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Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (2018) Print
2018 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Public or private transit access
└ Public or private transit access
A lack of benches represented a barrier to older adults using Springfield's public transit system. To make waiting for the bus a more comfortable experience, the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority worked with the local parks and public works departments to install ten benches throughout the city. The Authority engaged residents to inform each bench's aesthetics and placement. They tailored the amenities based on each location's historical and design context. In Court Square -- a neighborhood dating to 1636 -- they installed Victorian-style benches. Elsewhere, they chose a more modern look. Organizers hope the new seating encourages people of all ages and abilities to use public transportation.
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Tallahassee, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: This project will teach older adults skills needed to navigate public transportation independently. The city's transit provider will offer trainings to residents at no cost.
Louisville, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: To provide a safe, comfortable space for older residents who are waiting for transportation, ElderServe set out to install a bus stop shelter near a popular Senior Center. Work involved pouring a new concrete slab for the shelter to level out the site.
Chula Vista, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: The City of Chula Vista wanted to increase older adults' familiarity with public transit options. Partnering with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, they held Travel Training 101 courses with more than forty older residents. Instructors provided trainees with information on how to read transit schedules, plan trips and purchase fares. Then they held field trips, using transit to visit a community festival and the Norman Park Senior Center. Additionally, participants received a 30-day senior transit pass. Following the training, participants said they felt more comfortable using transit, with 83 percent planning to renew their passes. One said she realized that the 20-minute bus ride between their home and the Senior Center saved her 62 a month. Previously she paid 40 round trip by taxi at least twice monthly.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Springfield, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: The grant will fund a walk audit training program to teach residents how to recognize hazardous conditions in their communities and advocate for changes to make streets safer.
Windsor Locks, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project will transform an underutilized alley into a downtown community gardening and socializing space that includes garden beds and outdoor seating.
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