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Providence, RI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: This project will host two car-free days in Roger Williams Park to promote walking, hiking, and other slow transportation methods. This will create a safer, more inviting space for visitors, especially those age 50 and over.
Milwaukee, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: Reckless driving left many residents, especially older adults, feeling unsafe and isolated. To address this, the city launched a traffic calming lending library stocked with cones, looper tubes and other materials. In addition, it partnered with Wisconsin Bike Fed to host workshops and street demonstrations. Residents tested options like traffic circles and curb extensions and learned about permanent solutions. The hands-on approach gave older adults a voice in street design and sparked plans to expand the program, update guidelines and make neighborhoods safer for walking.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: To increase older adults' mobility, the Capitol Hill Village worked to raise residents' awareness of the local transportation offerings. The nonprofit offered social events and educational programming to teach more than 100 residents how to get around without driving. The trainings covered pedestrian safety and provided older adults with in-depth information on transportation services, including the Metrorail system, Capital Bikeshare and local paratransit service. Project organizers say participants increased their knowledge of and confidence using local transportation options.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Before the advent of air conditioning, a Southern home was not complete without a front porch with a swing. To replicate the experience of gathering on a porch, the City of Charlotte installed swings at two bus stops in place of the more traditional bench. Located along Belmont Avenue -- a corridor where many older adults rely on public transportation -- the two-person swings provide a space for riders to socialize as they wait for their bus. Inspired by the popularity of the swings, the City is exploring other opportunities for placemaking around local bus stops.
Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Pedestrian Safety
Description: Charlotte's older adults faced daily risks when navigating unsafe streets, where missing sidewalks, short crossing times and dangerous intersections made routine trips difficult. By speaking with more than 100 residents age 50 and over, the project gathered detailed accounts of these challenges and used them to refine a digital tool that highlights hazardous areas and recommends improvements. Residents' input strengthened the tool's accuracy and helped prompt Charlotte officials to consider it for planning decisions. The effort built trust and gave older adults a clearer voice in shaping safer street design that supports their mobility and confidence.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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