City of Huntingburg Street Department Receives $17,394 AARP Community Challenge Grant.

The City of Huntingburg is pleased to announce that the Street Department has been awarded a $17,394 Community Challenge Grant from AARP to purchase a portable radar speed sign. The grant was 100% funded by AARP, and no matching dollars were required to secure the award. The grant required that all awarded funds be used solely for the purchase of the portable radar speed sign identified in the application.

Huntingburg was one of only 17 Indiana organizations selected to receive funding through the highly competitive, nationwide 2026 AARP Community Challenge Grant Program. Through the AARP Community Challenge Grant Program, communities receive small grants to fund quick-action projects that make their neighborhoods more livable for people of all ages. The program encourages projects that create safer, more accessible, and more connected communities while delivering meaningful improvements in a short amount of time.

This grant award is a direct result of the City's recently completed Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Action Plan, which identified opportunities to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists throughout Huntingburg. One of the priorities identified during that planning process was the need for additional traffic-calming and data collection tools, leading to the successful grant application for a portable radar speed sign.

The portable radar speed sign can be deployed along high-crash pedestrian corridors and other locations where traffic safety is a concern. In addition to encouraging motorists to slow down, the sign will allow the city to display custom safety messages during large community events, road construction projects, school activities, and other high traffic situations. This sign is easy to relocate to address changing traffic patterns and community concerns.

Mayor Elkins states, “We are looking at ways we are able to change people’s unsafe habits. When the state is able to deploy similar signs, you do see people slow down. You do see more break lights as they come into low-speed zones. I thought this was a great opportunity.”

The City of Huntingburg extends its sincere appreciation to Emma Hudelson of Cash Waggner & Associates for her assistance in preparing the grant application. The City also thanks Cash Waggner & Associates for developing the Safe Streets for All Action Plan, which identified the need for this project, and Jason Stamm of the Huntingburg Street Department for his leadership and work throughout the planning process. The City is grateful for the collaboration and expertise that helped make this award possible.

For questions or for more information, please contact Kenlee Steffe, Director of Community Development, at (812)683-2211 or [email protected].