The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) today announced it has been awarded an AARP Community Challenge Flagship Grant to launch a bikeshare education and activation program for Massachusetts adults ages 50 and older. The programs will be launched in Everett, Worcester, and Springfield with participants from surrounding communities welcome.
The program will focus on older adults who may be interested in biking or bikeshare but would benefit from instruction, encouragement, and peer support before trying it on their own. The grant supports implementation of a practical, hands-on program designed to help older adults build confidence using bikeshare systems and trail infrastructure. The program will include classroom learning, hands-on riding instruction, a guided group ride, peer conversations, accessible educational materials, and follow-up community discussions.
Up to 20 participants in each community will take part in a two-day “confidence clinic” that includes basic riding instruction, safety information, access to basic riding equipment, and bikeshare passes. The clinics will be followed by community “fireside chats” featuring older adult riders who can share their experiences, answer questions, and help normalize bikeshare as an affordable and accessible local transportation and recreation option.
AARP Community Challenge grants support quick-action projects that help communities become more livable for people of all ages. The Flagship Grant program focuses on improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections, and other community features that support age-friendly communities.
The older adult education and activation grant builds on MassDOT’s broader work to support safe, accessible, and connected transportation options. This includes Complete Streets, Shared Streets and Spaces, MassTrails, bikeshare expansion, and ongoing micromobility safety and policy work including the Ride Safe Act. The Ride Safe Act, proposed by Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll, seeks to make bike lanes and trails safer for all residents including older adults by establishing a consistent set of rules to be implemented across the Commonwealth.
More information about the program, including clinic dates, registration details, and community resources, will be made available on the MassDOT website.
“Communities across Massachusetts want practical solutions that help people stay active and connected,” said Jen Benson, AARP Massachusetts State Director. “This program will give older adults the confidence and support to try bikeshare and make the most of transportation options in their community.”
“One of the goals of Governor Healey’s Executive Order 642 is to make Massachusetts a place where people can thrive at every age, and that means creating communities that are easier to get around, stay active in, and remain connected to,” said Aging & Independence Secretary Robin Lipson. “This partnership between MassDOT and AARP is a wonderful example of that work in action. As older adults build their knowledge and skills to use bikeshare and other active transportation options, they open a door to new opportunities for exercise, social connection, and further independence. It’s a simple idea that can have a meaningful impact on people’s lives for years to come.”
“As we all hope to live longer and healthier lives, we should all have access to opportunities to remain active,” said James Fuccione, Executive Director, Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative. “Older adults already bike more often than other age groups, but bikeshare programs can help open the door to those who may not otherwise have that opportunity. We’re thrilled that MassDOT was awarded this AARP grant to engage older adults and grow the bikeshare community for people of all ages. The program helps further our goals as an age-friendly state as part of the ReiMAgine Aging 2030 Plan and can be something we replicate across Massachusetts.”