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Pittsburgh, PA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Residents wanted safer streets but lacked tools to advocate for change. Bike Pittsburgh addressed this by hosting five workshops that trained older adults and others to design and launch street safety campaigns. The project also installed a community-designed mural near a library to slow traffic and create a welcoming space. The mural now improves access for older adults and youth, and graduates are pursuing additional projects. One participant said the training "helped me prioritize and structure all my advocacy projects... more strategically and efficiently."

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

Torrington, CT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Older adults living near Prospect Street faced unsafe crossings to reach downtown shops and bus stops due to worn markings, poor asphalt and lack of ADA ramps. The project installed ADA-compliant ramps with tactile pads, solar-powered flashing beacons and new signage, replacing deteriorated surfaces for safer passage. These upgrades prompted the city to repave surrounding streets and plan similar improvements near other housing complexes. Residents welcomed the changes, saying they make trips downtown easier and safer.

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

St. Petersburg, FL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: The Florida Consumer Action Network Foundation temporarily transformed a street into a route capable of safely accommodating pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles all at once. The network saw the pop-up project as a way to build support among residents and business owners for Complete Streets. On a Sunday in October, they closed Central Avenue to vehicle traffic and installed four parklets. The parklets featured outdoor bookshelves, planers and seating, as well as a space to play bocce ball. In addition, project organizers added curb extensions at an intersection to slow traffic and narrow the crossing distance for pedestrians. While no vehicles were allowed on the road during the demonstration, the reconfiguration demonstrated pedestrian safety, even with traffic reintroduced. In 2019, the city approved a plan to redesign streets over the next two decades to accommodate cars, pedestrians and cyclists.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Missoula, MT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Transportation Other

Description: Missoula In Motion addressed speeding and unsafe crossings on neighborhood greenways that older adults and other residents use to reach schools, parks and local services. Although the city had installed traffic calming features, conflicts between drivers and people walking continued, especially at busy intersections. The project added two artist-designed street murals at key crossings, created with hands-on help from residents during an open streets event and volunteer paint days that included older adults. The murals increased visibility and signaled that the streets are shared spaces, prompting drivers to slow and pay attention. One community leader said, “This intersection has become the primary crossing zone for kids coming to and from school... the mural is helping to make it a safer street.” The changes made crossings feel more predictable and comfortable for people of all ages and strengthened community support for ongoing traffic safety efforts.

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

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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