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Hickory, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Residents in Hickory needed a clearer understanding of sidewalk gaps, unsafe crossings and the barriers faced by people using mobility devices. During the statewide Transportation Summit, BikeWalk led bike and walk audits that taught participants how to identify safety issues. The audits revealed problem areas downtown and near the Salt Block, and several attendees said the mobility roll audit opened their eyes to challenges wheelchair users encounter. The findings are expected to shape the design of the Olle Art Walk and guide future improvements to sidewalks and crossings as city projects move forward.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Richmond, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Cracked asphalt trails at Four Corners Park limited safe walking and biking for older adults and stalled plans for a tricycle lending program. Fit Houston led two audits with county staff and participants age 50-plus, identifying hazards and advocating for improvements. The effort prompted Fort Bend County to allocate $600,000 for a new 12- to 14-foot concrete trail and spurred collaboration on mapping regional trail connections. Educational materials for trike safety were also developed, giving older adults a role in shaping safer, more accessible recreation spaces.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
North Little Rock, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Older adults in North Little Rock often navigate streets that feel unsafe to walk or cross, yet their experiences were not reflected in local planning. Womens Own Worth addressed this gap by recruiting volunteers, including many age 50-plus, to complete structured, seated bike and walk audits along a key corridor. Participants documented issues such as unclear signage, poor surface quality and limited lighting, creating a clearer picture of conditions that affect mobility and safety. One retired volunteer said the audit helped her see and describe hazards she had long sensed, noting it gave her the ability to "really see what needs improvement...and to feel like my perspective matters." The findings are being compiled into a report that will inform future planning and funding proposals, helping ensure older adults have a stronger voice in shaping safer public spaces.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project helped prepare the ground for Rachael Wilson Memorial Park, named in honor of Maryland's first woman firefighter to be killed in the line of duty. To clear room for park amenities, Bon Secours Community Works removed two sections of concrete foundation, left over from the foundations of abandoned homes that once sat on the site. Project organizers also planted 30 trees. The new greenspace is the result of a grassroots effort by two longtime West Baltimore residents and advocates. Today, the park features new playground equipment and a mural painted by a local artist, which pays tribute to Rachael Wilson.
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Pedestrian Safety
Description: Mount Clare Community Council addressed unsafe sidewalks that made everyday walking difficult for residents, particularly older adults and people with disabilities who rely on foot travel to reach bus stops, gardens and nearby services. Years of deferred maintenance had left cracked pavement, missing curb ramps and hazardous waiting areas along key routes. The Council completed targeted repairs to more than 1,200 square feet of sidewalks, including rebuilding an ADA ramp, fixing sidewalks in front of homes owned by retired residents and improving access at a busy bus stop and a community garden. The work removed long-standing trip hazards and restored code-compliant access where it was most urgently needed. One retired homeowner sent a brief message of thanks after the sidewalk in front of her home was fixed. The project made daily trips safer and supported ongoing efforts to secure broader, city-led sidewalk improvements.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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