During Open House weekend thousands of prospective students and their supporters will be visiting Cal Poly and experiencing San Luis Obispo for the first time and it’s important that everyone know how to get around safely.
With so many visitors new to campus and the city the potential for accidents is increased. However, with a little planning and preparation everyone can safely experience the life of a Cal Poly Mustang.
Cal Poly’s 32nd annual Open House, a showcase of the campus and the community, will take place April 10–12, 2025.
The road is shared by bicyclists, drivers and pedestrians, all trying to reach their destinations safely and all dependent on those around them to exercise care.
Open House is one of the most popular events on campus each year, it’s going to be crowded. Here are some tips to help visitors Go Safely.
- Wear comfy shoes and plan on getting those steps in. With so many people on campus riding any type of micro mobility device is not safe or allowed.
- Leave your electric scooter at home. As is always the case electric scooters, skateboards, one wheels and other micro-mobility devices are not allowed on campus.Use Mustang Shuttle. Available to current students, faculty and staff, the shuttle will run its regular day schedule on Friday and night schedule on Friday and Saturday.
- Ride SLOTransit and RTA to campus. SLO Transit and RTA will be serving the campus with modified service and routes. As always SLO Transit is free for students and staff and will help visitors avoid searching for parking. Visitors attending Open House can also utilize SLO Transit for free Friday and Saturday – simply let the driver know you are here for Cal Poly Open House.
- Visitors must have a pre-paid parking permit to park on campus for Open House. For visitors who did not secure a parking permit, shuttles are available from local hotels. More information about these shuttles is available on the New Student and Transition Programs webpage.
Know the road closures. Fun events like the parade and Club Showcase will close some roads.
- Friday, April 11:
- California Boulevard will be closed to through traffic from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the “University Welcome” event at Spanos Stadium, please plan to enter campus through Highland Drive
- University Drive at Highland Drive will be closed to through traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, April 12
- Grand Avenue will be closed to through traffic at Deer Road from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
- North Perimeter at Village Drive will be closed to through traffic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- University Drive will be closed to through traffic from 8 a.m.to 5 p.m.
There are also a number of options to make getting to campus more convenient. Mustang Shuttle will be running on Friday, April 11, and is a great option for rides from the H1 Wine and Vit parking lot. Download the “Mustang Shuttle” App from the Apple Store or Google Play and track the shuttle so you know exactly where it is.
To inform and encourage faculty, students and staff to get around campus safely and promote a safety culture, Cal Poly Public Safety has been partnering with the California Office of Traffic Safety on a “Go Safely” campaign that will promotes a “Safety Culture” where students faculty and staff make informed choices about how to Get Around Safe.