendees could see how possible future safety improvements would work and were invited to provide feedback. Project organizers report the demonstration helped secure buy-in from nearby business owners, who had previously expressed skepticism about changes to the streetscape. Since the event, the County has working to permanently implement the interventions envisioned during the event, including forming long-term plans to reconstruct a major highway corridor.
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Milton, DE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Fast-moving traffic made walking hazardous in Milton's historic district. The town launched an Art Crosswalk project, painting colorful designs at key crossings to slow cars and promote pedestrian safety. Over 135 volunteers helped create a walking tour linking parks, shops and cultural sites. The project sparked community pride and inspired plans for future public art. "It's fantastic, so colorful, so whimsical!" said one resident, reflecting how art and safety improvements can transform a town's streetscape.
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.
Hamilton, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Fast traffic and unsafe crossings on State Street and Southside streets made walking hazardous for older adults and residents of an income-restricted housing complex. The city partnered with Bike Walk Bitterroot and Western Transportation Institute to install pop-up traffic calming features, including neighborhood traffic circles and sidewalk extensions with pedestrian refuge islands. Volunteers helped implement the designs after community walk audits. The changes slowed vehicles and improved visibility, making crossings safer for pedestrians. Residents praised the improvements, and the city plans seasonal reinstallation and is exploring permanent solutions based on data and feedback.
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Missoula, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Transportation Other
Description: This project will install two traffic-calming street murals. One mural will be created during Sunday Streets Missoula, enhancing pedestrian safety and community connection while promoting active transportation.
Missoula, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: To expand access to people who have historically been left out of caving, spelunking and speleology activities, the Montana State Parks Foundation installed a new ADA-compliant weather and shade covering at the entrance to the Lewis and Clark Caverns Paradise Room. Since the project completed, thousands of tours of the cave's magnificent Paradise Room have taken place. The Montana State Parks Foundation has also secured more funding and has made similar accessibility improvements at other parks across the state. The project brought in new partners, increased community awareness of accessibility efforts and led to increased engagement from volunteers and visitors.
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