Go play in the street: The San Antonio Síclovía

INTRODUCTION: MAPP strategies to increase physical activity (PA) include access to facilities and opportunities for PA and providing social support including PA-related positive social norms. Funded by a Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant, the City of San Antonio's Síclovía, held October 2, 2011, provided both. METHOD: Síclovía opened a 2 mi. stretch of busy urban street to pedestrians for cycling, walking, skating, hula hooping, etc., and redirected car traffic. Reclovías along the route offered free fitness activities, like Zumba, boot camp, yoga, and sports. Some businesses hosted promotions and PA at their site. Evaluation included intercept surveys, street attendee counts, and online business surveys. RESULTS: About 7,200 to 15,000 people attended Síclovía. 194 completed intercept surveys; 12 of 117 businesses completed surveys. The majority of respondents resided close to the Síclovía route; however, 20% came from 10 zip codes persistently identified at risk for health disparities. Participants were more physically active, had higher household incomes, and were more educated than the general San Antonio population. Attendees learned about Síclovía through word of mouth (34%) and identified spending time with family as a leading reason for attending Síclovía. Almost 36% said they would not have exercised that day if they had not been to Síclovía. Participants and businesses along the route were overwhelmingly positive in their assessment of Síclovía. Suggestions for improvement included greater event promotion, instruction on traffic flow, and visibility of restrooms and water stations. CONCLUSION: Síclovía was a positive experience that increased PA for some people.