Launch a Neighborhood Walk Audit Program

This proposal involves providing microgrants to local groups across the country to conduct professional walk audits that systematically evaluate pedestrian infrastructure in their neighborhoods. These audits identify hazards like broken sidewalks, missing curb ramps, inadequate crosswalk markings, and poor lighting to help community organizations advocate for targeted infrastructure repairs from their city or county government. The AARP Community Challenge program, now in its ninth year, has funded over 1,400 quick-action projects nationwide, and this proposal expands the walk audit component with grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 per community. Each funded group would receive a standardized audit toolkit developed in partnership with the National Complete Streets Coalition, including survey forms, measurement tools, and a digital platform for cataloging hazards with geotagged photographs and severity ratings. The program specifically targets communities with high concentrations of residents aged 50 and older, where falls related to sidewalk conditions are a leading cause of emergency room visits and loss of independent mobility. Audit teams would be composed of trained volunteers led by a certified accessibility consultant, ensuring that findings meet the technical standards required for inclusion in municipal capital improvement plans. AARP estimates that the average walk audit identifies between $200,000 and $1.5 million in needed repairs per neighborhood, giving local officials concrete data to prioritize spending from federal infrastructure funds now flowing to municipalities under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The program also includes a report-back requirement in which funded groups present their findings to city councils or county commissions within 90 days of completing the audit, creating a formal record of community-identified needs. Previous walk audit programs in cities such as Portland, Oregon, and Charlotte, North Carolina, have resulted in measurable increases in sidewalk repair budgets within two years of audit completion. Applications for the 2026 grant cycle are due by April 15 with awards announced in June and audit work to be completed by December of the same year.