Ciclovía participation and impacts in San Diego, CA: The first CicloSDias

• Participation in an Open Streets event in San Diego (CicloSDias) was evaluated.
• Physical activity accrued at CicloSDias was assessed.
• 8311 people attended the event and spent an average of 144 min of physically active.
• Involvement from local businesses can help CicloSDias become sustainable.
• Comprehensive evaluations of Open Streets initiatives can help improve events.

ObjectiveCiclovía or Open Streets initiatives support physical activity through cycling/rolling, and walking/running. We evaluated San Diego's first Open Streets event, CicloSDias, to document attendance, reach and marketing, and effects on social cohesion, businesses, and physical activity.MethodsThe comprehensive evaluation consisted of a city-wide survey 1 week before and after the event (n = 805), counts of event attendees, and surveys of event attendees (n = 713) and businesses (n = 26).ResultsAn estimated 8311 people attended the event. Attendees had an average of 144 min (SD = 85) of physical activity, 97% met the 30 min/day guideline, and 39% met the 150 min/week guideline during the event. 27% of attendees would have been inactive without the event. Awareness of the event was 10% before and 26% after the event. When comparing event attendees to San Diego residents, Latinos and non-White race/ethnicities were under-represented. Restaurants/pubs, services, and most retail stores excluding liquor stores and food markets reported positive or neutral impacts on business.ConclusionOpen Street initiatives are promising ways to promote physical activity and are desired by the community. Positive effects were observed for physical activity, social cohesion, and businesses, though reach should be expanded to include more underserved community members. Evaluating Open Streets is important for sustaining and improving these efforts.