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Orange County Department on Aging (2017) Print
2017 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Public or private transit access
└ Public or private transit access
Many bus stops in rural Orange County lacked shelters or a place to sit. To address this, the Orange County Department on Aging worked with the county's public transportation department to install new seats at 15 bus stops. Designed to maximize space at stops without enough room for a transit shelter, the seats accommodate two people and are attached to the bus stop sign. Project organizers say the seats increase accessibility in rural parts of the county, where no bus stop sign was in place. Following installation of the seats, the public transportation department committed to building permanent bus shelters in high-traffic, rural areas.
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Willmar, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: This project distributed transit tokens to older adults and people with disabilities in residential facilities. Childcare providers received transit passes allowing them to take children in their care to such facilities, promoting intergenerational contact. Additionally, Mid-Minnesota Development Commission purchased two electric trishaws to expand micro-mobility options at residential care facilities.
Burlington, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: This project will improve accessibility at bus stops by adding seating and ramps for boarding and exiting buses. The local transit provider will prioritize upgrades at stops near senior centers and in neighborhoods with many older adult residents.
Miami, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: Residents of Miami's Little Havana neighborhood wanted to improve the transit experience for the area's older adults. To do this, Urban Health Partnerships installed a dozen single and double-seat benches under shade trees near high-ridership bus and trolley stops. Little Havana residents use public transit at three times the rate of Miami-Dade County's general populace. Organizers say the new benches provide a welcome place to rest as they walk through the community or wait for transit.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience
Description: This project created a toolkit to grow local tourism along the Main-to-Main Trail. The trail winds across North Carolina, connecting more than 60 Main Street communities to showcase public art and murals, local food and cultural history and experiences. North Carolina Main Street hoped to build capacity among participating communities, helping them identify their assets and create an economic development strategy. To do this, they created a template for a tourism itinerary, which visitors can follow to find local attractions. They also developed a playbook for affective social media marketing. Since publishing the toolkit, the Rural Planning center has provided guidance on photography, videography and destination writing. Additionally, they are helping local small businessowners to better serve tourists.
Chapel Hill, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Transportation Systems Change
Description: This project will install pedestrian safety islands with garden beds, LED lighting and signs on streets in Chapel Hill, to make them safer for pedestrians, particularly those who are older adults.
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