Tucson, AZ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Bikeability

Description: Older adults with disabilities in Southern Arizona faced barriers to exercise and recreation, limiting opportunities for health and social connection. To address this, the organization launched the Eduardo Aguirre Adaptive Cycling Center, installing storage containers and creating a wheelchair-accessible site with a fleet of adaptive bikes. More than 300 people, including 200 age 50-plus, have used the center for rides and training. Participants report renewed confidence and joy. One woman, age 72, said she now feels supported and can ride with friends again.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Santa Fe, NM

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Bikeability

Description: To demonstrate the safety benefits of bike-friendly infrastructure, the Santa Fe Metropolitan Planning Organization developed a reusable pop-up toolkit and deployed it in two neighborhoods. The toolkit allows the MPO to create temporary bike lanes in neighborhoods throughout Santa Fe and collect feedback from residents. Materials consist of candlestick delineators to offset cyclists from road traffic, as well as signage to alert drivers to the bike lanes. Based on data gathered during the pop-ups the MPO published a report advocating for more active transportation options for the traditionally car-centric city. Project organizers say they hope ongoing pop-ups help residents envision the value of protected cycling infrastructure, especially in neighborhoods where older adults, lower-income families and people of color live -- all populations that are disproportionately injured or killed when walking or biking.

Powder Springs, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Bikeability

Description: Downtown lacked infrastructure that encouraged biking, limiting active transportation options for older adults and other residents. The city installed five permanent bike racks in key locations, each designed as public art through a partnership with local artists and schools. These racks make biking more practical and add visual appeal to the town center. The project promotes healthy, car-free travel and strengthens placemaking efforts, sparking community pride and inspiring future art and mobility initiatives.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.