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Pigtown Main Street (2017) Print
2017 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Organizers with Pigtown Main Street hoped to revitalize the intersection of Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevards. The intersection acts as a gateway to Pigtown, one of Baltimore's most diverse neighborhoods. However, Washington Boulevard is a six-lane divided highway and public spaces along the route have been neglected. To help residents envision street improvements, Pigtown Main Street organized a pop-up event, creating a park at the intersection. Ideas presented included adding curb extensions to help pedestrians cross the street safety, installing bike lanes, reducing the number of travel lanes, displaying public art, creating outdoor seating and eating areas and improving landscaping. Visitors to the pop-up were invited to share their feedback. Organizers set up Dot Boards, which allowed people to place a dot by the photos of activities they'd like to see more of. The top five choices: live performances, outdoor food, parties, art events and outdoor classes.
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See More Projects Like This One
Evansville, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: This project painted the intersection of North Main and West Michigan streets to improve visibility. It also repaired sidewalks and curbs on nearby streets, where there is a high percentage of older adults.
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.
Missoula, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: 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.
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: Bike Audits
Description: Unsafe street conditions made walking and biking difficult in Mount Clare, especially for older adults navigating fast traffic and limited cycling infrastructure. Mount Clare Community Council organized a volunteer-led bike audit to document these risks and bring resident experiences into local planning. Volunteers completed intersection traffic counts, ride-along audits and walk audits that captured how speeding and driver behavior affect daily travel. New virtual meeting equipment also expanded access, drawing more older adults and retirees into neighborhood discussions. The findings helped advance a planned cycle track on Pratt Street and informed a broader neighborhood plan with additional cycling improvements. One participant age 50-plus said the audit encouraged him to start biking and speak out about the need for traffic calming after seeing the dangers firsthand.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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