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Trailnet (2019) Print
2019 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
To demonstrate safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists, Trailnet created a pop-up parklet kit for its Traffic Calming Lending Library, making it available for use around St. Louis. They then installed a parklet at Laclede and Vandeventer Avenues. Occupying what would otherwise be street parking spaces, the elevated platform features seating and greenery. The parklet's positioning shortens the distance needed to cross the street by 11 feet, making crossing easier for pedestrians. Trailnet also added striping to the intersection's crosswalk to improve its visibility. Additionally, the organization added bike and scooter parking nearby. Originally a temporary installation, Trailnet permanently installed a parklet at the intersection in 2020. The result is a safe resting place for cyclists and a community gathering place. Trailnet hopes the completed project will be a blueprint for intersection safety improvements throughout the region.
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Batesville, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Inspired by the momentum of a three-year beautification effort, Main Street Batesville made upgrades to a sidewalk that had fallen into disrepair. The improved walkway, which connects Main Street to nearby Mayfield Park, includes new concrete slabs featuring inlaid brick directional arrows. To pay homage to local history, the sidewalk incorporates bricks from the Alder building, a landmark that recently suffered from a wall collapse. Project organizers say the new, even surface is now safer to walk on. Placemaking efforts also involved adding a mural and signage directing people to Mayfield park.
Atlanta, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition -- now called Propel Atlanta -- highlighted safety through temporary changes to a dangerous street. Through the years, Cascade Avenue has been the site of many accidents involving pedestrians. Project organizers increased the visibility of the street's crosswalks by adding splashes of color. They also deployed cones to make a wide lane narrower, demonstrating how street design can reduce driver speeds and increase pedestrian safety.
Surry, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: After a fatal crash on Route 172, Surry installed gateway signs to alert drivers they were entering a busy village where pedestrians share the road. Residents helped choose the design, and the signs now greet motorists with a "Thank You for Driving Safely" message. The effort prompted more speed-limit signs and enforcement, easing fears for older adults who walk along narrow shoulders. Post Office staff noted relief for patrons' safety. One homeowner said, "The new Gateway signs... are slowly renewing my confidence," showing how a simple change restored peace of mind.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
St. Louis, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: To showcase possible long-term upgrades to the North Hanley light rail station in Cansonville, Mo., Citizens for Modern Transit held a pop-up festival. The event prioritized community engagement, giving participants several ways to share their ideas. The St. Louis County Department of Planning invited attendees to use Lego bricks to build a model of amenities they hoped to see at the station. People recorded themselves sharing their vision for the site at a self-expression stop. Visitors could also write their ideas on a large banner. To help inspire people, the event showcased murals created by a local artist. The feedback gathered during the event informed permanent changes. Today, visitors to the site will find new seating and shade structures, as well as murals painted on the pavement. The theme for that transformation is Transit: We All Ride Together. And since 2017, Citizens for Modern Transit has gone on to improve several other transit stops in the St. Louis region.
East St. Louis, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: As part of its efforts to boost public transit use and spart economic development around transit stations, Citizens for Modern Transit activated the Emerson Park light rail and bus station in East St. Louis. To choose a theme for the station and ensure the new amenities would meet the community's needs, project organizers held design workers and other community engagement events. They then installed new seating, shade structures and a sound system to pipe music into the space. A local artist collaborated with community members to create pavement art and a mural, which pay tribute to the area's musical history. Organizers say they hope the new space promotes creative play, cultivates community and encourages people to ride public transit.
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