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Town of Wake Forest (2025) Print
2025 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Walk Audits
└ Walk Audits
Older residents faced safety and mobility challenges when walking through town, including missing sidewalk connections and obstacles that made short trips less predictable. These gaps limited independence for older adults and others with physical challenges, especially near housing, schools and shopping areas. The Town of Wake Forest addressed the issue by conducting a series of walk audits in different parts of town, starting downtown. Older volunteers documented barriers and identified specific improvements needed to make walking safer and more continuous. Findings were compiled into a presentation for planning staff and elected officials. One audit revealed a sidewalk that stopped short of connecting affordable housing to nearby shops, forcing residents to walk in traffic. That example helped inform discussions tied to the Age-Friendly Action Plan and future decisions about sidewalk connectivity and pedestrian investment.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Hartsburg, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: A walk audit will help the village identify sidewalks and crossings that need repair. Community input will support practical safety measures that keep residents active and connected.
Bensenville, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Two walk audits will review routes in and around Redmond Park with community members age 50 and older. The findings will guide safety improvements to make park and street access easier.
Montclair, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Pedestrian routes near a community garden and a senior center raised safety concerns for people walking in the area, especially older adults navigating busy intersections and uneven sidewalks. Limited shared information made it harder for residents to pinpoint risks and advocate for change. Judy Weston Garden organized walk audits and community outreach to document conditions and gather firsthand observations from older adults and students along the route. The effort included meetings, training and a simple digital tool that allowed individuals to assess the walk independently and share concerns. The work increased awareness of specific hazards and helped connect residents with local groups already focused on safer streets, strengthening collaboration around next steps for improving pedestrian access.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Wake Forest, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: The Town of Wake Forest examined why older adults and other residents interested in biking often avoid local streets due to disconnected and unsafe infrastructure. Through a series of bike audits involving volunteers from the Senior Center, participants documented where bike lanes end abruptly, crossings felt unsafe and routes failed to connect neighborhoods to greenways. The audits produced clear, location-specific findings and recommendations prepared for planning staff and elected officials. Volunteers noted that riders often gather downtown and then leave town to stay safe, highlighting missed opportunities for local travel. The results are positioned to inform age-friendly planning and support future investments such as safer crossings, clearer signage and expanded bike facilities.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Wake Forest, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Transportation Other
Description: This project will install new crosswalks and ADA-compliant curb cuts on a busy road to improve safety and mobility for older adults and residents. The updates will make it easier to walk between downtown, neighborhoods and community facilities.
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