Bridgeport, CT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety

Description: To create community cohesion and connection, Groundwork Bridgeport's walking club hosted three intergenerational walking events in Bridgeport's downtown and along its waterfront. Using the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit as a guide, participants helped identify important community destinations, as well as ways to improve the pedestrian experience. They also collected litter as they walked. Before each walk, volunteers placed temporary wayfinding stickers on the sidewalks to help the group navigate. Project organizers say the initiative's popularity demonstrated an appetite for walking activities and pedestrian paths in Bridgeport. Today, the organization continues to host its walking club, which meets every Saturday.

Seattle, WA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety

Description: Many parts of North Seattle lack sidewalk and bicycle infrastructure. To address this, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways launched its Home Zone initiative in the Licton Springs neighborhood. To collect community feedback on walkability, the organization connected with local leaders and conducted door-to-door surveys and walk audits. They also invited homeowners, renters, business owners, older adults and residents with disabilities to participate in a community design workshop. The engagement efforts resulted in a plan for wayfinding signs, traffic calming planter boxes and street murals. Since launching the effort, the City has allocated funding to conduct similar pilots in two other Seattle neighborhoods.

Anchorage, AK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety

Description: Alaska Trails worked with Bike Anchorage to shape sustainable transportation in Anchorage. The two organizations educated residents about the city's Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, an effort to integrate bike, pedestrian and train networks into a multi-modal system. They also informed residents about Anchorage's Complete Streets policy, which aims to remake city streets to safely accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers and bus riders of all ages and abilities. In addition, Alaska Trails supported Safe Routes to School, an initiative that promotes walking and bicycling to school. This outreach effort included social media posts, print and television news coverage and a newsletter. Alaska Trails continues to work to encourage locals to use the state's trails and each year Bike Anchorage holds a Winter Bike Fest to promote cycling in the city.