Age-Friendly Glen Cove has been selected as one of only 16 recipients across New York to receive a 2025 AARP Community Challenge Grant, joining a competitive cohort committed to improving community livability for people of all ages. The organization, based at the Glen Cove Senior Center, was awarded a prestigious “Flagship Grant,” one of only five granted in New York this cycle.
Funded as part of AARP’s $164,600 investment in New York communities—part of a broader $4.2 million nationwide initiative—the grant will support Age-Friendly Glen Cove’s new public transit initiative, “Ready to Ride.” The program aims to reconnect residents, particularly older adults and those with disabilities, with the public transportation systems that serve Glen Cove and surrounding communities.
“We’re very proud to have been selected for the grant,” said AJ Kuhr, director of the Nassau County Age-Friendly Center of Excellence at Glen Cove. “It’s a big win for the region.”
The “Ready to Ride” campaign is structured around three core components: digital literacy workshops, experiential transit learning trips and community-led transit audits. The workshops are designed to help community members navigate the increasingly tech-based landscape of public transportation. In many Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) stations—including those in Glen Cove, Locust Valley and Sea Cliff—printed schedules and staffed ticket booths have been replaced with QR codes and smartphone apps.
“There’s been a shift in how transit information is accessed and not everyone is up to speed,” said Kuhr. “We’re holding workshops that walk participants through using apps like TrainTime, understanding QR codes, planning trips and even learning public transit etiquette.”
The first of these workshops is scheduled for July 23 at 1 p.m. at the Glen Cove Senior Center and will focus on navigating the LIRR. A second session on Able-Ride, NICE Bus’ paratransit service, will take place on July 30. All workshops are free and open to the public, with Spanish-language facilitation available.
What sets the initiative apart is its emphasis on learning through experience. Participants will have the opportunity to take part in group transit trips, offering a hands-on, supportive environment to apply what they learn.
“You can sit in a room and look at slides all day,” Kuhr explained, “but until you’ve tapped your phone to scan a ticket or figured out how to read a digital platform schedule, the knowledge doesn’t stick. These trips give people a chance to try it all in a low-pressure setting.”
To further inform the project and drive systemic improvements, Age-Friendly Glen Cove is launching volunteer-led transit audits. These audits will assess the accessibility, reliability and safety of local public transit services and infrastructure, beginning with the Oyster Bay LIRR Branch and the city’s local loop bus.
“Accessibility isn’t just about whether a bus has a ramp—it’s about whether someone can safely walk to a stop, whether the signage is readable and whether information is understandable for all,” Kuhr said. “These audits will help us document those barriers and bring them to the attention of transit authorities and local leaders.”
Age-Friendly Glen Cove operates under the umbrella of the Glen Cove Senior Center—the largest of its kind in Nassau County—and is supported by both the City of Glen Cove and a grant from the state. The center serves approximately 2,000 members, though its programming reaches far beyond senior populations.
“Our goal is to make Glen Cove more livable for everyone, not just older adults,” Kuhr emphasized. “While the grant is geared toward seniors, the services we’re offering are for community members of all ages and abilities.”
The organization has already seen success with similar grassroots efforts. In November, Age-Friendly Glen Cove partnered with AARP New York to conduct walk audits of downtown Glen Cove. The audits, which involved the mayor and city planner, led to the development of a new accessible walking path through downtown.
“It’s proof that these kinds of projects can lead to real, physical changes in the community,” Kuhr said. “That’s what makes this AARP grant so exciting—we have the tools now to make transit more inclusive, safe and understandable for everyone.”
AARP’s Community Challenge Grants are designed to fund “quick-action” projects with a long-term impact. Since 2017, the program has awarded 63 grants totaling more than $736,000 to organizations throughout New York.
“AARP New York is proud to work with communities across the state to help make them more livable for people of all ages,” said Beth Finkel, AARP New York director. “These projects are about turning great local ideas into real improvements that make everyday life better, especially for older New Yorkers.”
The grant also strengthens local collaboration, with partners such as the MTA outreach organization Transit Solutions and the Glen Cove Disability Task Force participating in the upcoming workshops and audits.
Reflecting on the experience of working with AARP, Kuhr noted, “What really impressed me was how local their focus could be. AARP is a huge national organization, but they’re investing directly in neighborhoods like Glen Cove. They’re not just about policy in Washington—they’re on the ground with us, making real change.”
For more information or to get involved with “Ready to Ride,” visit www.agefriendlyglencove.com or contact the Glen Cove Senior Center at (516) 759-9610.
