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This article comes out of the lessons learned and shared through the AARP Rural Lab, an online gathering of leaders from rural and remote communities invited by AARP state offices. Participants receive access to expert assistance and opportunities for connecting with peers nationwide. Find more articles and resources about rural livability by visiting the Livability Library.
Clockwise from top left: Images representing Bowdoinham, Maine; Burke, South Dakota; and Mount Airy, North Carolina
Courtesy images
Most streets are designed to prioritize vehicle speed and efficiency, creating hazardous conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists and limiting safe movement within communities.
Reducing the width or number of lanes, adding speed bumps or raised intersections, and installing bump outs or traffic circles are effective traffic calming strategies. Quick-build demonstration projects are low-cost, temporary installations that can test out ideas and boost community support.
Bowdoinham, Maine
Bowdoinham residents memorialize their new crosswalk with an homage to The Beatles’s 'Abbey Road.'
Photo courtesy Town of Bowdoinham
In many rural towns, state highways pass through the downtown, resulting in fast vehicle speeds and unsafe crossing conditions. The residents of Bowdoinham craved slower traffic and a way to safely cross a busy two-lane state road.
Seeking a solution, Bowdoinham’s town leaders, community development committee and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine prepared a demonstration project application, which it presented to the state Department of Transportation. They detailed the project's needs, design elements, timeline, budget and maintenance plan.
A year later, traffic delineators, a crosswalk and a sidewalk were installed at the intersection, allowing safer access to a restaurant, food pantry, arts center and waterfront park. Encouraged by the demonstration’s success, Bowdoinham advocated for a four-way stop between the state and local road. The improvement will be implemented in 2026.
Burke, South Dakota
Community volunteers paint a demonstration crosswalk and curb extension.
Photo courtesy City of Burke, South Dakota
In 2023, a community coalition in Burke leveraged $1,200 from the AARP Community Challenge and used the AARP Pop-Up Placemaking Tool Kit to reimagine the town's potential. The project began by asking the question: "What would a wildly successful Main Street look like?" In response to community input about the need for safe walkability, the commission designed and the city council approved a quick-build installation of a curb extension and crosswalk.
A strategically placed food truck attracted pedestrians to the location. On-site whiteboards encouraged visitors to provide immediate feedback. While residents were aware of the existing street safety issues, experiencing the proposed changes firsthand enabled them to see how much better their Main Street could be.
Mount Airy, North Carolina
Text from the "Walk! Mount Airy" pedestrian plan published in June 2023
Photo courtesy City of Mount Airy, North Carolina
Nestled in North Carolina's scenic foothills, Mount Airy is home to about 10,000 people and a destination for 500,000 visitors annually. For the community’s historic downtown, livability, walkability and accessibility are vital to both the quality of life for residents and the economic vitality of the region.
With support from a North Carolina Department of Transportation grant, Mount Airy engaged residents by using the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit to develop a pedestrian master plan featuring more than 30 miles of downtown sidewalks and eight miles of multi-use trails in the Granite City Greenway.
Start With Simple Solutions
- The Power of Pop-Up Placemaking: Pop-up (or demonstration) placemaking can engage community members by bringing attention to unused spaces and by addressing safety and connectivity issues. Explore examples of quick-build demonstration projects in the AARP Pop-Up Placemaking Tool Kit and resources from Smart Growth America.
- Do a Walk or Bike Audit: The AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit and AARP Bike Audit Tool Kit provide step-by-step guidance for assessing and reporting on the safety and walkability of a street, intersection or neighborhood, as well as how to take action and implement change.
- Team-Up: By partnering with an array of local groups — from bike and pedestrian safety coalitions to businesses and volunteer organizations — a community can pool resources, create learning opportunities, build momentum and pursue a collective achievement. (Visit the AARP Livability Library for articles and resources about walkability and bikeability.)
- Take Quick-Action: The annual AARP Community Challenge grant program provides funds for quickly implementable projects that improve livability and inspire change. Visit the AARP Livable Map to learn about past safe streets-related grantee projects.
