Anyone who's ever participated in the biking and walking festival CicLAvia, which bans cars along a stretch of city street for one glorious afternoon every few months, can easily see the immediate effect it has on businesses, with sweaty participants storming bodegas for bottled water and waiting in long taco truck lines. The UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs now confirms it--they conducted a study during the most-recent CicLAvia in June (the eighth event takes place in DTLA on Sunday) that looks at just how much businesses along the route profit. Judging from sales from the week prior to CicLAvia, brick-and-mortar shops along the route experienced a 10 percent uptick in sales. But those who "actively participated," bringing their business closer to the street with a booth or signage, made 57 percent more. Food trucks, many of which set up shop along the route just for the day, were also a big winner--they averaged $1,693 in sales and a total of $50,790 in revenue. CicLAvia ends before dinner, so that's not bad.
· CicLAvia [Official Site]
· CicLAvia Archives [Curbed LA]
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