RSPP launches "Bikes Mean Business" program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Adrian N. Carver, Executive Director
Revitalize San Pedro Partnership
adrian@sanpedroabq.org | (505) 221-6667 | sanpedroabq.org

Revitalize San Pedro Partnership Secures $17,500 in AARP Community Challenge Grants to Bring 40 Bike Racks to San Pedro Corridor

“Bikes Mean Business” pairs a corridor-wide bike/walk audit with new bike parking at San Pedro Main Street businesses, aimed at helping older adults ride and shop safely as they age in place

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Aug. 21, 2026 — The Revitalize San Pedro Partnership (RSPP) today announced it has been awarded two AARP Community Challenge grants totaling $17,500 to launch “Bikes Mean Business,” pairing a corridor-wide bike/walk audit with new, secure bike parking at San Pedro Main Street businesses. This project was made possible thanks to a generous grant from AARP.

A $2,500 Capacity Building grant funded the audit, which found only three existing bike rack sites in the nine-block stretch of San Pedro Dr. that RSPP targeted — one serving drive-through customers only. Building on those findings, a $15,000 Flagship grant will fund the purchase and installation of 40 secure bike racks at corridor businesses, community gathering spaces, and near RSPP’s own office, alongside business education materials, neighborhood outreach, and a celebratory community bike tour.

The project targets older adults specifically: more than 1,000 seniors live within easy biking distance of San Pedro’s shops and services, but without a safe place to lock up, many simply won’t stop. Installation runs June through October 2026, with a public celebration and community bike tour planned for November. BikeABQ and corridor neighborhood associations are volunteering, with in-kind design support from New Mexico Main Street.

The grants mark a milestone year for the AARP Community Challenge: celebrating its 10th anniversary, AARP announced on June 24, 2026 that it had selected 750 grantees, including RSPP, from more than 5,100 applications nationwide, committing a record $8.3 million — its largest investment to date. “America is aging, and most older adults want to stay in the communities they know and love,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer.

“Bikes mean business,” said Adrian N. Carver, RSPP’s Executive Director. “When someone can safely ride to San Pedro and lock up right at a shop’s door, that’s a customer our corridor businesses wouldn’t have reached otherwise — and for older adults especially, secure bike parking is what makes that trip feel possible at all.”

About Revitalize San Pedro Partnership: RSPP is working to turn the San Pedro corridor in Albuquerque’s International District into a stronger neighborhood commercial district — safer, more welcoming, and more economically resilient — by improving the public realm, supporting small businesses, and strengthening community identity and participation. RSPP is an accredited Main Street America program.

About the AARP Community Challenge: Now in its 10th year, the AARP Community Challenge funds quick-action projects that make communities more livable for people of all ages. In 2026, AARP is doubling its investment, awarding $8.3 million to 750 grantees nationwide. Learn more at aarp.org/CommunityChallenge.

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