Pop Up Bike Lane
Canada Day Pop Up Protected Bike Lane
Four years of creating safer, more connected ways to celebrate Canada Day.
Since 2023, nuSarnia has brought temporary protected bike lanes to Sarnia’s Canada Day celebrations, creating safer cycling connections to Canatara Park and giving residents another way to participate in one of our community’s largest events.
Delivered in partnership with the City of Sarnia and Bluewater Trails Committee, the project connects neighbourhoods, trails and existing cycling infrastructure to Canada Day while giving residents an opportunity to experience what safer, more connected cycling infrastructure can feel like.
For nuSarnia, it’s about more than cycling. It’s about connection: creating more ways for more people to access, participate in and experience their community.
Four Years of Impact
2023
~500 riders
Our first year testing temporary protected cycling connections to Canada Day.
2024
~900 riders
Our highest recorded ridership to date.
2025
~800 riders
Hundreds continued to ride despite construction disrupting the Michigan Ave connection.
2026
~650 riders
Despite exceptionally hot conditions and an extended heat warning, hundreds of residents chose to bike.
Ridership figures reflect counts collected along the Michigan Avenue Pop-Up Protected Bike Lane route. Ridership along the Front Street route is not included in these figures.
2026 Impact
On July 1, 2026, the pop-up protected bike lanes returned for a fourth consecutive year, creating temporary protected cycling routes along the Michigan avenue and front Street as part of Sarnia’s Canada Day celebrations.
Despite an extended heat warning and exceptionally hot Canada Day conditions, residents took the routes by bike and experienced what safer, more comfortable cycling infrastructure can look and feel like in our community.
Following Canada Day, we asked residents to share their experience using the protected bike lanes and whether safer cycling infrastructure changes the way they move around their community.
What Riders Told Us
Feedback from residents who used one or both of the protected routes was overwhelmingly positive.
4.9/5
Average overall rider experience
100%
Felt safer because of the protected bike lane
100%
Would bike more often if protected bike lanes were available year-round
93%
Support permanent protected bike lanes on more streets in Sarnia
79%
Would feel comfortable allowing a child or less experienced cyclist to use a protected bike lane, with the remaining respondents answering “maybe”
Riders repeatedly highlighted safety, separation from vehicle traffic and greater comfort as some of the things they valued most about the experience. For families, that additional separation was particularly meaningful, helping make the journey to Canada Day feel safer and more comfortable.
Did the Protected Lane Change How People Travelled?
For some residents, yes.
When asked how they would have travelled to Canada Day without the protected bike lane, 43% of surveyed riders said they would have used another form of transportation or may not have attended at all.
Among those respondents:
- Three would have driven
- One would have taken public transit
- One would have walked
- One said they probably would not have attended
Protected cycling infrastructure isn’t only about improving the experience for people who already bike. It can help make cycling a realistic transportation choice for people deciding how they will get somewhere.
By creating safer connections to community destinations, we can give residents more choices in how they move around Sarnia.
More Than a Bike Lane
Measuring What Matters: Connection
At nuSarnia, our number one measure of impact is connection.
We look at how our projects connect people to one another, connect people to places and create opportunities for residents to participate in and experience their community.
The Canada Day Pop-Up Protected Bike Lanes put that goal into action.
They connect people to place, providing another way for residents and families to reach one of Sarnia’s largest community celebrations.
They connect neighbourhoods and infrastructure, helping bridge existing trails, cycling routes and community destinations.
They connect community experience to future decisions, giving residents an opportunity to experience protected cycling infrastructure firsthand and tell us how it affects their safety, comfort and transportation choices.
And they help connect temporary ideas to longer-term possibilities, demonstrating what safer, more connected ways of moving around Sarnia can look and feel like.
Ultimately, this project is about creating more ways for more people to participate in their community.
From Pop-Up to Permanent
In 2026, the Canada Day route included an important new connection.
New permanent cycling infrastructure on Michigan Avenue between Indian Road and Colborne Road meant the temporary Michigan Avenue route could connect directly into permanent bike lanes, creating a more continuous journey toward Canatara Park.
Temporary infrastructure gives residents an opportunity to experience what is possible. It allows us to test ideas, gather feedback and better understand how infrastructure affects people’s comfort and transportation choices.
Permanent infrastructure can take those connections further, creating something residents can use every day.
The addition of permanent cycling infrastructure along part of the Canada Day route is an encouraging step toward a safer, more connected cycling network in Sarnia.
How It Works
Each Canada Day, temporary cycling connections help residents reach Canatara Park by bike.
Michigan Avenue
The 2026 temporary protected cycling lane ran along Michigan Avenue from Blackwell Road to Indian Road.
From there, riders could connect with permanent cycling infrastructure between Indian Road and Colborne Road, helping create a more continuous route toward Canatara Park.
Front Street
The Front Street route provided another connection from the waterfront toward Canatara Park.
With Front Street closed to vehicle traffic between London Road and Exmouth Street, cyclists could connect with the Point Edward multi-use path leading into the park.
Bike Corral
Once riders arrived, Bluewater Trails Committee volunteers operated a free bike corral at Canatara Park, providing a convenient place to park while enjoying Canada Day celebrations.
Project Goals
Create Connection
Make it easier for residents and families to reach major community events by bike while connecting existing pieces of Sarnia’s cycling network.
Provide More Transportation Choices
Give residents another option for getting to Canada Day while helping reduce pressure on vehicle traffic and parking.
Build Confidence
Create a more comfortable cycling experience by providing greater separation between people riding bikes and vehicle traffic.
Learn From the Community
Use temporary infrastructure, ridership data and resident feedback to better understand how people experience cycling in Sarnia and what they need from a more connected network.
Four Years of Learning
Every Canada Day gives us another opportunity to test, listen and learn.
Over four years, thousands of cycling trips have been recorded along the Michigan Avenue Pop-Up Protected Bike Lane route, while resident feedback has consistently shown that protected infrastructure can make people feel safer and more comfortable choosing to bike.
635 riders
Despite an extended heat warning and exceptionally hot conditions, hundreds of residents chose to bike to Canada Day.
Among surveyed riders:
- 4.9/5 average overall experience
- 100% felt safer because of the protected lane
- 100% would bike more if protected lanes were available year-round
- 93% support more permanent protected bike lanes
- 79% would feel comfortable allowing a child or less experienced cyclist to use a protected bike lane
The year also marked an important change along the route, with new permanent cycling infrastructure on Michigan Avenue creating greater continuity between the temporary route and Canatara Park.
Approximately 800 riders
Approximately 800 cyclists were recorded along the Michigan Avenue route despite construction disrupting the corridor into Canatara Park.
The experience also helped identify improvements for future years, including stronger wayfinding, better integration between the cycling routes and bike corral, and additional shade and heat mitigation.
Those lessons helped shape the 2026 event.
Approximately 900 riders
Ridership grew significantly in the project’s second year, with approximately 900 cyclists recorded along the Michigan Avenue route.
Survey feedback showed:
- 94% felt safer riding in the protected lanes
- 89% said they would ride more if protected lanes existed year-round
- 95% wanted to see similar cycling initiatives at future community events
Approximately 500 riders
The first Canada Day Pop-Up Protected Bike Lanes demonstrated immediate interest in safer cycling connections to Canatara Park, with approximately 500 cyclists recorded along the Michigan Avenue route.
Survey feedback showed:
- 86% felt safer using the protected lanes
- 76% said they would cycle more if permanent protected infrastructure existed
- 90% wanted to see similar initiatives at future community events
Four years later, the project continues to help us understand how safer, more connected infrastructure can influence the way residents move through their community.
Built Through Partnership
