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Township of Belleville (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Trails
└ Trails
This project installed a new walking trail to connect two streets previously divided by an oddly-placed fence. Along the path, the town planted one garden honoring COVID-19 victims and another containing produce the public is welcome to pick.
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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Bangor, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Trails
Description: This project set out to improve the safety and functionality of the Kenduskeag Stream Trail. Volunteers worked to widen the trail, install ADA-compliant benches and improve wayfinding signage. Additionally, project organizers conducted a structural assessment of one of the trail's bridges.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Natick, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Trails
Description: This community engagement initiative sought to identify solutions to allow older adults and people with mobility issues to use off-road trails in Natick. Project organizers met with town staff ahead of two focus groups with older adults, who shared their experiences with local trails. Additionally, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council created an online survey to collect more feedback. Older adults said their main concerns were access to bathrooms, personal safety, clear signage, availability of parking near trailheads, even walking surfaces and benches to sit on. MAPC then held a placemaking event at the Natick Community-Senior Center. Attendees could walk along a prototype trail with photos of planned upgrades and hear from MAPC staff. Participants also had a chance to share their personal stories about the things they've discovered while hiking. The result was a list of practical, low-cost action items the town can use to improve Natick's pathways.
Kansas City, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Trails
Description: The WeAreMarlborough project installed 16 bike racks and two benches along the Greealk, a new two-mile walking path that winds through Marlborough. The pathway connects residents to three new city parks, as well as rapid transit lines. To meet residents' needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Marlborough Community Coalition also erected temporary two Little Free Food Panty locations along the Greealk, one in a local community garden and the other in a pocket park. In addition, the organization hosted activities, including safe biking workshops, a community Halloween celebration. Project organizers say neighbors requested improved greenspace for years -- new amenities along the Greealk represent steps toward a more healthy, active community.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Bloomfield, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: To identify challenges facing pedestrians, the Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services conducted a walk audit. They invited community members to travel through town on foot, logging street features that made walking feel unsafe. Additionally, the Department held public meetings to gather community input. These community engagement efforts resulted in several recommendations to improve walkability. In response, the Department launched its WALK Bloomfield program, which established walking routes meant to be safe and enjoyable. As part of that initiative, the Township installed JobClocks -- special electronic devices -- in seven locations about Bloomfield. This allows walkers carrying a fob to automatically log the time it takes to walk from one JobClock to the next. Overall, organizers hope the efforts grow a pedestrian culture in Bloomfield.
Newark, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Trails
Description: Older adults in Newark often navigate streets and transportation systems that were not designed with aging in mind, especially those without cars who rely on walking or bicycling for everyday needs. Their lived experience is frequently missing from planning discussions, even as safety and independence become more fragile with age. New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition addressed this gap by creating welcoming spaces where older adults could learn about mobility options and speak directly about what works and what does not. A Senior Mobility Fair drew hundreds of older adults to try mobility tools, connect with resources and share stories about moving through the city. The project also partnered older adults with youth to record interviews, videos and portraits, including perspectives from residents with visual impairments. City leaders attended and heard these accounts firsthand, helping ground future mobility conversations in real experiences.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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