By Andy Rohrer, Executive Director, League of Michigan Bicyclists

Today the League of American Bicyclists released its 2026 Bicycle Friendly State Report Card. Michigan ranks #11 of 50 states and #3 of 13 in the Midwest.

That’s a respectable place to be, but we slipped from the 2024 report card. On safety, the numbers tell us plainly that Michigan has work to do.

LMB contributed to this report alongside our partners at Programs to Educate All Cyclists (PEAC) and Major Taylor Michigan Cycling Advocacy.

What Michigan Does Well

Michigan has a Complete Streets policy, a three-foot safe passing law, and a statewide active transportation plan. We rank 10th for capacity and support and 8th for Every Ride Counts. Our infrastructure score is 83%.

Those wins came from years of work by riders, advocates, and partners across the state. They show that progress is possible. The safety numbers show where that progress needs to go next.

Where Michigan Stands on Safety

Michigan’s bicyclist fatality rate is worse than the national average. We lose 20 riders for every 10,000 people who bike to work. That ranks us 34th of 50 states.

Most concerning, bicyclist deaths rose in 2025. On fatalities, Michigan is heading the wrong way.

The report also shows most fatalities are occurring on state-owned roads, and mostly on busy urban arterials. These are often the multi-lane roads that cut through our cities, and the state decides how they are built and managed.

Michigan has had a Complete Streets law since 2010, and MDOT adopted its Complete Streets policy in 2012. A policy only matters when it shapes real projects, though. The state ended its Complete Streets Advisory Council in 2015, and MDOT is still revisiting its 2012 policy. The deaths on state-owned arterials show that Complete Streets is not yet the standard on the roads where riders need it most.

On laws, Michigan earned just 49% of the available points, which ranks us 27th. For a state that does so much else so well, that gap matters.

Justice for Vulnerable Roadway Users: The Fix Is Waiting on a Vote

The report card calls on Michigan to strengthen protections for vulnerable roadway users. These are people who walk, bike, roll, or otherwise travel without the protection of a vehicle. Today, Michigan law does not provide enough accountability when a moving violation seriously injures or kills one of them.

The Legislature already has the answer in hand. The Justice for Vulnerable Roadway Users bills, HB 4334 and SB 217, have cleared committee. The two bills are tie-barred, so both become law together.

HB 4334 now waits on a House floor vote. SB 217 needs one more Senate vote to match the House language. Time is short. If these bills do not pass before the session ends, the work starts over in January.

LMB has worked on this effort for about six years. We thank Rep. Julie Rogers and every legislator who has carried it this far. Now we need the House and Senate to finish the job.

More Steps the Report Card Recommends

• Let communities set safer speeds. Public Act 33 of 2024 helps, but it bars limits below the 50th-percentile speed. That floor keeps 20 mph out of reach on most neighborhood streets. The Legislature should remove it on local and residential streets.
• Fix the state’s busiest roads. MDOT should prioritize safe bike facilities on urban trunkline arterials, where so many deaths happen.
• Fund biking and walking. Michigan spends $2.54 per person in federal dollars on biking and walking, which ranks 41st. The state met the 2% mark in most years before 2020 and has not met it since. MDOT should set 2% as an annual floor and report its spending each year.

What You Can Do Today

Contact your state representative and state senator. Ask them to pass HB 4334 and SB 217 before the session ends. Take action here →

Then share this post with your riding friends. Every voice from home makes the case stronger in Lansing.

Read Michigan’s Full 2026 Report Card

Tap or click the report card to open it full size, or download your own copy. You can see every state’s report card from the League of American Bicyclists at bikeleague.org/bfa/awards.

Download the report card (PDF) →

Categorised in: Advocacy, Take Action