South Orange, NJ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Bikeability

Description: The Conservancy addressed safety concerns on a street that many older adults use to reach the park and community center. Mead Street also cuts through a natural corridor where turtles cross between water sources, a reminder that poor visibility and fast traffic created risks for people on foot and on bikes alike. The project installed brightly colored, artistic crosswalks featuring turtles, applied durable green paint to bike lanes and added flexible delineators that shorten crossing distances and protect cyclists. Corrider users already report easier, more confident access to park amenities and programming. The demonstration features are now being evaluated for permanent use and are informing broader street safety planning, giving the village a tested model for improving walkability and bike safety in future projects.

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

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.