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An Assessment of the Viva CalleSJ September 2026 Event in San José
Viva CalleSJ is an open-streets initiative where several miles of the City of San José’s streets are closed to vehicular traffic, allowing residents to walk, bike, scooter, and skate freely. This report evaluates the Viva CalleSJ event held in San José on September 13, 2026, which historically has attracted more than 150,000 participants. Using a mixed-methods approach, this evaluation examines aspects such as attendance, activities, modal access, and economic impacts, utilizing data from participant surveys (in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese), interviews, and observational analysis.
University:
San José State University
Principal Investigator:
Richard Kos
PI Contact Information:
San Jose State University
Dates:
June 2026 to December 2026
Implementation of Research Outcomes:
The two primary research outputs will be (1) a formal report for both MTI and the City of San Jose's Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services and (2) a formal presentation to PRNS staff in December 2026. Both outputs will highlight the main findings from the September 2026 participation survey.
Impacts/Benefits of Implementation:
The participant survey will ask about the mode of travel used to reach the event. We will compare the results to prior Viva CalleSJ participant surveys to examine trends over time from past events. The findings will inform PRNS staff and could lead to changes to future Viva CalleSJ events to accommodate modes of travel most favored by participants. In 2025 we found that over 58% arrived by bicycle, an increase of nearly 9% over 2024. 12.5% arrived on foot, again an increase over 2024. Arrival by car was stable at 30%. Modes such as scooters and shared-mobility options saw a marked increase compared to 2024 (7.2% vs 2.9%). Once at Viva CalleSJ, most participants traveled through the event by bicycle (68.6%), with others walking or running, and smaller groups using scooters, skateboards, skates, or wheelchairs. We will see how these figures compare to data collected in September 2026.
Project Number:
2614
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Contact Us
San José State University One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192 Phone: 408-924-7560 Email: mineta-institute@sjsu.edu
