CLARKSVILLE, Tenn (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The City of Clarksville has been awarded a $2,500 AARP Community Challenge Grant for a wayfinding signage project to increase and promote pedestrian activity Downtown.
AARP announced July 17 that it will distribute nearly $1.6 million nationwide to 159 grant winners. The program is part of their nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which helps communities become better places to live.
Clarksville is among four cities in Tennessee to receive an AARP Community Challenge grant this year. The other winners in the state are Athens, Memphis and Nashville.
The project, designed by Clarksville Parks & Recreation and Walk Bike Clarksville, will provide new signage directing walkers and bicyclists to destinations in the City’s core. The signs will be placed near parking areas and high-traffic intersections, offering estimated walk times to various sites. This information is designed to assure pedestrians that their walk will be manageable.
“AARP’s teams on the ground across the country hear from mayors, local leaders and residents about the value of getting quick wins to create long-term change. We developed the Community Challenge grant program to answer that call and help build momentum for more livable communities nationwide,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President.
Projects funded by the Community Challenge grants must be completed by Nov. 4, 2019.
The walkable Downtown project is an example of the City’s effort to improve active transportation in the Clarksville area. Also underway is the collaborative development of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. Representatives of the City of Clarksville, APSU, Montgomery County, Regional Planning Commission, and the Department of Health are drafting a plan to identify target areas for infrastructure improvements in the community that benefit both bicyclists and pedestrians.