Pop-up bike lanes eyed for Canada Day in Sarnia

Pop-up bike lanes could be going up on Michigan Avenue, between the Howard Watson nature trail and Colborne Road, July 1 to help more people safely get to Canada Day festivities in Canatara Park.

Tristan Bassett, with the citizen-led, pro-active transportation group nuSarnia Foundation, said she’s thrilled with the city staff recommendationafter making the request in May.

“It’s a small step in the right direction,” she said about the traffic-barrel-protected lanes designed to make it easier for families to navigate busy thoroughfares safely to celebrations at the park, while also cutting down on car traffic.

“It gets so many cars off the road; it gives families their own space; it gives cars their own space. Everybody wins,” Bassett said.

Council unanimously approved the idea in principle May 15 pending details in a recently released staff report.

There could be further discussion when council next meets June 12.

It’s important to get the word out so people take part, several said at the time.

“It’s a small cost to potentially have a huge benefit,” Coun. Brian White said.

Sarnia’s official plan encourages more active transportation infrastructure such as bike lanes and trails and the city has contracted Momentum Transport Consultancy to develop an active transportation master plan that could call for things such as protected bike lanes in various places throughout the city, Bassett said.

“This is a really great opportunity for the community to just start to see how some of these things work,” she said.

Creating the lanes is expected to cost $10,000 to $12,000, mostly because of labor and traffic barrel rental costs, a city report says.

Front Street, which typically closes later in the day Canada Day when celebrations migrate to Centennial Park, will also be closed earlier so people can cycle and connect to a multi-use path through Point Edward to Canatara Park, said city engineering and operations general manager David Jackson.

Likely plans are to set up traffic barrels on the road edges a few days before and move them onto the roadway for one day, he said, but noted plans are still being finalized.

An annual Canada Day bike valet service via the city’s Bluewater trails committee also is continuing at Canatara Park, he said.

“They have a bunch of bike racks that they bring out and park in one spot, so people can be confident if they bike to the park that there’s a place to park and that it will be looked after,” he said.

nuSarnia, meanwhile, recently held its official launch party and released a documentary, A New Path, encouraging people to think about opportunities for more active transportation in the community and how it can create more connectivity.

The film, developed in partnership with TMRRW Inc., also features some of the group’s initiatives like creating pop-up protection for bike lanes on Colborne Road, and encouraging parking space transformations during a Parking(ing) Day event last October.

Similar to the documentary, viewable at video.nusarnia.orgthe day was meant to be thought-provoking and encourage people to envision how the community can be with more places for social connection, Bassett said.

Plans are to hold another this September, she said.

The group of about five core members — nu stands for new urbanism — has had strong support in the community, she said.

Bike lane projects in the city in recent years have included stretches of Colborne Road, Indian Road and Michigan Avenue, along with trail improvements and share-the-road initiatives.

“It is clear that Sarnia is a growing cycling community,” Bassett said.

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